by David Nelson
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I will forever be indebted to the impossibly strong-willed relatives and friends of victims who trusted me with their stories of grief and joy. In 2013 I stammered through my first interview with Denise Landingin Stallman. Although every interview brought me renewed anxiety, Denise was so immediately forthcoming and kind to me, I knew I could carry on.
From the Stapleton family, I wish to thank Juanita, Randy, and James—the three siblings of Samuel Dodd Stapleton—who were all so willing to speak to me, even as life threw them new curveballs each year.
Randy Reffett’s brothers Clyde and Chris brought much honesty to their stories, musing about forgiveness and redemption for hours with me.
Linda and Terry McCoy painted a portrait of their brother, Tim, with so much vibrancy that once their cousins—Suanne Hastie, Beverly Howe, and Jeff Billings—also spoke with me, it seemed that Tim was alive again.
Patti Szyc spent hours with me in a Des Plaines McDonald’s (and later over the phone) talking about her brother John Szyc. Her candor and strength tell me that there can be life and normalcy after horrible events such as those depicted within this book.
As of this writing, Valerie Loy, Robin Pratt, Louis LaPorta, Jonathan Ben Gordon, and Diane Bryks still do not know the whereabouts of their brother and their friend Craig Allen Conner. His case will remain with me forever, and I hope to one day help them find an answer.
Similarly, Nancy Kubinski provided insight around the disappearance of her brother, Jeffrey Stinnett. Much like Craig’s case, Jeffrey’s will stay with me until an answer is found.
Judy Patterson, always wonderful and hilarious, was another one of the few I had the privilege to meet in person for this project. She continued providing much-needed insight, even at the eleventh hour before turning in the manuscript.
MaryJane Piper placed her portion of Billy’s story in my care, and earned a lifelong friend as a result. I hope that stepping into the past has helped her step more assuredly into the future.
Billy’s sister, Syble, also placed her trust in me, and spoke with me for many hours despite the busyness of her own daily life.
Gene Anderson, Phil Couillard, Danny Jockell, Rickey Kindgren, Mike Bowling, Tom Thweatt, Cindy Carrera, Lisa Heath, Linda Mertes, Scott Doleman, Lynn Meadows, and Mark Johnson all formed critical pieces of the puzzle for victims Billy Carroll, Billy Kindred, Dale Landingin, John Szyc, Bill Bundy, and Rob Piest. Through their voices, they have helped vividly depict what it was like growing up during this era.
Daniel Genty, Bill Kunkle, Rafael Tovar, and Ted Kozenczak, who all helped put and keep Gacy behind bars, assisted me with the story of the investigation. Steve Becker never hesitated to speak with me about his insight into the case and the misidentification of Michael Marino.
In the absence of a time machine, I had the next best thing for exploring Uptown in the 1970s: Bob Rehak, whose photography helped me see the faces and streets of the neighborhood I thought I knew so well.
Sukie de la Croix’s writings and assistance allowed me to get a sense of Chicago’s LGBT community back in the 1970s.
Pat McCarthy provided insight into law enforcement of the era.
I met Tracy Ullman late in the process of writing this book, but she provided help through her extensive knowledge of the case. Melisa Limanowski also provided genealogical assistance where I hit a wall.
It was also lucky that during the course of my research I encountered Randy White, a walking encyclopedia who was always eager and willing to spend hours over the phone discussing this case. His repository of documents and information became indispensable to me year after year. If there is anyone out there who wants to tell the story of this case in some other fashion, Randy White should be first on a list of possible sources. I thank him for his kindness, his patience, his friendship, and his knowledge.
There is no way to thank Kara Rota and the entire Chicago Review Press team, who took a chance on this book and shared in its vision. For my first book, I could not have asked for a better team of individuals to empower me to trust my own instincts while also offering invaluable feedback along the way.
While these individuals and organizations helped me tell the story, behind the scenes was an army of individuals keeping me from falling too far into the darkness of this case.
My invaluable circle of fellow writers allowed me to bounce ideas or fret over chapters—in particular, Gabriella Bonamici and Jamie Witherby, whose interest in true crime and the macabre thankfully matches my own.
