Show Notes
A case I swore I would never do because it's just so awful but when you visit Illinois on a tour of the US States by true crime and paranormal cases it's sort of hard to avoid.
This episode comes with all the trigger warnings though I do try to avoid the gory detail it is not for the fainthearted - for lack of a better word, there is no judgement that comes with having to skip this episode.
Before he was known as one of America's most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy was a respected local contractor, an active member of Democratic politics, and a familiar face at children's hospitals — where he performed in a clown costume he'd made himself.
In this episode of our A-Z of the United States series, we land on Illinois and the case that came to define it: the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Robert Piest, the investigation that followed him back to an ordinary house in Norwood Park Township, and the twenty-nine bodies eventually recovered from beneath it. We go back through Gacy's childhood, the six years of murders that preceded his arrest, and the warning signs — neighbours, employees, a survivor's own detailed report to police — that were there long before anyone connected them.
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Connect with me on social media @themondaynightrevue or email at [email protected]. Explore our podcast merch: Shop Here Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee Discover curated reads: Bookshop For ad-free episodes, minisodes, and exclusive perks, join us on Patreon: Support on Patreon Written and edited by Corinna Harrod with Holly Clarke. Artwork by Jessica Holmes. Music: "The Mooche" by Duke Ellington (1928).
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