John Wayne Gacy
Defending a Monster
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4.1 • 47 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
"Sam, could you do me a favor?" Thus begins a story that has now become part of America’s true crime hall of fame. It is a gory, grotesque tale befitting a Stephen King novel. It is also a David and Goliath saga—the story of a young lawyer fresh from the Public Defender’s Office whose first client in private practice turns out to be the worst serial killer in our nation’s history.
Sam Amirante had just opened his first law practice when he got a phone call from his friend John Wayne Gacy, a well-known and well-liked community figure. Gacy was upset about what he called “police harassment” and asked Amirante for help. With the police following his every move in connection with the disappearance of a local teenager, Gacy eventually gives a drunken, dramatic, early morning confession—to his new lawyer. Gacy is eventually charged with murder and Amirante suddenly becomes the defense attorney for one of American’s most disturbing serial killers. It is his first case. This is a gripping narrative that reenacts the gruesome killings and the famous trial that shocked a nation.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
How do you defend a madman accused of killing 30 young men and teenagers? That is the powerful theme of this book by a retired judge and criminal attorney whose first case was defending John Wayne Gacy, a popular community figure who began a deranged killing spree in Illinois in the 1970s. Amirante, who sat on the bench of the Cook County Circuit Court until his retirement in 2005, and Broderick, a lawyer, chronicle the case from the first call from Gacy asking for help to the police grillings and searches of the Gacy home and uncovering of hundreds of human bones in a crawl space in Gacy's home. What emerges is a deep probing into Gacy's mind as it unraveled into a "detached, disconnected" madness wrapped in a maze of sexual confusion and murderous intent. "His brain was profoundly broken," writes Amirante, displaying a remarkable ability to empathize with his client. Gacy's confession, as recounted here, is astonishing. Despite Amirante's hearty defense, Gacy got a death sentence (he was executed in 1994) and his account will illuminate the case for anyone fascinated by the inner workings of a serial killer. 50 b&w illus.
Customer Reviews
John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster
I enjoyed this book although it was more than a bit repetitious. The repetitious parts were mostly about how literally insane Mr. Gacy was & about the importance the observance of the US Constitution is to each of us. Something worth repeating, IMO, for the average citizen. I finished it end to end nevertheless.
As a lawyer I learned something from it, but I was also frustrated with things that I know don’t/can’t happen in court. It’s a bit of an inside story from the POV of his counsel. I stopped finishing a book about Ted Bundy when I bought this book & didn’t read anything else until I finished it. I hope that you enjoy it also.
Too sensationalized and filled with corny, superfluous details
I was unable to finish this book. The writing is just absolutely abysmal. The writer is trying to do this as if he’s a Stephen King wannabe, and his storytelling abilities—or lack thereof—get in his way. Another reviewer said he was repetitive: that’s an understatement! The author creates scenes and dialogue in great detail that he was not there to witness. The dialogue is poorly written and on the nose, as well. So much of this book and the “engrossing story” feels like fluff. Just stick to the facts! The dialogue and descriptions just keep going on an on and on and on in some fruitless attempt to paint a picture, but he overdoes it. I appreciate the attempt to bring a greater sense of realism to the reader, but it feels like it is overdone, not to mention the tone is quite sensationalized. Guy murdered 33 people and you defended him in court, you don’t need to work extra to grasp the audience, they know what they’re in for.