Did you know Rockford, Illinois is forever linked to serial killer John Wayne Gacy? Here’s how

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — When defense attorneys for John Wayne Gacy argued their client couldn’t receive a fair trial in Cook County, the judge turned to Rockford.

In 1980, the entire jury for the trial of Gacy — the Chicago-area man convicted of murdering 33 young men and boys — was selected from Winnebago County.

The move was a compromise crafted by Judge Louis Garippo. The defense requested a change of venue. Prosecutors petitioned to keep the proceedings local. Garippo ordered that the trial would remain in Chicago, but the jury would be selected from Rockford.

Jury selection took place at the Winnebago County Courthouse beginning Jan. 28, 1980, where dozens of potential jurors were questioned about their knowledge of the case and their ability to remain impartial.

The final panel — five men and seven women — was sequestered and transported daily to the Cook County Criminal Court Building in Chicago. There, they heard nearly six weeks of testimony.

A contractor and part-time party clown, Gacy lured his victims to his Norwood Park home, where he sexually assaulted and killed them. He buried 26 bodies in the crawl space under his house. Three were buried elsewhere on his property. Gacy dumped four bodies in the Des Plaines River.

Gacy killed his victims between 1972 and 1978. Some true-crime buffs and members of various law enforcement agencies believe he may have killed more than 33 people and that his crimes may have extended beyond the Chicago area. No additional murders have been officially attributed to him, however.

After the trial, Garippo acknowledged the novelty of pulling the jury from Winnebago County saying, “There was no precedent in Illinois for this method, but there was no law prohibiting it either.”

Legal observers praised the decision as a creative and fair solution to a unique problem. The defense had argued that media saturation in Cook County had made it impossible to seat an impartial jury.

Headlines in Chicago newspapers often featured “daily body counts” with reports depicting Gacy as “insane” and “evil.”

Defense attorney Sam Amirante said the public viewed the murders as “an offense against the community,” making it nearly impossible for a Cook County juror to acquit Gacy.

Prosecutor William Kunkle, who led the state’s case, told the Chicago Sun Times that Garippo’s rulings were “astute” and “stood up on appeal,” noting that despite 14 years of legal challenges, “there was no retrial.”

Rockford jurors ultimately found Gacy guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to death.

Fifty-two-year-old John Wayne Gacy was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet. Outside the prison, nearly 1,000 people gathered — some celebrating, others protesting.

Supporters of the execution released balloons and carried signs mocking Gacy’s clown persona. Some chanted “Death to Gacy” and “Kill the clown.” An impromptu countdown was followed by cheers when the clock struck midnight.

Those who wanted the state to spare the serial killer held a small candlelight vigil and prayed.

Gacy was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m.

The execution was witnesses by reporters, law enforcement, prison officials and prosecutors. The Illinois Department of Corrections officials rejected requests from victims’ families to witness the execution, citing limited space.