Gregory John Godzik (17)
Born
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Death
11 Dec 1976, Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Illinois
Tragically, Gregory Godzik was one of the victims of Illinois serial killer and sex offender John Wayne Gacy who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys between 1962 and 1977. His conviction for thirty-three murders (by one individual) then covered the most homicides in United States legal history. Gacy was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection at Statesville Correctional Center on May 10, 1994. He became known as “The Killer Clown” due to his public performances as a clown prior to the discovery of his crimes and is one of the most prolific serial murderers in Chicago history.
On Dec. 11, 1976, 17-year-old- Gregory Godzik (a Taft senior and employee of Gacy) leaves his house around 8 p.m. for a date with his girlfriend but never returns. Friends find his abandoned car and his family hires a private investigator, but neither yield new information. Godzik’s girlfriend goes to Gacy’s house to question him about Godzik’s disappearance, and Gacy says Godzik told him he was going to run away. He is “Body #4” and was buried under the crawl space.
He was finally identified through dental records in January 1979. Gacy claims during his trial that Godzik dug his own grave.
He was finally identified through dental records in January 1979. Gacy claims during his trial that Godzik dug his own grave.
