John Wayne Gacy's Home Was Demolished in 1979 to Make Way for a New One

If you're the kind of weirdo that loves obsessing over serial killers, studying their M.O.'s, then there's a good chance you've come across the horrifying story of John Wayne Gacy. This disgusting murderer dressed up as a clown and would perform at birthday parties and charitable functions...perhaps as a cover-up for his horrible crimes, which all occurred either at or near the location of his house.

Between at least 1972 and 1978, John Wayne Gacy stalked, raped, and killed no fewer than 33 young men and boys. Twenty-nine bodies were found buried underneath the home and in its immediate surrounding area.

The original Norwood Park, Chicago, Ill. house that was located on 8213 W. Summerdale Ave., however, is no more. He was apprehended on December 21, 1978, and some four months later in April of 1979, the home was demolished.

While it's easy to assume that the reason for the home's destruction was because local authorities wanted to banish any memories of "the evil that resided there," it was mainly because of how thoroughly the house was picked apart by local law enforcement and investigative teams. It was gutted to the point where it was deemed to be structurally unsound.

Since it was a safety hazard at the point, the house was demolished completely. Gacy was on death row (he would ultimately be executed via lethal injection in 1994) and the property was foreclosed on in 1984. It was ultimately sold to a savings loan, probably for pennies on the dollar. 

Patricia Jendrycki purchased the house in 1986 and had its address changed to 8215 W. Summerdale Ave. in what was most likely an attempt to distance the land from its sordid history.

Patricia lived in it for some 18 years before ultimately selling it to new owners in 2004. In 2019, the home was listed for $489,000, until it was dropped to $459,000. However, as of this writing, it appears that the home is off the market and is currently valued at just over $414,000 on Zillow. 

Warning: Graphic details ahead.

In Peacock's series about Gacy, the killer says that Rossi and Cram were also involved in killings, saying that he couldn't fit in the crawl space beneath his home. He even said that in the case of John Szyk, he saw Rossi chatting with Szyk after he got home one day. Gacy said he had a few drinks then went to bed. When he woke up in the morning, Syzk was dead.

One victim of Gacy's, John Rignall, also claimed that there were other people present at the time of his torture in Gacy's house. He was lured into the killer's car with the promise of a joint. 

Gacy then placed a rag over his mouth, reportedly doused in chloroform. Rignall was then taken to the killer's home, was suspended from the ceiling in chains, placed in torture wood, and beaten and raped.

Rignall stated that there was a third person in the home with "light hair parted in the middle." Rignall wasn't killed, thankfully, and Gacy dropped him off at the spot where they had first met half-clothed. This third individual was never identified, but many suspect it may have been David Cram, who committed suicide in 2001.

Rossi did not cooperate with authorities when it came to their questions about the murders, and he immediately had all of his correspondence carried out between his lawyers and the police. Rossi stated that he was only asked by Gacy to pour lime in the crawl space and had no idea why there was a strange smell coming from underneath the home.

Both Rossi and Cram have denied having any involvement in Gacy's case.

You can watch John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise on Peacock.