A new true crime drama series about infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, titled Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, premieres on ITV1 on Friday, January 30. The eight-episode miniseries originally aired in the US in October and received critical acclaim, with a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series portrays Gacy as a respected community member and serial killer, exploring the investigation leading to his capture, the lives of his victims, and the grief their families endured. It also examines systemic failures and societal prejudices that allowed him to evade detection for years. Michael Chernus, known for comedic roles in Orange Is the New Black and Severance, plays Gacy.
John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978. He earned the nickname 'killer clown' due to his public performances as a children's entertainer. Gacy lured victims to his home, convincing them to put on handcuffs under the pretence of a magic trick, then sexually assaulted and killed them by asphyxiation or strangulation.
Police found 26 of his victims buried in the crawl space of his home, three elsewhere on his property, and four in the Des Plaines River. Gacy was caught in 1978 after the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest. He was convicted in 1980 of 33 murders and other charges, receiving the death penalty. Gacy was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at Stateville Correctional Center.
