Editing John Wayne Gacy (section)

==Victims==
Only 28 of Gacy's victims have been conclusively identified. The youngest were Samuel Stapleton and Michael Marino, both 14; the eldest were Francis Alexander and Russell Nelson, both 21.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Age
! scope="col" data-sort-type="date" | Date of murder
! scope="col" data-sort-type="date" | Date of identification
! scope="col" | Recovery number
! scope="col" | Location recovered
|-
! scope="row" | [[Murder of Timothy McCoy|Timothy Jack McCoy]]
| 16 || January 3, 1972 || data-sort-value="May 0, 1986"| May 9, 1986 || Body 9 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | [[Murder of John Butkovich|John Butkovich]]
| 18 || July 31, 1975 || December 29, 1978 || Body 2 || Garage
|-
! scope="row" | Darrell Julius Samson
| 18 || April 6, 1976 || November 18, 1979 || Body 29 || Dining room
|-
! scope="row" | Randall Wayne Reffett
| 15 || May 14, 1976 || April 12, 1979 || Body 7 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Samuel G. Dodd Stapleton
| 14 || May 14, 1976 || November 14, 1979 || Body 6 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Michael Lawrence Bonnin
| 17 || June 3, 1976 || January 6, 1979 || Body 18 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | William Huey Carroll Jr.
| 16 || June 13, 1976 || March 17, 1979 || Body 22 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | James Byron Haakenson
| 16 || August 5, 1976 ||data-sort-value="July 0, 2017"| July 19, 2017 || Body 24 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Rick Louis Johnston
| 17 || August 6, 1976 || January 1, 1979 || Body 23 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Kenneth Ray Parker
| 16 || October 24, 1976 || rowspan="2"|March 29, 1980 || Body 15 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Michael M. Marino
| 14 || October 24, 1976 || Body 14 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | William George Bundy
| 19 || October 26, 1976 ||data-sort-value="November 0, 2011"| November 29, 2011 || Body 19 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Francis Wayne Alexander
| 21 ||data-sort-value="December 1, 1976"| c. December 1, 1976 || data-sort-value="October 0, 2021"| October 25, 2021 || Body 5 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Gregory John Godzik
| 17 || December 12, 1976 || rowspan="2"| December 29, 1978 || Body 4 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | John Alan Szyc
| 19 || January 20, 1977 || Body 3 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Jon Steven Prestidge
| 20 || March 15, 1977 || January 6, 1979 || Body 1 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Matthew Walter Bowman
| 19 || July 5, 1977 || January 29, 1979 || Body 8 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Robert Edward Gilroy Jr.
| 18 || September 15, 1977 || January 6, 1979 || Body 25 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | John Antheney Mowery
| 19 || September 25, 1977 || January 27, 1979 || Body 20 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Russell Lloyd Nelson
| 21 || October 17, 1977 || January 6, 1979 || Body 16 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Robert David Winch
| 16 || November 10, 1977 || rowspan="2"|September 11, 1979 || Body 11 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Tommy Joseph Boling
| 20 || November 18, 1977 || Body 12 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | David Paul Talsma
| 19 || December 9, 1977 || November 16, 1979 || Body 17 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | William Wayne Kindred
| 19 || February 16, 1978 || May 16, 1979 || Body 27 || Crawl space
|-
! scope="row" | Timothy David O'Rourke
| 20 ||data-sort-value="June 16, 1978"| June 16–23, 1978 || January 9, 1979 || Body 31 || Des Plaines River
|-
! scope="row" | Frank William Landingin
| 19 || November 4, 1978 || November 14, 1978 || Body 32 || Des Plaines River
|-
! scope="row" | James Mazzara
| 20 || November 24, 1978 || December 30, 1978 || Body 33 || Des Plaines River
|-
! scope="row" | Robert Jerome Piest
| 15 || December 11, 1978 || April 9, 1979 || Body 30 || Des Plaines River
|}
=== Crawl space ===
[[File:Gacycrawlspace.png|thumb|upright=1.45|Gacy's sketch of burial locations in his basement (left), and investigators' later diagram (right)]]

Cook County medical examiner Robert Stein supervised the exhumations of the victims buried on Gacy's property.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mackay|first=Robert|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U6IrAAAAIBAJ&pg=7153,5590570|title=More Bodies Found in Illinois|newspaper=[[Nashua Telegraph]]|date=December 27, 1978|access-date=May 10, 2020|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006150738/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U6IrAAAAIBAJ&pg=7153%2C5590570|archive-date=October 6, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> The crawl space was marked in sections and each body was given an identifying number. The first body recovered from the crawl space was assigned a marker denoting the victim as Body 1.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}} He was identified as Jon Prestidge on January 6, 1979.<ref name=timeline/> No cause of death could be determined.

