1947: Willie Francis, this time successfully 1891: The Namoa pirates

1994: John Wayne Gacy, scary clown

May 10th, 2009 Headsman

This date in 1994 was the last on earth for Pogo the Clown — better known as John Wayne Gacy.


Hello, children.

The local small businessman and closeted pederast filled his crawlspace with the remains teenage boys he’d either kidnap off the street, or hire in his capacity as an independent contractor.

When he wasn’t raping and murdering, he kept up appearances as a Democratic machine operative (once photographed with First Lady Rosalynn Carter) and amateur block party harlequin.

Gacy was a notable “serial killer artist” in the years he spent awaiting lethal injection.* In that capacity, the clown motif continued to inspire him.


* The lethal injection was botched with a clogged IV tube. It took 18 minutes.

Also On This Date

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Entry Filed under: 20th Century, Artists, Botched Executions, Capital Punishment, Common Criminals, Crime, Death Penalty, Execution, Illinois, Lethal Injection, Murder, Popular Culture, Rape, Serial Killers, Sex, USA

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