Something sad and dark hides behind the smile of some clowns. These characters, supposed to express joy, are often the nightmare of many children. Especially, for those who grew up reading Stephen King and his classic “It”. But the worst thing is that this clown is not just a fiction: he existed, and his name was John Wayne Gacy. On March 17, 1942, John Wayne Gacy was born in Chicago, the serial killer who shocked American public opinion in the 1970s by going from the status of an exemplary citizen to that of a terrible murderous psychopath. John Wayne Gacy was a true predator, a serial killer who fed his fantasies and sexual appetites between 1972 and 1978. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Many say that because he was the son of an alcoholic who vented all his fury on his wife and son, Gacy's head began to rot very soon. Wayne's father never imagined that the humiliation his son suffered with constant allusions to his obesity and sexual ambiguity would mark the mind of a potential psychopath. Living in an emotionally unstructured family environment was decisive for the mental state of this murderer, who developed a profile of insecurity and a tendency to feel guilty. Which led him to commit thirty-three murders with a sexual connotation, being victims of these heinous crimes, young boys. But despite a childhood full of conflicts, he managed to create the stable family environment he never had and occupy a relevant position in the world of work, distinguishing himself as a great salesman and entrepreneur. Apart from this, he was also known as the perfect neighbor. He was a hardworking man committed to the community. It is said that he collaborated with different social works during parades and parties for children dressed as a clown, without anyone being able to imagine the real monster hiding behind the grotesque paint on his face. I think his desire to be relevant and to be recognized by society ruled him over good and evil. The killer clown's modus operandi was based on deception. Either he offered to take his victims in his car, or he invited them to his home under the pretext of offering them a job. Once there, he drugged them with chloroform, took them to his terror room, where he tortured them and delighted in practicing his sodomy. Finally, he strangled them and buried the lifeless bodies in the garden or in the basement. In my opinion, the clown figure seems to be due to an identification with his traumatic childhood. A situation which caused him to suffer from serious sexual dysfunctions and motivated him to seek in sodomy and murder an antidote to the impotence he felt. On the other hand, his victims were men, thus alleviating another of the traumas inflicted by his father: guilt. In particular, when he tortured and killed his victims, he was ending his own childhood image as atonement for his guilt or false sins. With a very antisocial personality, but incredible cynicism, he organized meetings at his home without worrying about arousing suspicion. He did not appear to be aware of the seriousness of his criminal actions. Apparently he suffered from a lack of connection with reality. It was as if he was able to separate his life as an assassin from that of an exemplary man. Egocentrism and the desire to dominate are other most important characteristics. It wasn't enough to kill his victims, he needed to feel that his victims were suffering and begging, just like Wayne did with his father. He needed.