SERIAL KILLER: John Wayne Gacy Pt. 1
Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
Crime House
4.5 • 712 Ratings
🗓️ 8 December 2025
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Before he became one of America’s most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy was a respected businessman, community volunteer, and beloved party clown in suburban Chicago. But behind the makeup of “Pogo the Clown” hid a deeply disturbed man shaped by abuse, trauma, and rage.
In this first episode, host Vanessa Richardson and criminal psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels trace Gacy’s early life — from a violent childhood and secret compulsions to the first crimes that exposed his monstrous double life. Beneath the surface of normalcy, a predator was taking shape.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, Crime House community. It's Vanessa Richardson. Looking for another Crime House original podcast to add to your rotation, you will love Clues with Morgan Absher and Kalyn Moore. |
| 0:12.8 | Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kalin dig into the world's most notorious crimes, clue by clue, from serial killers to shocking murders. |
| 0:21.5 | They follow the trail of clues, break down the evidence, and debate the theories. |
| 0:26.3 | It's like hanging out with your smart and true crime-obsessed friends. |
| 0:29.8 | Listen to clues on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. |
| 0:46.3 | Music. or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. |
| 0:49.3 | From court jesters to circus performers, |
| 0:52.3 | clowns have been a staple of entertainment for centuries. |
| 0:56.0 | They work hard to make people laugh and smile. |
| 1:00.0 | That's what John Wayne Gacy did. |
| 1:02.0 | In the 1970s, John built a life of respectability for himself in suburban Chicago. |
| 1:08.0 | He was a pillar of his community, and his neighbors were delighted whenever he put |
| 1:12.3 | his clown costume on to spark joy in people's hearts. Little did they know, every smile and |
| 1:19.8 | magic trick concealed the true self that lurked underneath the makeup, costume, and wig. |
| 1:27.1 | And when the truth came out, it was more terrifying than anyone could ever imagine. |
| 1:34.3 | The human mind is powerful. |
| 1:49.3 | It shapes how we think, feel, love, and hate. |
| 1:53.7 | But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. |
| 1:57.6 | This is Killer Minds, a crimehouse original. |
| 2:00.4 | I'm Vanessa Richardson. |
| 2:01.6 | And I'm Dr. Tristan Engels. |
| 2:03.6 | Every Monday and Thursday we uncover the darkest minds in history, |
... |
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