John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and rapist who targeted teenage boys and young men. He was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering 33 teenage boys and young men during the 1970s, and sentenced to death for 12 of these killings, and eventually executed by lethal injection. It is said that the actual number of his victims could be higher. A sadistic killer, Gacy derived pleasure from torturing his victims and enjoyed watching them die a slow and agonizing death. Known for his sexual depravity and cruelty, he himself had been a victim of physical violence and sexual assault when he was young. Growing up with an abusive father, John Gacy endured a very difficult childhood. However, as a young adult, he was able to establish himself as a reasonably successful professional and a respectable citizen. But unknown to his own family and neighbors, Gacy lived a double life. During the 1970s, he began luring teenage boys and young men into his house and sexually assaulted them before brutally taking their lives. He evaded arrest for several years before some of the survivors approached the police, leading to his capture and conviction.