John Butkovich was labelled as Body 2; he was among the first to be identified, on December 29, 1978.<ref name=timeline/>{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=360–374}} On December 23, investigators returned to unearth the three corpses which had been buried in the same trench as Body 1.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 24, 1978|title=Three More Bodies Are Found At Home|page=1|newspaper=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]|agency=AP|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lYUsAAAAIBAJ&pg=3744,5182626|access-date=July 20, 2010|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004163801/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lYUsAAAAIBAJ&pg=3744%2C5182626|archive-date=October 4, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Body 3 (John Szyc) was buried in the crawl space directly above Body 4 (Gregory Godzik); both were identified December 29, 1978.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=207–223}}<ref name=timeline/> Body 5 was buried directly beneath Body 1;{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}} this victim was discovered {{convert|36|in}} below the surface of the soil, indicating he was the first to be buried in this common grave.{{sfn|Nelson|2021|p=282}}
[[File:8213 West Sumerdale exhumations Frank Hanes Chicago Tribune December 23 1978A.jpg|alt=|thumb|Medical examiners retrieve one of the first bodies exhumed from beneath Gacy's crawl space. December 23, 1978.]]
The search was postponed over Christmas. Four more bodies were unearthed on December 26.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kneeland|first=Douglas E.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/27/archives/4-more-bodies-found-under-house-of-contractor-bringing-total-to-9.html|title=4 More Bodies Found Under House Of Contractor, Bringing Total to 9|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 27, 1978|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004163522/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/27/archives/4-more-bodies-found-under-house-of-contractor-bringing-total-to-9.html|archive-date=October 4, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Body 6 (Samuel Stapleton, identified through [[Forensic dentistry|dental records]] November 14, 1979) and Body 7 (Randall Reffett, identified through [[X-ray]]s April 12, 1979) were buried in the same grave.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=68–77}}<ref name=timeline/> Reffett was found in a [[fetal position]] with a cloth gag in his mouth, leading investigators to conclude he most likely died of asphyxiation.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=301–305}}{{sfn|Amirante|2011|pp=320–326}} Body 8 (Matthew Bowman, identified January 29, 1979) was found with the tourniquet used to strangle him around his neck.<ref name=timeline/><ref>{{cite news|date=February 9, 1980|title=Youthful Victims May Have Been Buried Alive, Expert Speculates|work=Press-Courier|via=Google News|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rgtKAAAAIBAJ&pg=5006,4386127|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004165937/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rgtKAAAAIBAJ&pg=5006%2C4386127|archive-date=October 4, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Body 9 (Timothy McCoy, identified via dental records and a distinctive belt buckle in May 1986) was found beneath a layer of concrete and had several stab wounds to the ribs and [[sternum]], suggesting he was Gacy's first victim.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=101–102}}<ref name=locin/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3iZTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2450,753399 |title=Gacy Victim is Identified|newspaper=[[Mohave Daily Miner]]|date=May 8, 1986|access-date=March 14, 2013|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929095805/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3iZTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2450%2C753399|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/identified7.html|title="The Doe Network": International Center for Unidentified & Missing Persons. Identified|publisher=[[The Doe Network]]|access-date=July 7, 2010|archive-date=December 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202085931/http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/identified7.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 27, eight more bodies were discovered.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50548484/the-town-talk/|title=8 More Bodies Found Under Home|newspaper=The Town Talk|page=4|date=December 28, 1978|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004170127/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50548484/the-town-talk/|archive-date=October 4, 2020}} {{free access}}</ref> Body 10, buried beneath the entrance to Gacy's home,{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}} remains unidentified; he is estimated to have been between 17 and 21 years old and between {{nowrap|5 ft 7 in}} and {{nowrap|5 ft 11 in}} ({{convert|67|and|71|in|cm|disp=out}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/957umil.html|title=Case File 957UMIL|publisher=[[The Doe Network]]|access-date=July 5, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115195910/http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/957umil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Both Body 11 and Body 12 were found with ligatures around their necks and buried beside each other in the center of the crawl space;{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}} on September 11, 1979, they were identified as Robert Winch and Tommy Boling, respectively.<ref name=timeline/> Body 13 (still unidentified) was found beneath the spare bedroom; he is estimated to have been between 17 and 22 years old and between {{nowrap|5 ft 9 in}} and {{nowrap|6 ft 2 in}} ({{convert|69|and|74|in|cm|disp=out}}).{{sfn|Evans|2007|pp=134–135}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://doenetwork.org/cases/955umil.html|title=Case File 955UMIL|publisher=[[The Doe Network]]|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=July 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725124132/http://doenetwork.org/cases/955umil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Bodies 14 and 15 were recovered from a common grave; both were found with their head and upper torsos inside separate plastic bags.{{sfn|Evans|2007|pp=134–135}} They were identified using dental records and radiology images as Michael Marino and Kenneth Parker on March 29, 1980 (too late to include among the victims identified before Gacy's trial).{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|p=248}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L3cLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5938,2528900&sjid=bVMDAAAAIBAJ|title=Gacy Victims Identified|work=[[The Kingman Daily Miner]]|date=March 31, 1980|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929095554/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L3cLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5938%2C2528900&sjid=bVMDAAAAIBAJ|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UO9eAAAAIBAJ&pg=5070,3504589|title=2 Apparent Victims of Gacy Identified|newspaper=St. Joseph Gazette|date=March 31, 1980|agency=AP|access-date=June 12, 2011|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928073948/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UO9eAAAAIBAJ&pg=5070%2C3504589|archive-date=September 28, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Body 16 (Russell Nelson, identified January 6, 1979) was found with a cloth rag lodged deep in his throat, causing him to die of suffocation.<ref name=timeline/>{{sfn|Evans|2007|pp=134–135}} The seventeenth victim (identified as David Talsma using [[radiology]] images on November 16, 1979) was found with a ligature around his neck.{{sfn|Evans|2007|pp=134–135}}

