John Wayne Gacy Essay

John Gacy is most notably known as a serial killer. In 1980 he was charged with the murder of thirty-three young men and sentenced to death (“John Wayne Gacy,” 2013). He became well known for the deviant sexual nature of his crimes (Morrison, 2004; Sullivan, 1984). While these seem like the acts of a crazed man, he was able to commit such a high number of murders by successfully integrating himself into society (Sullivan, 1984). He displayed emotional instability, and a personality characterized by conscientiousness. Furthermore, his day-to-day actions were driven by an intense need to maintain social connectedness and defend his status.

Just like anyone else, John Gacy had his faults. He was quick to anger. The uneven temper displayed by Gacy is a clear representation of neuroticism, or emotionality. Neuroticism is characterized by easily triggered mood-swings (Sullivan, 1984, p. 213). As a boy, he was taken out of school a few times due to intense rage (Lindecker, 1993, p. 18). These marked the first of what would become many extreme shifts in mood for Gacy. During the investigation against him, one of his two ex-wives recalled that toward the end of their

Through this, he made many connections and fostered positive relationships. He sometimes would dress as a clown and visit children, both sick and healthy, to cheer them up (Cathill, 1986). On top of a full-time job, Gacy volunteered with multiple service organizations throughout the year. His service work took up much of his time to the point of exhaustion (“John Wayne Gacy,” 2013). The organization Gacy was most involved was the Jaycees. He became involved with the group in multiple locations, rejoining into a different sector each time he moved. Gacy even went so far as to open a chapter of the Jaycees in prison while incarcerated there. In fact, most of his friends were also Jaycee members (Lindecker, 1993, pp.