Jeff Fleischer, another member of that circle, has become my writing compass over the years. I doubt he needs to read this book, as I’ve been retelling it to him through questions, statements, and half-written fragments since 2013. I hope his writing advice and friendship will see me through any other books I am mad enough to undertake.
Fellow writers and journalists who provided insight and support along the way: Dennis Niemiec (an early supporter of the project) and Gene Mustain (who covered the case back in 1979). From my days at Medill: David Standish, Anne Johnsos, Karen Springen, Marcel Pacatte, and Howard Wolinsky, who all aided me in some way.
Amanda Raber did the thankless job of transcribing interviews, a truly joyless task for which I am completely indebted. Other coworkers turned close friends provided immense support and helped me manage my day job: Bill (and Malik) Turley, Mark Reynolds, Amy Kenat, Angela Barnaby, Jayshree Raghavan, Rachel Colias, Dan Schryer, Brian Riggins, Lisa Williams, Rick Vanderveer, and Gina Debnar.
Greta Spivey, Rachel Irwin, and Jake McClory followed me on my path and pushed me along when I needed it most. Long ago, Lynne Hirschelman and Joan Hennessy helped me become the hungry reader and film watcher I am today. Lori Grifo, my faithful therapist, spent whole sessions just listening to stories from this book.
Noel Villa, Alison Burdo, Elise Clifton, Ally Robinson, Jake Heidelberg, Guian Estupigan, Mauricio Gonzalez, Alex Ewing, and Kyle Gillis—all of these individuals played a role in getting me to the finish line.
To Fernando Avila Diaz, gracias por todo.
And from my family: Uncle Randy and Aunt Connie, forever encouraging. The entire Watza family, for all of their love and support. My brother, Jeffrey Nelson, and sister-in-law, Colleen, always listening when I talked about this case and this book. Julius, my big cat, who I loved, and Ella-Bella, my writing partner, who laid so patiently beside me waiting for scratches while I tinkered away at this book.
And most of all, my parents, James and Mary, whom I called after almost every interview to unleash on them all the horrible facts and tragedies I’d just absorbed, and who always listened, always loved.
And last, for these victims, these young men who died so very young and in such a manner. At times, it felt like you were there with me, walking the same streets alongside me, passing through my dreams, sitting beside me in the late-night hours I spent writing your stories and wondering what you thought about this book. I hope I’ve done right by you. Thank you for sharing your flaws, your dreams, your loves, and your lives with me these last few years.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
While the following individuals provided information through emails, texts, and letters, they provided the majority of their time and memories through a series of original interviews:
Anderson, Gene. January 6, 2018.
———. January 10, 2018.
Becker, Steven. October 20, 2015.
———. November 11, 2020.
Billings, Jeffrey. October 21, 2018.
Bowling, Mike. September 4, 2020.
Bryks, Diane. June 17, 2019.
Carrera, Cindy. March 5, 2019.
Couillard, Phil. March 10, 2019.
———. July 8, 2020.
Croix, Sukie de la. August 26, 2015.
Dodd, Juanita. August 4, 2015.
———. August 5, 2015.
———. February 17, 2019.
———. September 30, 2020.
Doleman, Scott. August 1, 2015.
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Genty, Daniel. September 14, 2020.
Gordon, Jonathan Ben. August 12, 2018.
Heath, Lisa. April 4, 2017.
Helm, Connie. October 7, 2014.
Howe, Beverly Billings. December 18, 2017.
Jockell, Danny. June 10, 2020.
———. July 4, 2020.
Johnson, Mark. June 24, 2020.
Kindgren, Rickey. May 17, 2020.
Kindred, Syble. May 20, 2014.
———. June 21, 2020.
Kubinski, Nancy. June 8, 2019.
———. November 10, 2020.
Kunkle, William. October 12, 2020.
Kozenczak, Joseph. 2012.
Landingin Stallman, Denise. July 28, 2013.
———. September 5, 2013.
———. July 20, 2015.
———. May 15, 2017.
———. June 5, 2020.
LaPorta, Louis. September 29, 2018.