The following day, four more bodies were exhumed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20698861/chicago-tribune/|title=Four Bodies Found; Total Climbs to 22|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=December 29, 1978|access-date=May 10, 2020|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004170233/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20698861/chicago-tribune/|archive-date=October 4, 2020}} {{free access}}</ref> Body 19 was buried directly beneath Gacy's master bedroom; Body 18 (Michael Bonnin, identified January 6, 1979) was located beneath the spare bedroom, and found with a ligature around the neck.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}}<ref name=timeline/> Body 20 (John Mowery, identified through dental records January 27, 1979) was buried in the northwest corner of the crawl space.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}}<ref name=timeline/>

By December 29, six more bodies were unearthed. Bodies 22, 23, 24, and 26 were buried in a common grave beneath Gacy's kitchen and laundry room,{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=207–223}} with Body 25 (Robert Gilroy, identified January 6, 1979) located beneath Gacy's bathroom.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}}<ref name=timeline/> Body 26, still unidentified, was estimated to have been between 23 and 30 years old and approximately {{nowrap|5 ft 4 in}} ({{convert|64|in|cm|disp=out}}) in height.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://doenetwork.org/cases/956umil.html|title=Case File 956UMIL|publisher=[[The Doe Network]]|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=July 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725124151/http://doenetwork.org/cases/956umil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Body 22 (identified using dental records as William Carroll on March 17, 1979)<ref name=timeline/> was found beneath Gacy's kitchen with cloth-like material lodged in his throat. Two socks were recovered from the pelvic region.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=301–305}} He was buried directly beneath Body 21, recovered the previous day; this victim, who remains unidentified, is estimated to have been aged between 15 and 24 years old and approximately {{nowrap|5 ft 10 in}} ({{convert|70|in|cm|disp=out}}) in height.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/962umil.html|title=Case File 962UMIL|publisher=[[The Doe Network]]|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=September 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902034746/http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/962umil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The bones of victims 23 (identified as Rick Johnston January 1, 1979) and 24 were commingled; cloth was found inside the mouth of Bodies 24 and 26.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=207–223}}{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|pp=217–218}} Body 25 was found beneath Gacy's bathroom with cloth lodged in the throat. The final victim recovered from the crawl space (William Kindred, identified May 16, 1979) was also found beneath the bathroom, with cloth lodged deep in his throat.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}}<ref name=timeline/>

Operations were suspended due to the [[Chicago Blizzard of 1979]], but resumed in March despite Gacy's insistence that all the buried victims had been found.{{sfn|Stone|2019|pp=196–203}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Search to Continue at 'House of Horrors'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yk8xAAAAIBAJ&pg=5965,3354691|date=January 5, 1979|newspaper=[[The Montreal Gazette]]|page=70|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929110322/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yk8xAAAAIBAJ&pg=5965%2C3354691|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> On March 9, Body 28 was found wrapped in several plastic bags and buried beneath the patio in Gacy's backyard.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_IgxAAAAIBAJ&pg=6913,2124365|title=Another Skeleton Found at Gacy Home|newspaper=[[The Montreal Gazette]]|date=March 10, 1979|via=Google News|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002222438/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_IgxAAAAIBAJ&pg=6913%2C2124365|archive-date=October 2, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Gacy's likely second murder victim{{efn|The unidentified victim known as Body 10 may actually have been Gacy's second murder victim and first unidentified victim. According to Gacy's account, his second victim had also been buried in the crawl space close to his first. However, at Gacy's trial, prosecutor William Kunkle theorized his second murder victim must have been buried near his barbecue pit if his wife still resided with him at the time of the murder.{{sfn|Amirante|2011|p=374}}}} and still unidentified, he stood approximately {{nowrap|5 ft 9 in}} ({{convert|69|in|cm|disp=out}}) and is estimated to be aged between 14 and 18.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=241–250}} On March 16, Body 29 (Darrell Samson, identified November 18, 1979) was found beneath the dining room.<ref name=timeline/>{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=241–250}}

