Buried Secrets: The Forgotten Voices of John Wayne Gacy’s Victims
Sixteen-year-old Timothy “Jack” McCoy spent his last Christmas wrapped in the warmth of his family’s love. As he packed his bags and left his aunt and uncle’s home in Michigan after New Year’s 1972, he promised to call once he arrived back in Glenwood, Iowa.
That call never came.
For fourteen agonizing years, his family clung to hope, until the truth surfaced in the most chilling way imaginable. In December 1978, police unearthed McCoy’s body, along with the remains of 32 others, from the suburban Chicago home of John Wayne Gacy—the man who would become infamous as the “Killer Clown.” McCoy was Gacy’s first known victim. But it wasn’t until May 1986 that DNA confirmed his identity, bringing a tragic closure his loved ones had never wanted to face.
The world knows John Wayne Gacy. His crimes are the stuff of nightmares, his name forever etched into the annals of American horror. But what about the young men and boys whose lives he stole? Journalist David Nelson, in his book Boys Enter the House, sought to rewrite history—not from the perspective of the monster, but through the eyes of his victims. By speaking to their families and friends, Nelson unearthed the lost voices of the boys who vanished, the ones the world must never forget.
The Community Left Scarred
Nelson has lived in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood for years, walking the same streets as many of Gacy’s victims once did. Even decades later, his crimes haunt the city. Almost everyone Nelson spoke to had a chilling connection to Gacy. A hairdresser recalled meeting him. A former coworker had gone to school with one of the victims. Even those who never crossed his path remember the news reports—images of body bags being carried out of his home, the slow horror of the discovery unfolding on television screens across the nation.
And perhaps most disturbingly, Gacy was a neighbor. An ordinary man. The type who smiled at passersby. A reminder that sometimes, the greatest evils lurk behind the most unassuming facades.
A Killer Hiding in Plain Sight
What’s even more terrifying? Many of Gacy’s victims knew him before their final moments. Some had worked for his construction company, lured by the promise of good pay. Others had seen him on the streets, offering rides to those desperate for a break. He was a familiar face, a seemingly harmless local businessman. And yet, he was methodically preying on young men who trusted him—many of whom were already struggling to survive.
Disturbingly, police had multiple opportunities to stop him. His name surfaced in missing persons reports. He had been interviewed. But each time, he slipped through the cracks, leaving behind a growing trail of shattered families.
The Victims: More Than Just Names
The world may remember them as tragic figures in a serial killer’s story, but these boys had dreams, aspirations, and people who loved them. Many were on the cusp of adulthood, chasing a better future. Some were trying to escape troubled homes. Others had already endured heartbreak and loss before they ever crossed paths with Gacy.
Take John Mowery, for instance. Murdered by Gacy in 1977, his story is made even more heartbreaking by a cruel twist of fate—his sister had been murdered in a separate incident just five years earlier. Or Randy Reffett, whose family had already survived a violent domestic dispute that left his parents barely clinging to life. For some families, Gacy’s horrors were just another chapter in a lifetime of tragedy.
“Something About Him Was Off”
Those who encountered Gacy before he was caught remember the unease he carried with him. Mary Jo Paulus, the girlfriend of victim Billy Kindred, recalled seeing Gacy at a bar multiple times in 1978. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about him sent chills down her spine.
Clyde Reffett, the brother of another victim, believed he had a close brush with death when Gacy offered him a ride. He declined. The encounter still haunts him.
The Pain That Never Fades
For the families left behind, the wounds Gacy inflicted never fully heal. Some lost not just their sons and brothers, but also their ability to trust the world. Many suffered from addiction, depression, and fractured relationships in the years that followed. One mother believed that the stress of the trial accelerated her and her husband’s decline in health. They lived long enough to see Gacy executed—but justice never felt like enough.
The Boy Who Still Haunts
Among the many victims whose stories Nelson uncovered, one in particular lingers in his mind: Billy Carroll. He disappeared in June 1976, on the night of his older brother’s birthday. His home was just a short walk from where Nelson now lives.
His brother never got to celebrate another birthday with him. In 1980, he too was killed, stabbed in a street fight. Their father died shortly after. Their mother lived on, carrying the unimaginable weight of losing two sons in two violent, senseless acts.
And then there was the sister Billy never got to know—the one his family sent away because they couldn’t care for her. A hidden tragedy within an already devastating tale.
Never Forgotten
Time moves forward, but the memories of these lost boys remain. Their families still whisper their names. Their stories still echo in the streets they once walked.
John Wayne Gacy may have taken their futures, but he could never erase their pasts. And as long as their stories are told, they will never truly be gone.
