John Wayne Gacy

John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer who raped, tortured and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978 in Cook County, Illinois (a part of metropolitan Chicago). He was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 17th, 1942 and died by way of lethal injection at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois on May 10th, 1994. He was 52-years-old at the time of his death.

Background
All of Gacy's known murders were committed inside his Norwood Park ranch house. His victims were typically induced to his address by force or deception, and all except one of his victims were murdered by either asphyxiation or strangulation with a makeshift garrote, as his first victim was stabbed to death. Gacy buried twenty-six of his victims in the crawl space of his home. Three other victims were buried elsewhere on his property, while the bodies of his last four known victims were discarded in the Des Plaines River.

Convicted of 33 murders, Gacy was sentenced to death on March 13th, 1980 for twelve of those murders. He spent 14 years on death row before he was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on May 10th, 1994.

Gacy became known as the "Killer Clown" because of his charitable services at fund-raising events, parades, and children's parties where he would dress as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", characters that he had created.

American Horror Story
John Wayne Gacy was one of several real-world serial killers who appeared as ghosts on the fifth season of American Horror Story under the subtitle, "Hotel". Played by actor John Carroll Lynch, he appeared the episodes "Devil's Night" and "Be Our Guest".

The ghost of James Patrick March - hotelier and serial killer exdtraordinare hosted a special function at his hotel. On "Devil's Night", October 30th, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thin enough so that other spirits could visit March's base of operations at the Hotel Cortez. John Wayne Gacy appeared as part of a dinner function along with the spirits of serial killers of note like Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, and Richard Ramirez.

Notes & Trivia

 * John Wayne Gacy performed as Pogo the Clown and Patches the Clown as part of the Jolly Jokers troupe.


 * Was a member of the Moose Club.


 * John Wayne Gacy met former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on May 6th, 1978 - seven months before his final arrest.


 * Playing John Wayne Gacy is actor John Carroll Lynch's second portrayal of a "killer clown" on American Horror Story. He also played the fictional Twisty the Clown in season four's "Freak Show".

Appearances

 * American Horror Story: Devil's Night
 * American Horror Story: Be Our Guest