All the victims discovered at Gacy's house were in an advanced state of decomposition. Dental records and X-ray charts helped Stein identify the remains.{{sfn|Evans|2007|pp=134–135}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mZ8fAAAAIBAJ&pg=4650,2607923|title=Gacy Victim Identified|newspaper=[[The Gadsden Times]]|date=November 18, 1979|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006151134/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mZ8fAAAAIBAJ&pg=4650%2C2607923|archive-date=October 6, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Twenty-three were identified via dental records and two via skeletal trauma. These identifications were supported with personal [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifact]]s found in Gacy's home.{{sfn|Greene|2013|p=25}}

The head and upper torso of several bodies unearthed beneath Gacy's property had been placed in plastic bags.{{efn|Gacy stated in a January 1979 interview that he would cover the victim's head or upper torso with a plastic bag if he noticed bleeding from the nose or mouth.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=207–223}}}} In some cases, bodies were found with foreign objects such as prescription bottles lodged in their pelvic region, the position of which indicated the items had been thrust into the victims' anus.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=80–83}} Stein concluded 12 victims recovered from Gacy's property died of asphyxiation.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|p=221}} Gacy's vacant house was demolished in April 1979.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FH4xAAAAIBAJ&pg=7078,918268|title=Neighbors Relieved as Gacy Home Demolished|newspaper=[[The Montreal Gazette]]|date=April 12, 1979|page=95|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006152522/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FH4xAAAAIBAJ&pg=7078%2C918268|archive-date=October 6, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref>

=== Des Plaines River ===
[[File:Des Plaines River.png|thumb|upright=1.2|In June 1978, Gacy began discarding the bodies of his victims in the [[Des Plaines River]] ''(pictured)'', as his crawl space was full.|alt=]]

The victim found {{convert|6|mi}} downstream from the I-55 bridge on June 30 was not connected initially to Gacy.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=207–223}}{{sfn|Amirante|2011|pp=273–274}} On January 9, 1979, this victim was identified using [[fingerprint|fingerprint records]] and a distinctive tattoo as Timothy O'Rourke. An autopsy was unable to rule out strangulation as the cause of death.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/supreme-court/1984/53212-6.html|title=People v. Gacy|year=1984|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423142312/https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/supreme-court/1984/53212-6.html|archive-date=April 23, 2016|access-date=October 8, 2020}}</ref> This victim was numbered 31. Following Gacy's arrest, investigators discovered he was a further victim.

Frank Landingin's cause of death was certified at autopsy as suffocation through his own underwear being lodged down his throat. His body was also identified via fingerprint records. A bond slip issued to Landingin the day before his death was found at Gacy's home;{{sfn|Nelson|2021|p=252}} he was assigned victim number 32.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=274–276}}

On December 28, one further body linked to Gacy was found {{convert|1|mi}} from the I-55 bridge. This victim was identified two days later as James Mazzara, whom Gacy confessed to having murdered shortly after Thanksgiving.<ref name=timeline/>{{sfn|Cahill|1986|p=221}} Mazzara had been strangled with a ligature.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=274–276}}{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|p=153}}

On April 9, 1979, a man walking along a [[Grundy County, Illinois|Grundy County]] towpath discovered a decomposed body tangled in roots on the edge of the Des Plaines River. The body was identified via dental records as being that of Robert Piest the same evening. An [[autopsy]] revealed that "paper-like material" had been shoved down his throat, causing him to suffocate.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=360–374}}<ref name=level>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QyVJAAAAIBAJ&pg=1285,2633468|title=Authorities Level John Gacy Home|via=Google News|work=The Hour|date=April 12, 1979|access-date=September 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719024253/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QyVJAAAAIBAJ&pg=1285,2633468|archive-date=July 19, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref>