Loy, Valerie. August 4, 2018.
McCoy, Linda. April 25, 2017.
———. May 16, 2017.
McCoy, Terry. May 9, 2017.
Meadows, Lynn. February 28, 2018.
Mertes, Linda. August 24, 2017.
Patterson, Judith. September 3, 2015.
———. September 4, 2015.
———. July 30, 2020
Piper, MaryJane. April 24, 2020.
———. June 10, 2020.
———. July 4, 2020.
———. September 3, 2020.
Pratt, Robin. May 6, 2020.
———. January 27, 2021.
Reffett, Clyde. November 15, 2018.
———. January 19, 2019
Reffett, Chris. June 4, 2020.
———. June 5, 2020.
Rehak, Bob. July 28, 2013.
Rusch, Joanne Jerger. August 9, 2017
Stapleton, James. May 27, 2015.
———. July 18, 2015.
Stapleton, Randy. October 3, 2018.
Szyc, Patti. January 31, 2015.
———. January 8, 2019.
———. September 3, 2020.
Thweatt, Tom. September 30, 2018.
Tovar, Rafael. September 28, 2020.
Other Resources
Over the years, I have collected countless documents records, too numerous to recount here. For brevity, the following organizations provided information via archived or digitized material:
Ann Arbor Police Department
Battle Creek Inquirer
Bay Area Reporter
Beckley (WV) Post-Herald
Chicago Police Department
Chicago Public Library
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
Cincinnati Enquirer
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Cook County Clerk’s Office
Cook County Sheriff’s Office
Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)
Daily Crystal Lake (IL) Herald
Daily News (Bowling Green, KY)
Des Plaines Police Department
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News
Gay Life magazine, provided by Sukie de la Croix
Grundy County Clerk and Recorder
Harlem Foster Times (Chicago)
Kalamazoo Public Safety
Kentucky Archives Center
Lansing Journal
Lexington Leader
Library of Congress (Chicago phone books before 1975)
Los Alamos New Mexican
Minneapolis Tribune
Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware)
New Expression magazine (Columbia College)
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Raleigh Register
Record (New Jersey)
Santa Fe New Mexican
Star Tribune
Will County Clerk
Additionally, the following online resources help provide details to the lives of each victim:
Ancestry.com
Classmates.com, which provides yearbooks for the following schools:
Amundsen High School
Carl Schurz High School
Cloquet High School
Gordon Tech High School
Kalamazoo Central High School
Lake View Academy
Lake View High School
Lane Tech High School
Luther High School North
Maine North High School
Maine West High School
Prosser Vocational High School
Roosevelt High School
Senn High School
Sullivan High School
Taft High School
Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com
Stockton Upper Grade yearbooks for 1972 and 1973 provided by Cindy Carrera.
Further Reading
Amirante, Sam L., and Danny Broderick. John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012.
Austen, Ben. High-Risers: Cabrini-Green and the Fate of American Public Housing. New York: Harper, 2019.
Baim, Tracy. Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City’s Gay Community. Chicago: Surrey Books, 2008.
Beam, Christopher. “Blood Loss: The Decline of the Serial Killer.” Slate, January 5, 2011. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2011/01/the-decline-of-the-serial-killer.html.
Blackhurst, Rod, dir. John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise. Peacock, NBCUniversal, 2021.
Bruckert, Chris, et al. “Language Matters: Talking About Sex Work.” Global Network of Sex Work Projects, June 19, 2017. https://www.nswp.org/resource/language-matters-talking-about-sex-work.
Burrough, Bryan. Days of Rage: America’s Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence. New York: Penguin, 2015.
Butler, Patrick. Hidden History of Lincoln Park. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2015.
———. Hidden History of Uptown & Edgewater. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2013.
Bynon, Jacqueline. The Clown and the Candyman. Produced by Investigation Discovery. Podcast. November 12, 2020. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/podcasts/the-clown-and-the-candyman.
Cahill, Tim, and Russ Ewing. Buried Dreams: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1986.
