Background

Sometimes known as the Killer Clown for his habit of dressing up in a clown costume and makeup, Gacy was an American serial killer and rapist who took the lives of at least 33 young males in Cook County, Illinois.

In December 1978, the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest led to police searching Gacy’s home and discovering the bodies of 26 men and young boys buried in the crawl space under the house. Other bodies were later recovered from the nearby Des Plaines River.