===Unidentified victims===
Five victims have never been identified.<ref name=unidentified2>{{cite web|url=http://www.cookcountysheriff.org/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html|title=Cook County Sheriff – Unidentified Victims of John Wayne Gacy|access-date=November 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223144708/http://cookcountysheriff.org/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html|archive-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> Based on Gacy's confession, the location of the victims buried in the crawl space, and forensic analysis, police determined the most likely dates for when his unidentified victims were killed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Crimmins|first=Jerry|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1980/07/15/page/41/article/parents-is-your-missing-son-pictured-here|title=Parents: Is Your Missing Son Pictured Here?|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 15, 1980|page=41|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824010625/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1980/07/15/page/41/article/parents-is-your-missing-son-pictured-here/|archive-date=August 24, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref>
# January 3, 1972 – July 31, 1975. Body 28. Backyard. Male aged 14–18.<ref name="auto1"/>
# June 13 – August 6, 1976. Body 26. Crawl space. Male aged 23–30.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/11004|title=NamUs – Case Report # 11004|publisher=National Unidentified Persons Data System|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609225342/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/11004|url-status=live}}</ref>
# August 6 – October 5, 1976. Body 13. Crawl space. Male aged 17–22.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10999|title=NamUs – Case Report # 10999|publisher=National Unidentified Persons Data System|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609225342/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10999|url-status=live}}</ref>
# August 6 – October 24, 1976. Body 21. Crawl space. Male aged 15–24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/11000|title=NamUs – Case Report # 11000|publisher=National Unidentified Persons Data System|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609225342/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/11000|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Some sources state the age of this victim to be between 21 and 27 years old.<ref name=unidentified1>{{cite web|url=http://cookcountysheriff.org/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html|title=Unidentified Victims of John Wayne Gacy|work=cookcountysheriff.org|date=October 11, 2011|access-date=December 23, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202030834/http://cookcountysheriff.org/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref>}}
# March 15 – July 5, 1977. Body 10. Crawl space. Male aged 17–21.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10998|title=NamUs – Case Report # 10998|publisher=National Unidentified Persons Data System|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609225342/https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/10998|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the fall of 1979,{{sfn|Evans|2007|p=135}} [[Forensic science|forensic]] expert [[Betty Pat Gatliff]] used the skulls of the remaining unidentified victims to create [[forensic facial reconstruction|facial reconstruction]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/science/betty-pat-gatliff-dead.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114224008/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/science/betty-pat-gatliff-dead.html |archive-date=2020-01-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Betty Pat Gatliff, 89, Whose Forensic Art Solved Crimes, Dies|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 14, 2020 |access-date=May 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://aboutforensics.co.uk/john-wayne-gacy/|title=The Forensics Library: John Wayne Gacy|work=aboutforensics.co.uk|date=June 30, 2012|access-date=February 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215091056/http://aboutforensics.co.uk/john-wayne-gacy/|archive-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref>
====Recent identification efforts====
[[File:Gacy victims.jpg|thumb|upright=1.85|Facial reconstructions of the unidentified victims, released to the [[News media|media]] in 1980. Depicted left to right are Body 5 (later identified as Francis Alexander), Body 9 (later identified as Timothy McCoy), Body 24 (later identified as James Haakenson), Body 19 (later identified as William Bundy), Body 21, Body 28, Body 13, Body 26, and Body 10.]]

In October 2011, Cook County sheriff [[Thomas Dart]] announced that investigators, having obtained [[DNA profiling|DNA profiles]] from the unidentified victims, were to renew their efforts to identify them. At a press conference Sheriff Dart stated investigators were seeking DNA samples from across the United States related to any male missing between 1970 and 1979.<ref name=unidentified3>{{cite web|url=http://cookcountysheriff.com/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html#MissingForm/|title=Unidentified Victims of John Wayne Gacy|website=Cook County Sheriff's Office|access-date=October 27, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015180420/http://www.cookcountysheriff.com/sheriffs_police/gacy/gacy.html#MissingForm/|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>

