John Wayne Gacy's Children Have Hidden From Public View in Recent Decades

As one of the world's most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy has earned his fair share of media coverage over the years. Following the release of Conversations With a Killer: The John Gacy Tapes on Netflix, many have taken a renewed interest in his story. Those tapes come with some shocking revelations, but also left many curious about Gacy's children and where they are now.

The most remarkable thing about John Wayne Gacy is how normal his family life seemed, at least for a time. He had a daughter, Chrstine, and a son, Michael, but they escaped from their father's world shortly after Christine was born. When Christine was just 1, her father went to prison for sodomy after two teenage boys accused him of sexual assault. Following his sentencing, Christine and Michael's mother Marlynn filed for divorce.

Gacy was sentenced in 1968, and Marlynn was granted her divorce and full custody of her children in 1969. Later, she admitted that she was surprised by the sodomy charge and said that it was hard for her to believe. that her ex-husband was a homosexual. She also insisted that Gacy had never been violent with their children. Following the divorce, Christine and Michael rarely if ever saw their father, and they faded from public view.

Following their father's conviction for killing 33 people in 1978, most of his family has stepped away from the spotlight. Not very much is known about what Christine or Michael have been up to in the years since their father and mother divorced, and that's likely the way they'd like to keep things. During an interview with Oprah, Gacy's sister Karen explained that most of the family was uninterested in the spotlight.

“The name Gacy has been buried,” Karen said on Oprah. “I’ve never given my maiden name out … there have been a couple of times I didn’t even tell anybody I had a brother because I didn’t want that part of my life known.”

Karen also added that even her attempts to connect with her brother's children have been rebuffed.

“I tried sending gifts to the children. Everything was returned,” she said. “I often wonder about them, but if [their mother] wants a private life. I think she’s owed that. I think the children are owed that.”

As a result, very little is known about Gacy's children, and those who are curious about the serial killer should have respect for those boundaries.

The news that Gacy was a serial killer was a surprise not just to the public but also to those who knew him well. It's not his children's fault that Gacy murdered all those innocent people, and they should not be made to answer for their father's sins if they don't want to do that. They have a right to privacy, and that right should be respected, regardless of who their father is.