Identify 4 More Bodies in Gacy Case

by William Juneau and Philip Wattley

Authorities on Saturday positively identified four more bodies found buried in the crawl space of John Wayne Gacy’s suburban home, raising the number of bodies identified to 10. A team of dentists headed by Dr. Edward J. Pavlik, an Olympia Fields orthodontist and specialist in forensic dentistry, working in consultation with Dr. Robert Stein, Cook County medical examiner, made the identifications from dental charts sent to authorities by parents of missing men.

Authorities identified the four as: Michael L. Bonnin, 17, of 1123 W. Addison St., last seen olive June 3, 1976. Robert E. Gilroy, 18, 5451 N. East River Road, last seen alive Sept. 15, 1977. Jon Prestidge, 20, of 1255 W. Cornelia Avenue, last seen alive March 15, 1977. Russell L. Nelson, 22, of Cloquet, Minn., last seen alive Oct. 17, 1977. Nelson is the first victim from outside the Chicago area linked to Gacy. Gacy Reportedly told investigators last week that “you have all the bodies” buried under his house and garage at 8213 W. Summerdale Av. Authorities have exhumed 27 bodies at the site in an unincorporated area south of Park Ridge.

In addition, workers recovered two bodies from the Des Plaines River that have been linked to Gacy. When the husky building contractor was taken into custody last month, he reportedly told authorities he had killed 32 young men and boys after engaging in sexual relations with them. Investigators are seeking three more bodies that Gacy reportedly said he dumped into the river. Among those being sought is that of Robert Piest, 15, of Des Plaines, so far, the only person Gacy is formally charged with murdering. Of the recorded bodies linked to Gacy, the first six to be identified were those of John Butkovich, 18, of 4835 N. Kenmore Avenue, Gregory Godlik, 17, of 5500 N. Natoma Avenue, John Szyc, 19, of 4313 N. Francisco Avenue, Rick Johnston, 17, of 834 S. Addison Road, Bensenville; Frank Landingin, 19, of 5217 N. Winthrop Avenue and James Mazzara, 20, 2928 N. 72d Ct. Elmwood Park.

The bodies of Landingin and Mazzara; were found in the river in Will County. “Authorities first believed that the killings spanned about three years and that all the victims had been strangled, but now they say Gacy has told them he stabbed his first victim to death on January 3, 1973. The extended time factor and new method of killing mean other sex-related murder cases could become part y of the Gacy investigation.