So far the identification of three victims has been confirmed, numerous other missing youths have been ruled out as being victims of Gacy,<ref>{{cite news|last=Babwin|first=Don|date=October 17, 2011|title=Sheriff: Solid Leads in Effort to ID Gacy Victims|newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/10/17/sheriff_solid_leads_in_effort_to_id_gacy_victims|access-date=October 26, 2011|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303222248/http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/10/17/sheriff_solid_leads_in_effort_to_id_gacy_victims/}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=More DNA Being Analyzed To Determine IDs Of Gacy Victims|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/05/07/more-dna-being-analyzed-to-determine-ids-of-gacy-victims/|date=May 7, 2012 |work=Chicago.cbslocal.com|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912154334/https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/05/07/more-dna-being-analyzed-to-determine-ids-of-gacy-victims/|archive-date=September 12, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> and four unrelated [[cold case]]s dating between 1972 and 1979 have been solved.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 21, 2012|title=John Wayne Gacy Investigation Helps Solve Missing Daniel Noe Case|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412012336/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-wayne-gacy-investigation_n_1904401|archive-date=April 12, 2019 |work=Huffingtonpost.com|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/john-wayne-gacy-investigation_n_1904401.html/|access-date=March 14, 2013}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cook County Sheriff Press – Sheriff's Gacy Investigation Solves 1979 Cold Case|url=http://www.cookcountysheriff.org/press_page/press_%20ColdCaseSolved_09_23_2015.html|publisher=Cook County Sheriff's Department|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927025637/http://www.cookcountysheriff.org/press_page/press_%20ColdCaseSolved_09_23_2015.html|archive-date=September 27, 2015|access-date=September 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=September 20, 2012|title=Remains Found in Utah Identified Through John Wayne Gacy Investigation|newspaper=Deseret News|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562848/Remains-found-in-Utah-identified-through-John-Wayne-Gacy-investigation.html|access-date=February 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928134434/https://www.deseret.com/2012/9/20/20506968/remains-found-in-utah-identified-through-john-wayne-gacy-investigation|archive-date=September 28, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Mills|first=Steve|date=October 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028160613/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-26/news/ct-met-gacy-victims-20111026_1_gacy-case-john-wayne-gacy-serial-killer|archive-date=October 28, 2011|title=Long-lost Relation, Thought Slain by John Wayne Gacy, Alive and Well and Living in South Florida|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/10/26/long-lost-relation-thought-slain-by-john-wayne-gacy-alive-and-well-and-living-in-south-florida/|url-status=live|access-date=October 26, 2011}} {{Open access}}</ref> Updated facial reconstructions of Bodies 10 and 13 were released in 2018.<ref name=newimg>{{cite web|url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/07/23/john-wayne-gacy-unidentified-victims-new-images/|title=New Images Of Unidentified John Wayne Gacy Victims Released|date=July 23, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819164214/https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/07/23/john-wayne-gacy-unidentified-victims-new-images/|archive-date=August 19, 2018}}</ref>

In November 2011, William Bundy was identified through [[DNA testing]].<ref name=bundy/> Shortly after Gacy's arrest, Bundy's family had contacted his dentist in the hope of submitting his dental records for comparison with the unidentified bodies, but the records had been destroyed after his dentist had retired.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2011/11/29/gacys-victim-19-identified-illinois-cops/|title=Gacy's Victim 19 identified: Illinois cops|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=November 29, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714115951/http://www.torontosun.com/2011/11/29/gacys-victim-19-identified-illinois-cops/|archive-date=July 14, 2014}} {{Open access}}</ref> In July 2017, 16-year-old James Haakenson was identified using DNA testing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Crepeau|first=Megan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525194008/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-john-wayne-gacy-victim-haakenson-20170719-story.html|archive-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-john-wayne-gacy-victim-haakenson-20170719-story.html|title=Second Long-unknown Gacy Victim Identified as Boy from Minnesota|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 19, 2017|access-date=July 20, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> Francis Wayne Alexander was identified via [[Investigative genetic genealogy|forensic genealogy]] in October 2021.<ref>{{cite news|title=New Victim of Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy Identified Using DNA|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/25/serial-killer-john-wayne-gacy-victim-identified-francis-wayne-alexander|access-date=October 25, 2021|work=The Guardian|date=October 25, 2021|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025185554/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/25/serial-killer-john-wayne-gacy-victim-identified-francis-wayne-alexander|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Possible additional victims===
At the time of Gacy's arrest, he had claimed to investigators that the total number of murder victims could be as high as 45.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=193–197}} However, only 33 victims were ever linked to Gacy. Investigators excavated the grounds of his property until they had exposed the [[Subsoil|substratum]] of clay beneath the foundations, finding 29 bodies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oHdGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2520,2232357|title=29 Murder Victims Found as Gacy Waits in Prison|newspaper=The Evening News|date=March 18, 1979|access-date=February 15, 2017|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007133254/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oHdGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2520%2C2232357|archive-date=October 7, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref>

