John Wayne Gacy’s public persona as a friendly local contractor and part-time children’s clown has long stood in chilling contrast to his private reality as a serial killer. A new Peacock docuseries, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, will investigate the systemic failures and societal prejudices that allowed him to hide in plain sight while murdering thirty-three young men. The series is set to premiere on October 16.
The project intends to move beyond a simple recitation of the facts of the case. Its focus is on the central question of how Gacy was able to operate for years without suspicion. Producers state the series will give voice to the stories of his victims and explore the lasting trauma carried by their families and friends.
By examining missed opportunities by law enforcement and a societal reluctance to confront the darkness hiding within a seemingly normal community, the series will scrutinize the environment that enabled Gacy’s reign of terror. It aims to be a definitive account of not just the killer, but of the world that failed to stop him.
