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Killer Clown

The John Wayne Gacy Murders

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Killer Clown

Written by: Terry Sullivan, Peter T. Maiken
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
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About this listen

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 Americas Murder Sexual Crimes & Assault True Crime United States Crime Serial Killers True Crime

What the critics say

"Gripping." (Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most Relevant
This book details a lot of unknown and interesting aspects of Gacy’s behaviour. It’s full of details and the narrator is excellent. He’s very calm and methodical in his delivery, so you don’t have to worry about any irritating theatrics or overdone characterizations. Great book overall.

Fascinating

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Amazing couldn't stop listening. If you are a true crime fan you will love this audio.

Enjoyed every minute of this book.

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This True Crime exposé - written by Cook County Illinois prosecuting attorney Terry Sullivan (with ghostwriter Peter T. Maiken) - documents the capture of nightmarish serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. The book starts with the disappearance of Gacy's final victim (15-year-old Robert Piest) and relates police & family efforts to identify the monster: accumulating evidence & inconsistencies in his statements, putting him under surveillance, and eventually exhuming the bodies of 26 young men from the creepy crawlspace under his house (a further 7 victims - at least - were buried elsewhere around his property or dumped in a local river). The prolific mindblowingly manipulative psychosexually-motivated monster masquerading as an upstanding citizen & businessman is one of the most fascinating criminals that I have ever encountered.
Unfortunately, Sullivan largely leads readers through the nuts & bolts of obtaining search warrants, gathering evidence, lining up witnesses, arranging Psychiatric evaluations, and obtaining a conviction. The book is far too pedagogical for the subject matter. I wish the whole thing had been as insightful as the 2012 afterword.

Reader Sean Runnette doesn't help the situation, either. His matter-of-fact delivery actually calls attention to the deficiencies in the text. His diction/timbre/cadence is solidly professional mind you, but his tone - while interested - comes across as someone simply relating rote facts. I wouldn't go so far - as some have - to call this recording "boring".. but it's disappointingly uncaptivating.

Please don't get me wrong, 'Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders' merits a respectable 5.5 stars out of 10. As a 'Plus' option it was an informative and thought-provoking book. When it leaves the "included with your subscription" menu, however, better True Crime offerings beckon for your Credit.

[Note: while conspiracy theories abound that Gacy had accomplices (he made the claim himself).. it should be pointed out that self-obsessed Sociopaths don't EVER keep identities secret out of some desire not to get someone else in trouble. To me, he pretty clearly acted alone - his attempt to implicate another personality within himself named 'Jack Hanley' demonstrates how devious this sadistic fiend was]

Incidentally: "Jag-Off" might be the most Chicago insult ever. Sullivan repeatedly quotes Gacy & Des Plaines police officers throwing the term around whenever they want to disparage someone. Very 1970s 😃

Too Procedure-Focussed

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Like the title, just left speechless after listening. The narration was fairly decent, quite enjoyable. No matter how many documentaries or books you'll read or watch on some of these people there's always more details you find out about with each different piece of media. A bone chilling, listen.

Speechless

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How can the sordid tale of one of America's most prolific serial killers bore me to sleep? Look no further than Sean Runnette's sleepy narration. If Sullivan and Maiken's telling of the tale holds any poignancy, we'll never know it through Runnette's flat monotone reading. An utterly coma-inducing performance that should require a prescription.

Literary Prozac

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