Shortly after his arrest, Gacy informed investigators that after he had assaulted and then released Jeffrey Rignall in March 1978, he began to throw his murder victims into the Des Plaines River. He confessed to having disposed of five bodies in this manner; however, only four bodies recovered from the Des Plaines River were linked to him.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110801/news/708019985/|title=Attorney: John Wayne Gacy Had 34th Victim. Gacy's Attorney Says There Was Another Victim in the Des Plaines River|newspaper=Daily Herald|date=August 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306163743/http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110801/news/708019985/|archive-date=March 6, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> When asked whether there were more victims, Gacy stated, "That's for you guys to find out."<ref>{{cite news|last=Potash|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-bn-xpm-2011-03-18-29143715-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709023137/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-bn-xpm-2011-03-18-29143715-story.html|archive-date=July 9, 2019|title=Retired Detective Wants Gacy Probe Reopened|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=March 18, 2011|access-date=February 15, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref>{{efn|In one audiotaped confession with his lawyer, Gacy claimed to have disposed of the body of an unidentified victim in woodland near [[Maine Township High School District 207|Maine Township High School]]. Gacy estimated this victim to be approximately twenty-four years old, with military connections.{{sfn|Nelson|2021|pp=292-293}} }}

Disputed [[DNA]] and dental tests conducted between 2012 and 2016 indicate that neither body found in the common grave in Gacy's crawl space and identified as those of Kenneth Parker and Michael Marino in 1980 was actually Marino.<ref>{{cite news|last=Valente|first=Judith|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707175737/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/03/dna-test-gacy-victim-mother-marino/2486561/|archive-date=July 7, 2013|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/03/dna-test-gacy-victim-mother-marino/2486561/|title=DNA Test Revives Mystery of Killer Gacy's Victim No. 14|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 5, 2013|access-date=October 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name=alison1>{{cite web|last=True|first=Alison|url=https://johnwaynegacynews.com/2016/03/31/new-dna-test-confirms-second-false-id-in-gacy-case/|title=BREAKING: New DNA Test Confirms Second False ID in Gacy Case|work=JohnWayneGacyNews|date=March 31, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211200055/https://johnwaynegacynews.com/2016/03/31/new-dna-test-confirms-second-false-id-in-gacy-case/|archive-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/10/25/dna-backs-up-moms-doubt-gacy-victim-misidentified/|title=DNA Backs Up Mom's Doubt: Gacy Victim Misidentified|publisher=CBS Local|date=October 25, 2012|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910054104/https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/10/25/dna-backs-up-moms-doubt-gacy-victim-misidentified/|archive-date=September 10, 2017}}</ref> Marino's mother had always doubted her son's identification because the clothing found on Body 14 was inconsistent with what he had worn when she last saw him.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dna-shows-presumed-john-wayne-gacy-victim-was-misidentified-attorneys-say|title=DNA Shows Presumed John Wayne Gacy Victim was Misidentified, Attorneys Say|publisher=CBS News|date=October 26, 2012|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007133813/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dna-shows-presumed-john-wayne-gacy-victim-was-misidentified-attorneys-say/|archive-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> DNA testing conducted on the exhumed body of Parker has proven that Marino's body had not been mistaken for his.{{efn|Parker's relatives refused to submit to DNA testing.<ref name=alison1/>}} In addition, the [[dental radiography|dental X-ray]] conducted on the victim identified as Michael Marino had revealed he had all of his [[second molar]]s; a dental X-ray conducted on Marino in March 1976 revealed one molar had not [[tooth eruption|erupted]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-10-07-ct-met-john-wayne-gacy-victim-20111007-story.html|title=Alleged Victim of John Wayne Gacy to be Exhumed|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=October 7, 2011|author1=Erika Slife|author2=Steve Mills|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709042645/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2011-10-07-ct-met-john-wayne-gacy-victim-20111007-story.html|archive-date=July 9, 2019}} {{Open access}}</ref> The original identification of the body has been disputed because the exhumed body had neither an upper nor lower jaw bone.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raftery|first=Isolde|url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14705528-lawyers-dna-proves-john-wayne-gacy-victim-was-misidentified|title=Lawyers: DNA Proves John Wayne Gacy Victim was Misidentified|publisher=[[NBC News]]|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303222402/http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14705528-lawyers-dna-proves-john-wayne-gacy-victim-was-misidentified|archive-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref> Nonetheless, the [[orthodontist]] who had identified Marino's remains has stated his conviction in the accuracy of his findings.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Connell|first=Patrick M.|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gacy-victim-20141130-story.html|title=Mother of Supposed John Wayne Gacy Victim Still Seeks Answers|newspaper=[[LA Times]]|date=November 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328093156/http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gacy-victim-20141130-story.html|archive-date=March 28, 2015|access-date=February 23, 2015|url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref>

