John Wayne Gacy - Death Row

Death Row

After sentencing, the State of Illinois transferred Gacy to the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois, where he remained for 14 years on death row.

In prison, Gacy began to paint. The subjects Gacy painted varied, although many were of clowns, some of which depicted himself as "Pogo". Many of his paintings were sold at various auctions with individual prices ranging between $200 and $20,000 apiece.

While in prison Gacy read law books and thereupon filed voluminous motions and appeals, although he did not prevail on any. Gacy mainly contended that he had "some knowledge" of only five murders: those of McCoy, Butkovitch, Godzik, Szyc and Piest, and that the other 28 murders had been committed by employees who were in possession of keys to his house while he was away on business trips.

In the summer of 1984, the Supreme Court of Illinois upheld Gacy's conviction and ordered that he be executed by lethal injection on November 14. Gacy filed an appeal against this decision, which on March 4, 1985, the Supreme Court of the United States denied.

After his final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in October 1993, the Illinois Supreme Court set his execution date for May 10, 1994.