Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders

By Courtney Lund O'Neil

Book Overview

This gripping and heartfelt work of true crime explores the legacy of John Wayne Gacy's crimes on a family, a community, and the American psyche.

On a December night in 1978, in a pharmacy in Des Plaines, Illinois, teenaged Kim Byers saw her friend Rob Piest alive for the last time when he went out to speak to a contractor named John Wayne Gacy about a possible job. Hours later, Rob became Gacy's final victim. Kim's testimony would be pivotal in convicting the serial killer who assaulted and killed over 30 young men and boys.

Though Kim's daughter, Courtney, grew up far away, she always lived in the shadow of her mother's history. In search of deeper understanding, Courtney and Kim travel back to Illinois. Postmortem transforms their personal journey into a powerful exploration of the ever-widening ripples generated by Gacy's crimes. Layered and thought-provoking, this unique personal narrative is a complex story of loss and violence, grief and guilt, and the legacy that remains long after a killer is caught.

With a new epilogue by the author

Includes 16 pages of photos

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806543000
• ISBN13: 9780806543000
• Release Date: March 2027
• Publisher: Citadel Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.