Devil In Disguise: How many people did John Wayne Gacy kill? Details explored 

Peacock’s eight-part true crime drama Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy explores the life and horrifying crimes of the infamous serial killer. The series traces the bone-chilling investigation that uncovered the full reach of Gacy’s killings, doubling as a scrupulous portrait of the people and events surrounding the case.

Devil in Disguise examines the frightening dual life of a man who was an affable local businessman by day but hid a monstrous secret in his basement. Devil in Disguise is inspired by Peacock’s 2021 docuseries John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise.

It featured never-before-seen interviews, including a 1992 prison conversation between Gacy and ex-FBI profiler Robert Ressler. Over the course of the series there is a detailed portrayal of the investigation that ultimately leads to the apprehension of Gacy.

Devil in Disguise: How Many People Did Gacy Kill?

John Wayne Gacy is officially linked to 33 murders, all of them teenage boys and young men. According to a 1980 report in TIME:

“When police questioned him about the disappearance of a local 15-year-old named Robert Piest, Gacy began jabbering about a seven-year career of murder, of picking up boys and young men, forcing them to perform sexual acts and then strangling them. Police discovered 26 bodies in a 40-ft. crawl space beneath his house, one body under his dining room and two buried in his backyard. Four more bodies, including Piest's, were dumped in the Des Plaines River."

Gacy initially admitted to 30 victims, later claiming 45. As with many serial killers, the true number may never be known. The series emphasizes these were real people, not just numbers. Many of Gacy’s victims were employees or acquaintances, lured at times under the ruse of jobs or favours.

They were between 14 and 22 years old, and the majority were tortured and sexually abused before being murdered. Among the identified victims were Timothy McCoy, John Butkovich, Darrell Sampson, Randall Reffett, Sam Stapleton, Michael Bonnin, William Carroll, James Haakenson, Rick Johnston, Kenneth Parker, Michael Marino, William Bundy, Gregory Godzik, France Wayne Alexander, John Szyc, John Prestidge, Matthew Bowman, Robert Gilroy, John Mowery, Russell Nelson, Robert Winch, Tommy Boling, David Talsma, William Kindred, Timothy O’Rourke, Frank Landlingin, James Mazzara, and Robert Piest.

Eight victims were originally unidentified, but in 2011, the bodies were exhumed for forensic testing resulting in 3 more victims being identified. As of today, five victims still remain unnamed.

Devil in Disguise: Who Was John Wayne Gacy?

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John Wayne Gacy was born in Chicago in 1942 and held a variety of jobs before opening a construction firm in the Chicago metro area. His job profile also includes managing KFC franchises. On the surface he was a pillar of the community: twice married, he had a reputation for throwing lavish parties and was active in charity work. But beneath this exterior, Gacy nursed deadly urges that would lead him on a murder rampage in the 1970s.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy opens with the vanishing of 15-year-old Robert Piest, whose investigation brings investigators to Gacy. The series centres around Lieutenant Joe Kozenczak and Detective Rafael Tovar as they investigate and expose the shocking nature of Gacy’s crimes. Peacock's drama dramatizes the discovery of human remains under Gacy's house and the crimes he committed.

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