Beneath the Floorboards

The Gruesome Horrors of John Wayne Gacy

He was a trusted neighbor, a respected businessman, and a smiling clown who entertained children. But beneath the floorboards of his quiet suburban home, a nightmare festered.

When police entered 8213 Summerdale Avenue in 1978, they expected answers about a missing teenage boy. What they found was a house of horrors. One body. Then another. Then another. By the end of the excavation, the remains of twenty-six young men and boys had been pulled from the crawl space. Others were dredged from nearby rivers. All had suffered. Many had screamed. None had survived.

Beneath the Floorboards is a relentless descent into the twisted mind of John Wayne Gacy. This is not a retelling of headlines. It is a meticulously researched, hauntingly intimate journey through every stage of his double life—from the manipulation and murder to the courtroom and the long march to death row. Through graphic crime scene details, chilling testimony, and the shattered voices of the families left behind, this book brings to life one of the most infamous serial killings in American history.

You may think you know the story. But until you’ve stepped into the crawl space, you don’t know the truth.

©2025 Mark Garrod (P)2025 Mark Garrod