With shows like The Dropout, WeCrashed and Inventing Anna all dropping within a few weeks of one another, it seems like when it comes to true crime shows, scammers are the new serial killers. Now, Conversations With a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes is about to remind us that serial killer documentaries haven’t gone anywhere.
The docuseries is a follow up to Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which was released in 2019. Like The Ted Bundy Tapes, The John Wayne Gacy Tapes is directed by Joe Berlinger, who was also behind Netflix’s Jeffrey Epstein documentary.
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes will delve into the mind of Gacy, who is infamous for being the serial killer who worked as a clown and children’s entertainer.
The Netflix tagline for the docuseries is: “He dined with the powerful. He preyed on the vulnerable. Beneath a smiling exterior was the horrifying darkness of a sadistic serial killer.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Conversations With a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes.
Who Was John Wayne Gacy?
John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and sex offender. Born in 1942, he was executed by lethal injection for his crimes in 1994 at the age of 52.
Gacy was coined ‘The Killer Clown”, because he performed at children’s events, like birthday parties, hospitals and charity events as either “Pogo the Clown” or “Patches the Clown”.
Gacy was convicted of 33 counts of murder, as well as charges related to sodomy, sexual assault and indecent liberties with a child. It’s thought that he has more victims, whose deaths he wasn’t convicted for.
Prior to his first murder, Gacy had been convicted of sodomy of a teenage boy and sentenced to ten years in prison, but only ended up serving 18 months.
After murdering his first victim in 1972, Gacy killed twice more by the end of 1975. He committed the majority of the murders between the years of 1976 and 1978, following his divorce from second wife Carole Hoff. His victims were teenage boys and young men.
Gacy was arrested in 1978 after police learned that he was the last person to see Robert Piest — one of Gacy’s victims — alive. When police searched the house, they found the bodies of 26 of his victims buried within the crawl space of his home. They later recovered the bodies of another three bodies buried on his property, and an additional four bodies were found in the Des Plaines River, close to Gacy’s house.
During the trial, Gacy’s defense team tried to argue that Gacy was not guilty by reason of insanity — a claim supported by psychologists, who diagnosed him as schizophrenic — but the jury rejected this and found him guilty of all 33 counts of murder.
He was sentenced to death on March 13, 1980.
What Will The John Wayne Gacy Tapes Cover?
The new docuseries, which will be three hour-long episodes, will feature snippets of Gacy as he speaks with his defense team, as well as interviews with survivors and other key players.
“Thanks to 60 hours of unearthed audio between Gacy and his defense team, we have fresh perspective on the narcissistic mindset of the murderer and a deeper understanding of how he operated for so long with impunity,” Netflix said in a statement.
Where to Watch The John Wayne Gacy Tapes in Australia?
Like The Ted Bundy Tapes, The John Wayne Gacy Tapes will be available to stream on Netflix.
When Will The John Wayne Gacy Tapes Be Available in Australia?
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes will drop on Netflix on April 20th, 2022. You can watch the trailer here:
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.