Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy

March 25, 2024 | Book News

Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy by Karen Conti is a firsthand account of her work to get one of America’s most notorious serial killers off death row. Conti and her husband, both attorneys, joined Gacy’s defense team to not only stay his execution but to get his death sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.

What I Found Interesting about Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy

I usually describe what I like about a book, but I didn’t enjoy reading about a serial killer. Still, Conti’s story is interesting. I knew little about Gacy except he was a serial killer that buried his victims in his crawl space. That was just one of the creepy things about him.

Conti did an excellent job of describing the legal proceedings so a non-legal person like me would understand the process. She did a remarkable job of describing life inside the prison. Readers can see life behind bars is no picnic. She made it clear she didn’t believe in the death penalty. Conti believes living in prison is a greater punishment. She argues that execution is the easy way out for people like Gacy.

I felt sadness for the victims, their families, and Gacy’s family. Also, I believe Gacy committed one final injustice by not coming clean about the murders. Why did he think it was okay to murder these people? Actually, knowing would most likely not give the victims’ families closure, but not knowing had to rob them of peace.

It’s easy to think Gacy was crazy though he took the assertion as an affront. However, I would argue there was something evil within him that he could not contain. I finished the book thinking how we really don’t know what is going inside other peoples’ minds.

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy books about legal proceedings, you should enjoy Conti’s story. If serial killer stories interest you, you’ll get a glimpse of a notorious killer but not answers about his motivation.

Know upfront, the story contains some language and a bit of graphic detail. Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy starts a bit slow as Conti describes her background, how she met her husband, and how they became involved with Gacy’s defense. But once Gacy enters, the story takes off. You’ll be horrified and engaged as you try to figure out how anyone could commit such violence against others.

I do want to give a language alert. For more book news and book reviews, visit my blog.

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