On May 23, 1978, 25-year-old Charles Antonio Hattula was found drowned in the [[Pecatonica River]] near [[Freeport, Illinois]]. He had been missing since May 13.{{sfn|Berry-Dee|2007|p=336}} Hattula was an employee of PDM and had been linked to the initial investigation of Gacy after Michael Rossi informed investigators of both Godzik's disappearance and Hattula's death. Moreover, Rossi had stated that Hattula was known to have conflicts with Gacy, and when he had "failed to show up at work", Gacy had informed him and several other employees that he had drowned.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=99–104}} At the time of Hattula's death, no more bodies could be stored in Gacy's crawl space, which leaves a possibility he had disposed of Hattula's body in the Pecatonica River. However, Des Plaines authorities had contacted Freeport during their investigation into Gacy, and were told Hattula had fallen to his death from a bridge. Hattula's death has been officially ruled as asphyxia by drowning.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=123–127}}

Retired Chicago police officer Bill Dorsch stated he had reason to believe there might be more victims buried in the grounds of an apartment building on West Miami Avenue in Chicago, where Gacy had been the caretaker for several years.<ref name=new-dig>{{cite news|last=Mills|first=Steven|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/03/30/sheriff-barred-from-digging-for-more-gacy-victims/|title=Sheriff Barred from Digging for More Gacy Victims|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=March 30, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107052751/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-30/news/chi-sheriff-wants-new-dig-for-gacy-victims-20120329_1_bill-dorsch-gacy-victims-west-miami-avenue|archive-date=November 7, 2012}} {{Open access}}</ref> In 1975, Dorsch—then a Chicago police officer—observed Gacy (whom he knew on a casual basis) holding a shovel in the early morning. When Dorsch confronted him, Gacy said he was doing work that he was too busy to do during the day. Dorsch also said that several other residents of West Miami Avenue stated they had seen Gacy digging trenches at the property in the early to mid-1970s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stroud|first=Matthew|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/10/4315390/the-controversial-high-tech-search-for-john-wayne-gacy-lost-victims|title=Grave Mistake: The Controversial, High-tech Search for John Wayne Gacy's Lost Victims|website=[[The Verge]]|date=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001093532/https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/10/4315390/the-controversial-high-tech-search-for-john-wayne-gacy-lost-victims|archive-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> Gacy was then still married to Carole Hoff.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zJEkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1375,1891358|title=Police May Look for More Gacy Victims|newspaper=The Southeast Missourian|date=November 12, 1998|access-date=November 20, 2015|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007132609/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zJEkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1375%2C1891358|archive-date=October 7, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> In March 2012, Cook County Sheriff's officials submitted a request to excavate the grounds of this property. The [[Cook County State's Attorney]] denied the request, citing a lack of [[probable cause]], including the results of a 1998 search of the property.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mills|first=Steven|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2012-03-30-ct-met-gacy-dig-20120330-story.html|title=Criminal Justice: Sheriff's Officials Seeking More Victims of Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy Want to Excavate Chicago Backyard|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=March 30, 2012|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709023142/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2012-03-30-ct-met-gacy-dig-20120330-story.html|archive-date=July 9, 2019}} {{Open access}}</ref> However, the sheriff's office noted that in 1998, a radar survey suggested fourteen areas of interest within the grounds, yet only two of these had been excavated; four of those remaining were described as being "staggeringly suggestive" of human skeletons.<ref>{{cite news|last=Felshman|first=Tracy Ullman|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-ullman-felshman/john-wayne-gacy-search_b_2569172.html/|title=To Parents of the Missing in Chicago: A Note About John Wayne Gacy|work=Huffington Post|access-date=March 14, 2013|date=February 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928133127/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-wayne-gacy-search_b_2569172?guccounter=1|archive-date=September 28, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> A second request to excavate the grounds was granted in January 2013, and a search of the property was conducted in the spring. Both FBI [[Detection dog|sniffer dogs]] and ground-penetrating radar equipment were used, but no human remains were found.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/search-of-killer-john-wayne-gacy-s-mother-s-home-fruitless-county-sheriff-to-keep-hunting-1.109486|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102200250/https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/search-of-killer-john-wayne-gacy-s-mother-s-home-fruitless-county-sheriff-to-keep-hunting-1.109486|archive-date=January 2, 2020|title=Search of Killer John Wayne Gacy's Mother's Home Fruitless; County Sheriff to Keep Hunting|newspaper=[[Times Colonist]]|date=April 12, 2013}} {{Open access}}</ref>{{efn|Some parties have questioned the [[integrity]] and thoroughness of the second search, citing the fact the ground of the property was still frozen on the date of the search (March 20), that the press had not been informed that the property had been searched until six days after the search had been conducted, and that the sniffer dogs used had solely been provided [[core sample]]s of soil to test.<ref>{{cite web|last=True|first=Alison|url=https://johnwaynegacynews.com/2013/04/15/something-stinks/|title=Something Stinks|work=JohnWayneGacyNews|date=April 15, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211202539/https://johnwaynegacynews.com/2013/04/15/something-stinks/|archive-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref>}}