FORT WORTH, TX— Until the moment that John Wayne Gacy was put to death in Illinois in 1994, he denied the horrible crimes that the earth beneath his home revealed. Police pulled body after body out of the crawl space of his Chicago home. John Wayne Gacy murdered 33 boys and young men who were lured into his house and sexually assaulted before being killed.
After Gacy's arrest in 1978, eight of the victims discovered on his property where never identified, remaining "John Doe" for decades.
But, that may be about to change with the help of new technology that didn't exist at the time of the murders.
Scientists at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth are analyzing the remains to try and uncover the truth decades later about the identity of the victims.
"These remains go back 35 years and that is just too long for those families of the missing to wake up and not know what happened," co-director of the center, Arthur Eisenberg, said.
Dr. Eisenberg says his team at the UNT Health Science Center has been successful in pulling DNA samples, even more complete profiles from the skeletal remains of the Gacy victims. But, he says to put a name to the remains will take a living match.
"We can get DNA from each and every one of these bones, but unless we have something to compare it to, we won't be able to make the identification."
Investigators in Chicago have set up a hotline to log calls from families who have missing relatives.
All of this isn't a new challenge for the UNT lab. In the past, scientists have worked to identify victims of other serial killers, like the Green River Killer. More recently, the lab began collecting DNA samples from prostitutes, who are at a high risk of being victimized by serial killers. If a woman goes missing, the sample may help authorities identify her and give her family answers.
That is what Eisenberg hopes for the victims of Gacy.
"Hopefully, someday these families will get the answers that they have waited for," Eisenberg said.
Copyright © 2011, KDAF-TV
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After Gacy's arrest in 1978, eight of the victims discovered on his property where never identified, remaining "John Doe" for decades.
But, that may be about to change with the help of new technology that didn't exist at the time of the murders.
Scientists at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth are analyzing the remains to try and uncover the truth decades later about the identity of the victims.
"These remains go back 35 years and that is just too long for those families of the missing to wake up and not know what happened," co-director of the center, Arthur Eisenberg, said.
Dr. Eisenberg says his team at the UNT Health Science Center has been successful in pulling DNA samples, even more complete profiles from the skeletal remains of the Gacy victims. But, he says to put a name to the remains will take a living match.
"We can get DNA from each and every one of these bones, but unless we have something to compare it to, we won't be able to make the identification."
Investigators in Chicago have set up a hotline to log calls from families who have missing relatives.
All of this isn't a new challenge for the UNT lab. In the past, scientists have worked to identify victims of other serial killers, like the Green River Killer. More recently, the lab began collecting DNA samples from prostitutes, who are at a high risk of being victimized by serial killers. If a woman goes missing, the sample may help authorities identify her and give her family answers.
That is what Eisenberg hopes for the victims of Gacy.
"Hopefully, someday these families will get the answers that they have waited for," Eisenberg said.
Copyright © 2011, KDAF-TV
kdaf-north-texas-scientists-use-dna-of-gacy-victims-story
Comments 0Share119
« Previous Story More The CW33 News | The CW33 | Dallas / Fort Worth Next Story » More than one in 10 Americans use antidepressants Fans Have Mixed Reactions About World Series Game Postponement
Comments (0)Add comments | Discussion FAQ
Currently there are no comments. Be the first to comment!
DON'T MISS...
Tony Romo and Candice Crawford are Pregnant
Courtney Stodden & Her "Daisy Dukes" Get Kicked Out Of Pumpkin Patch
Spending on pets on the increase, despite recession worries
Flag Bikinis From Around The World
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Snapped at the right moment
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