An actor has opened up about his encounter with serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and how he survived a brutal attack.
John Wayne Gacy, also known as the Killer Clown or Pogo the Clown, was one of the most infamous serial killers in American history.
Born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, Gacy was responsible for the deaths of at least 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978.
Gacy’s murder spree primarily targeted teenage boys and young men, most of whom he lured to his home with promises of work or money in exchange for participation in what he described as "scientific research."
Once in his home, Gacy would handcuff his victims, often under the guise of performing a "trick," and then subject them to brutal torture, sexual assault, and eventually, murder, per Biography.com.
The investigation into Gacy began after the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest in December 1978.
Piest had told a co-worker that he was going to meet Gacy about a potential job, but he was never seen again.
This led police to Gacy’s home, where a search warrant was eventually issued.
Initially, no bodies were found, but when officers noticed a foul odor coming from the crawl space beneath his home, they returned with another warrant and Gacy was subsequently arrested.
During Gacy's killing spree, actor Jack Merrill came face to face with him and was abducted in 1978.
For many years Merrill attempted to put the ordeal behind him after he suffered rape and torture at Gacy's ranch house on the outskirts of Chicago.
The actor has now sat down with PEOPLE and told his story.
One night, a seemingly innocent offer of a ride home turned into a nightmare when he was abducted by Gacy, who drugged him and took him to his home.
The events that followed were terrifying.
In the car, Gacy offered the then-19-year-old amyl nitrate - commonly known as 'poppers' - and shoved a rag covered in the contents of the bottle into Merrill's face.
The drug caused him to pass out, and when he awoke, Merrill realized he'd been handcuffed, before the pair pulled up to Gacy's house.
In his own words, Merrill said: "We had beer, and he had this strong pot, and then he put the handcuffs back on and dragged me down the hall.
"He put this homemade contraption around my neck. It had ropes and pulleys, and it went around my back and through my handcuffed hands in a way that if I struggled, I would choke. I did at one point and started to lose air.
"He stuck a gun in my mouth. Then he raped me in the bedroom. I knew if I fought him, I didn’t have much of a chance."
Eventually, Gacy released him around 5:00AM, but not before giving him his phone number while saying: "Maybe we’ll get together again sometime.":
Months later, when he saw news reports about bodies being discovered at Gacy's home, he realized just how close he had come to becoming one of his many victims.
He contacted the Chicago Sun-Times to report the assault but hesitated to give his name, conscious of his father’s association with the newspaper where he worked as a baseball writer.
Ultimately, he decided not to pursue further action, though he later grappled with the lingering effects of his experience.
In the years that followed he realized that letting go of his anger and fear was key to moving forward.
Despite the progress he made, reminders of Gacy’s infamy still surface. He recalled an unsettling experience at a Halloween event where a banner referenced Gacy, turning his trauma into a spectacle.
Such instances remind him of the lasting impact of that terrifying night, but he has chosen to avoid films or shows that sensationalize violence.
Today, he finds happiness in her personal life. He has been married for 23 years and shares his home with his husband, as well as a rescue dog and a hairless cat.
Reflecting on his journey, he believes that trauma is relative as everyone has their own struggles to overcome.
Merrill acknowledges that many survivors of rape and violence remain silent, but he feels empowered to speak out now, especially through his new show, The Save, which brings his story to life on stage.
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