In December 1978, police uncovered the first of 29 bodies buried on suburban businessman John Wayne Gacy’s property — 26 in the crawl space under his home in unincorporated Norwood Park Township and three more outside the house. He confessed to four more murders of victims found in waterways south of Chicago.
More than 40 years later, here’s a guide to the investigation, conviction and execution of Gacy, and the continuing efforts to name the remaining six unidentified victims.
My role
This project required a team of reporters, a photographer, digital designers and me, who researched the Chicago Tribune archives and worked with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to gain access to rarely seen photos, evidence and diagrams related to the Gacy investigation. Our primary goal was to give light to the stories of the victims.
Kori Rumore 