Dear Mr Gacy

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I watch part of this last night it is about a college boy who is a criminalolgy student and for his project he try to interview John Gacy the Chicago serial killer. He writes letter to Gacy and acts like a weak man so Gacy takes the bait and write back asking him about <deleted> and stuff. They finally meet up befoer Gacy is execute by electric chair. This is a true story and this college boy did exist in real person but he commit suicide on June 6 2006 (6/6/06) under circumstance not to be known.

[jadewik]

... I'd never heard of Jason Moss or the film Dear Mr. Gacy before. That's quite an interesting topic. It would seem that John Wayne Gacy wasn't the only serial killer Jason Moss made buddies with. He apparently also befriended Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Charles Manson.

It's not uncommon for people to appeal to the ego of a serial killer in order to garner information from them or to even get close to them (like a crazed fan would). I know all the hype to search for the Green River Killer was taking away notoriety from Ted Bundy's trial-- Bundy was so upset about the loss of attention to his trial that he actually HELPED POLICE profile and catch the Green River Killer.

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I do like the movies about serial killer topics for sure.

[Pumpkin56]

I did a case study on Gacy in college (criminology major). He was executed by lethal injection and not electrocution.

It might have been one of the most nauseating assignments I've ever had to do.

[Li H'Sen Chang]

Pumpkin56 you are right it was a poison not the electric chair. I am sorry I gave bad info.

I was plan to watch the rest of the movie last night but fall asleep before I got a chance to start it up. Pumpkin56 who is your favorite serial killer?

[Pumpkin56]

I don't have a favorite. The subject itself is interesting on the surface but when you have to start researching their crimes in depth and see how they picked out victims and hunted them and the gruesome details of what they did, it becomes a lot less intriguing and far more disturbing. There are images and details about some of these people that I can't, despite my best efforts, wipe from my memory. It's a subject that I don't make a habit of visiting/discussing very often.

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I can understand that Pumpkin56. They are real bad people and they make a lot of families suffer because of how they kill random victims.

This movie is not exactly about the killings but about the man John Gacy and the student who tries to study him. It is more drama and less horror but still Gacy is horror so I added to this horror movie category.

[jadewik]

When I was 11 or 12, I found the murderer section in the library. Read a book called "Cannibal Killers" and picked Albert Fish as a favorite because it said he used to light his methane emissions on fire. (I was 12, dangit!) I actually thought his was a fascinating case because he was able to abduct so many children on the basis of his looking like a sweet, old man. Though, his self-mutilation (the pelvis pins) was really... gross. All he wanted were some baby back ribs. (I think he took Swift's "Modest Proposal" to the next level, really.)

For me, the most disturbing serial killer would be Mary Bell. To be so warped at such a young age is a travesty. I hear she's a grandma now, out in the free world.... so I guess there is hope for sociopaths out there... if you catch 'em young enough.

I hear a lot of generic but interesting information on murders from someone I know who works in the area of capitol crimes. Even the basic information (I don't get details) is quite grotesque... which is funny since I enjoy reading about murder, but can't stand films like Hostel or Saw because of the gore.

... before the government re-did their FOIA page, you used to be able to read the FBI profile they did for Scottland Yard on the 100 year anniversary of Jack the Ripper. That was kinda cool to read through. (OoOoh-- found it-- http://vault.fbi.gov/Jack%20the%20Ripper )

Edit in:
Ooooh... looks like they even have a page on Gacy http://vault.fbi.gov/John%20Wayne%20Gacy

[Li H'Sen Chang]

Jack the Ripper is just such old case I don't trust that information is accurate 100 year later.

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I watch the rest of the movie last night and it was pretty ok I guess. Gacy had the power to control the boy right from start even though the boy believe he was control Gacy.

The boy is almost killed a few times and the prison guards allow Gacy to attempt rape against the boy in the prison when he goes to visit before Gacy is killed by poison inject. This is the intense part where the boy is cornered by Gacy in the jail and rape is attempt. I recommend the movie if you like serail killer topic.

[Pumpkin_Man]

John Gacy was put to death by leathel injection, not the electric chair. He was original sentenced to die in the electric chair, but Illinois changed their method of execution to lethal injection before Gacy was put to death, and instead of "grandfathering" the electric chair to those who were originaly sentenced to it like other states did, they decided that all death row inmates would get lethal injection insteaf of the chair.

Mike

[Li H'Sen Chang]

I would rather have them kill in a firing squad or guillotine.

[Pumpkin_Man]

From what I read about the Gacy execution, they botched it by using cloged tubes. The way lethal injection works is they firs inject you with a drug that stops you from breathing. 2ndly they inject you with a drug that sops your heat, and then they injec you with a drug that knocks you out. Two of the tubes were cloged, so Gacy apperantly suffered before he died. The way I remember it, they gave him the first drug, he stopped breathing, then they had some problems with the tube being cloged for the heart stopper, and had to puts around with it, and it then they also had to puts around with the sedation drug before it could flow.

I could only imagine being fully consience, and unable to breath. I think Gacy actualy did suffer because of the way they botched the execution. OR was it actualy done on purpose. The prison officials are usualy very effieienc and maticulous about executions. It seems to me that a cloged I.V. tube would be pretty obviously.

Mike

[Pumpkin56]

Yes, Gacy's execution was botched. I remember learning that from my case study. I'm not quite sure how much he suffered--I would have to see if I still have my assignment because it has the time the execution began and the time he was pronounced dead. Lethal injections aren't the fastest thing, so this might call for a bit of compare and contrast with other inmates who have been executed. If I can remember to do so this evening, I'll look it up and get back to you

[Pumpkin_Man]

After all is said and done, I think the Gillotine is actualy the fastest way to execute some one, because the executed person dies almost imediately after the headd is severed from the body. It's very gory and there's a lot of blood, but how long can anyone live without their head? Of course, I'm sure a lot of Gillotinings have been botched, too. At the notorious Devil's Island, they constantly had to keep sharpening the blade because of the climate. The combination of high humidity and salt air would constantly cause the blade to rust.

Lethal injection was opted for primarily because it's supposedly the most humane form of execution. Once the executed person is put under, he or she feels nothing. What I don't understand, is if they want to be humane about it, why don't they sedate the prisoner first, then give him the heart stopper and breath stopper? Like I said, if you couldn't breath, you would suffer horendously. I don't know how long that would go on, but if something like that were to happen to me, I would want to be totaly sedated.

Ang again, John Wayne Gacy was one of the most hated people in the country. Nobody is going to go on a "quest" to treat him more humainly. It's very possible, all though I have no concrete proof, that the execution was deliberatly botched, because those who were carrying out the execution thought that Gacy should suffer the same way his victims did. Again, I cant substantiate that, but in prison, anything can happen.

Mike

Mike