John Antheney Mowery, a 19-year-old male from Chicago, Illinois, tragically lost his life on September 25, 1977. Having recently completed 18 months of service with the Marines, he returned home earlier that year. On the evening of his disappearance, he informed his family that he was heading out for the night. That was the last time he was seen alive.
His girlfriend later reported that he had called her, mentioning an accident, but he never returned to his apartment.
Mowery's remains were discovered buried beneath the crawl space of John Wayne Gacy's residence. Gacy, a notorious serial killer and sex offender, was responsible for the rape, torture, and murder of at least 33 young men and boys between 1962 and 1977. Mowery was identified as 'Body #20' among Gacy's victims. His identity was confirmed through dental records on January 27, 1979.
Gacy, known as 'The Killer Clown' due to his public performances as a clown before his crimes were uncovered, was one of the most prolific serial murderers in Chicago history. His conviction for 33 murders set a record for the highest number of homicides committed by a single individual in U.S. legal history. He was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection at Statesville Correctional Center on May 10, 1994.
Mowery's case was part of the broader investigation into Gacy's crimes, which led to his arrest and conviction. The discovery of multiple bodies beneath Gacy's home shocked the nation and remains one of the most infamous serial murder cases in American history.
