Killer Clown

The John Wayne Gacy Murders

By: Terry Sullivan, Peter T. Maiken

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 15 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

He was a model citizen. A hospital volunteer. And one of the most sadistic serial killers of all time. But few people could see the cruel monster beneath the colorful clown makeup that John Gacy wore to entertain children in his Chicago suburb. Few could imagine what lay buried beneath his house of horrors—until a teenage boy disappeared before Christmas in 1978, leading prosecutor Terry Sullivan on the greatest manhunt of his career.

Reconstructing the investigation—from records of violence in Gacy's past, to the gruesome discovery of 29 corpses of abused boys in Gacy's crawlspace and four others found in the nearby river—Sullivan's shocking eyewitness account takes you where few true crime books ever go: inside the heart of a serial murder investigation and trial.

©2013 Terry Sullivan and Peter T. Maiken (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Gripping." (Publishers Weekly)

Amazing story

What did you love best about Killer Clown?

Details of the investigation and trial

What does Sean Runnette bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His calm voice

Any additional comments?

For me bring Casy to justice in a non digital world was amazing. What a great team they were, and how this writer put it all together.

True Crime NOT to be Overlooked; A MUST Read!

The story...RIVETING, the narrator, Sean Runnette...FABULOUS! His voice was perfection for the presentation of this horrendous true story! I found myself getting my Kindle and listening whenever I had a free moment...couldn't put it down! He brought life to this book with every sentence and made this a fascinating listen for such a profoundly frightening, gruesome and sadly, very true story. The actions, interactions and dialogue as read by Sean between the police and Gacy, once they have him in their suspect sites, is a wild ride...literally and one I anticipated with bated breath every single time Gacy got into his car and even after their subsequent arrival at his destination, wherever he took them! They were on him, as they say, "like white on rice", that is...most of the time, day and night unless he momentarily slipped them with is outlandish, harrowing and crazy beyond crazy driving antics, not surprising for a man in his state of mind, a caged animal really! This is a highly recommended, not to be overlooked book for any passionate True Crime follower. This is a story brought to life in all its ugliness by an excellent author paired with this top-notch Audible narrator!

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND OF MY TRUE LIFE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CASE (if anyone cares to read further):

I was in my twenties when this happened and lived in a nearby Chicago suburb. And, even though I'm a woman I was frightened for my three younger brothers, who all fit into the age range Gacy was preying upon, due to the extensive media coverage at the time! It consumed the television and daily conversations of people in the neighborhood and at the water cooler and lunch rooms at our work places. It seemed as nothing else was happening in the world at that time and time had somehow stopped due to this unspeakable and unthinkable crime. Everyone held their breath those very cold winter days as we all waited to see how many more bodies would be recovered from that dank, dark space of his home that became a graveyard for so many! And, of course, the dark humor and quite stupid (looking back) things we all do to deal with something like this started to rear their ugly heads...we were taking bets, actual bets with money on what the final toll would be! How else do you handle a situation like that...especially in the late 70s when times were SO MUCH different and exposure to such things wasn't common, everyday, news items! Gacy's case immediately brought to mind another gruesome mass murder I vividly remembered from my childhood...When I was 11 years old and actually living VERY nearby the shipyards in South Chicago (we moved to the suburbs the following year where I lived when Gacy committed his atrocities) when Richard Speck committed the horrific crime of killing 8 student nurses from South Chicago Hospital. My dad came home from the steel mill where he was employed and only blocks from the scene of the murders, he was stupified with shock and horror and he told us kids to go to our rooms. Then, in hushed tones I could still make out, I heard what was telling my mom and my Uncle and remember wishing I wasn't the nosy little brat I was...my stomach knotted and I thought I was going to be physically sick, I was SO scared! These are the reactions these monsters can bring upon God-fearing citizens of ANY age (at least at the age of understanding and reason and the comprehension and grasp of right and wrong). They change your life and your understanding of the world and can even change how you perceive everyone around you! Fortunately, I was able to put Speck to the back of my mind when I moved and go on with my "kid life" normally, but like I said when this monster Gacy was exposed it flooded my emotions and memories with Speck bringing these two abhorrent creatures together in my mind! Thankfully, at an adult age, when the Gacy case took place, I was better equipped to handle and assimilate the information in a different manner from my childhood introduction and reaction to the horror of Richard Speck...hence the macabre "body betting", which I regret deeply now! This, very well written and presented book about John Gacy is a story for the ages because no matter how much time goes by this is a story of the worst humanity has to offer and should be heeded by ALL...this is a testament to the harsh reality that their are TRULY monsters among us!

outstanding

great narration and thoroughly enjoyed. once started, hooked to the end. although creepy and sick highly recommended as a monumental event in American history

Story is very interesting, narrator sucks!!

I like the story but the narrator sounds like he’s talking thru clenched teeth, and drops his voice at the end of every sentence.....soooooooo annoying! Every sentence is the same tone with his voice lowering at the end, unless it’s a question. Get rid of the speaker and the book would be awesome! I’ll never listen to another book narrated by this guy again!!

Great book on a monster

The bad reviews are from people who want a full documentary on Gacy. This is like listening to a crazy cop movie tracking Gacy's every move. Listen to it. It might give you nightmares.

I don't believe in 5 stars.

Disturbing.

The book is A+; it goes into a lot of details of the criminal case against JWG. At times the story becomes repetitive; it has to be. Otherwise, it would seem that parts of the story were being left out.

Enjoyed the story of a known case in Illinois

Liked the story and how it was told from the prosecutors point of view.
It gave great insight into the case and mind of one of America's infamous serial killers from the Chicagoland area.

WOW

Very graphic, not for those with a weak stomach. What John Wayne Gacy Jr. did was truly disgusting. As a long-time fan of true crime, i was decently familiar with JWG Jr. but this covers even more than most other sources, fair warning it took me several breaks to get through this and I did cry a few times. RIP Rob Piest

Wonderful!

Extremely entertaining… Articulate, disgusting (in a death way), and gruesome in every sense of the word. Hang on tight, it’s quite a ride!

Detailed and fascinating

Captivating recounting of the details of the investigation and prosecution team's work. Well written. Well performed.