Sorry about how these images cut and pasted, its kinda like if someone gave the Unabomber a cheap-ass scanner. I touched on the subject of John Wayne Gacy in my Storytellers Unplugged entry for July 28th, and it prompted Thomas Sullivan and David Niall Wilson to get me to give up the goods on where I was on Monday night, May 8th, 1994. I wasn't watching the second half of THE STAND miniseries, if that helps. Gacy went to Hell that night, and I was indeed a part of the crowd watching him wheeled between Death's waiting room and the table where he'd get the black needle. (In the end, all I had to do was fax Nic Howell at the Illinois Dept. of Corrections my business card and intent to write an article for DEATHREALM magazine.) I've added the front page from that article on the left side of my blog, and it was reprinted in FIENDS BY TORCHLIGHT. The clown with the briefcase was actually in Daley Plaza during the events of Gacy Day Parade. I corresponded with the killer several times in the early 90s, simply to have documentation for my file cabinet, along with items like Police Evidence and Property Envelopes, things like that. (Of course, never knowing that one day Google Images would make my visual catalogue obsolete). I had very much wanted Gacy to send this questionnaire thing that he was fond of sending people, and I received it the day after he was executed, as you can see from the postmark. The strangest thing about the page is where it says Address: Death Row, Menard, Ill. The guy lived fourteen years too long, as long as the age of several of his victims. People ask me about Gacy at almost every convention I go to, I was even asked to speak in front of the Midland Authors Association about it at a paid dinner. At times, I feel like the dentist who identified Mengele by his dental work down in South America. At least that breed of bastard is dead, as well, although sticking around decades longer than he deserved.
8 comments:
If this stuff ever evolves into a book, you've got a great title waiting there in Gacy's questionairre: "Three Times Man of the Year".
But Mengele died relatively happy and contented. He lived a long life with a loving family. Gives you the shudders, doesn't it?
Same with Francisco Franco. There was a guy who deserved to be slowly tortured to death--and yet he lived to be a very old man surrounded by the luxuries of wealth and power, having achieved everything in life that his twisted, monstrous ego could have possibly wished.
Gacy, though. What a sick little creep. I recall your piece in Deathrealm vividly. One of the best things Mark published in the entire run of the magazine.
Some very interesting historical documents here really. I can't even imagine what it must have felt like to see those letters in your mailbox.
It all seems very surreal, but then so did he - clown, painter, Man of the Year, civic club member, serial killer. It's like an exquisite corpse construct. Put a bunch of names in a hat and see what you pull out.
Geez, Wayne. Just reading that questionnaire made me sick to my stomach - literally.
But you know, it kind of goes with CS Harris' point on her blog that the villian is the hero of his own life.
I've got a headache.
I don't think *anyone* saw how Google would change things. I'm still reluctant to throw out my old morgue, with all its images of cars, horses, guns, houses, haircuts, etc. that I might need for reference. Even though I haven't opened a bit of it in over two years!
Hey - you're back! Good to see the blog problem was rectified.
That survey is surreal. He likes the song "Send in the Clowns" the tv show "Unsolved Mysteries" and the band Sha Na Na. I'm still not quite sure what to make of that. Oh, and he listed "The Ten Commandments" as a favorite too.....
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