Editing John Wayne Gacy (section)

=== 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>