Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy 

A Peacock Screening & Panel Discussion

On Wednesday, October 15, Peacock premiered its new true crime original series, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, at the McCourt School of Public Policy. The highly anticipated series peels back the twisted layers of Gacy’s life while weaving in heartrending stories of his victims; highlighting the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities, and societal prejudices that enabled Gacy’s reign of terror. 

Following the screening, a panel explored how, across the 33 murders uncovered in the series, the victims, many of whom were members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups, were systemically failed and mistreated by the justice system. Moderated by Andrea M. Headley, associate professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy and faculty director of the Evidence for Justice Lab, the panel included Patrick Macmanus, executive producer, showrunner, and series creator; Ioli Filmeridis, head of pro-social, Littleton Road Philanthropy. 

Rejecting Hollywood’s typical trend of glorifying or sensationalizing violence, the series instead focuses on the victims, their families, and law enforcement rather than on Gacy himself. Executive Producer Patrick Macmanus emphasized, “We are never going to show him in a clown costume. We will never show a murder on screen.” Throughout the series, the victims experience dismissive treatment, exclusions, and delays in the entirety of the case, as a result of prejudice. As Loli Filmeridis, head of pro-social at Littleton Road Philanthropy, notes, several biases enabled Gacy’s crimes to continue unchecked, including those related to masculinity, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation. As Macmanus stressed, “Prejustice leads to a degradation of our systems… to violence.”

Macmanus described the show as a call to action, aiming to motivate viewers to confront systemic injustice, stating how in modern society, “TV can be a motivator for change… if that can begin to change conversations, then that’s a positive.” The discussion also acknowledged ongoing efforts to identify Gacy’s remaining 6 victims, including a Chicago hotline that continues to seek information. 

This discussion underscored the importance of focusing on the victims’ stories, examining institutional failings, and confronting the societal injustices that continue to perpetuate violence. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is now available for streaming on Peacock TV.