Chicago Almighty Gaylords—Chicago Gang History. “Chicago to New York Gangs and Clubs.” Accessed February 19, 2021. http://www.stonegreasers.com/greaser/.
De la Croix, St. Sukie, and John D’Emilio. Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2012.
Ditmore, Melissa Hope, Antonia Levy, and Alys Willman, eds. Sex Work Matters: Exploring Money, Power, and Intimacy in the Sex Industry. London: Zed Books, 2013.
Douglas, John E., and Mark Olshaker. Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York: Pocket Books, 2017.
Dukes, Jesse. “Uptown’s Moment as a ‘Hillbilly Heaven.’” WBEZ Chicago, February 5, 2016. https://www.wbez.org/stories/uptowns-moment-as-a-hillbilly-heaven/30865527-ab8a-4432-a637-14c4f614f424.
Eller, Ronald D. Uneven Ground: Appalachia since 1945. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2013.
Gacy, John Wayne, Michael Kirsch, and Elmer Gertz. A Question of Doubt: The John Wayne Gacy Story. Hannibal, MO: Craig Bowley Consultants, 1992.
Guy, Roger. From Diversity to Unity: Southern and Appalachian Migrants in Uptown Chicago, 1950–1970. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.
Headliners and Legends. Episode “John Wayne Gacy.” MSNBC, December 10, 2005.
Herek, Gregory. “Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation.” University of California, Davis. Accessed February 21, 2021. https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html.
Holland, Andrew, and Jonathan Towers. “John Wayne Gacy: A Monster in Disguise.” Episode of Biography. A&E, August 3, 1999.
Hollandsworth, Skip. “The Lost Boys.” Texas Monthly, January 21, 2013. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the
-lost-boys/.
Hyde, Jesse. “The Dark Side of Jesus People USA, America’s Most Influential Christian Movement.” BuzzFeed, 2015. https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessehyde/bringing-down-americas-happiest-christian-cult-842.
Jackson, Steven, and Jason Nargis. “Making Chicago’s Boystown.” WBEZ Interactive, May 7, 2017. https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/makingboystown/.
Khazan, Olga. “Milo Yiannopoulos and the Myth of the Gay Pedophile.” Atlantic, February 21, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/02/milo-yiannopoulos-and-the-myth-of-the-gay-pedophile/517332/.
Kimbrough, Jan. “Killer Clown.” Episode of Monster in My Family. LifeTime Movie Network, August 5, 2015.
Kozenczak, Joseph R., and Karen M. Kozenczak. The Chicago Killer: The Hunt for Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris, 2011.
Lewis, Mark. Deadly Legacy. Miniseries. Investigation Discovery, 2018.
Linedecker, Clifford L. The Man Who Killed Boys: A True Story of Mass Murder in a Chicago Suburb. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1980.
Loerzel, Robert. “Reel Chicago.” Chicago Magazine, May 19, 2007. https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2007/Reel-Chicago/.
———. “Why Are There So Many Music Venues in Uptown?” WBEZ Chicago, July 22, 2020. https://www.wbez.org/stories/from-cemetery-saloons-to-movie-palaces-how-uptown-became-an-entertainment-hub/ff35dc6f-fcde-4ca4-81e5-22fe33947291.
McCloskey, Edward. Chicago PD: A Personal Journey. United States: Lulu Publishing Services, 2018.
Moser, Whet. “Chicago’s Hillbilly Problem During the Great Migration.” Chicago Magazine, January 17, 2012. https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/january-2012/chicagos-hillbilly-problem-during-the-great-migration/.
Nicosia, Gerald, and Richard Raff. Bughouse Blues: An Intimate Portrait of Gay Hustling in Chicago. New York: Vantage Press, 1977.
Olsen, Jack. The Man with the Candy: The Story of the Houston Mass Murders. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
O’Neil, Courtney Lund. “A Serial Killer, a Receipt, and My Mom: Haunted by the Murder of 33 Boys.” Harper’s BAZAAR, November 12, 2018. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a24269889/john-wayne-gacy-kim-byers-lund-interview/.
Open Society Foundations. “Understanding Sex Work in an Open Society.” April 2019. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-sex-work-open-society.
