Peacock’s new scripted true crime series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy has quickly become popular among subscribers, with many praising the show as one of the more accurate and tastefully-made serial killer dramas.
The opening two episodes of the show, which skip ahead to the serial killer’s capture and confession, have garnered attention. At one point in Episode 2, Gacy, who is played by actor Michael Chernus, mentions that another guy named Jack Hanley was the one who killed his victims and the detectives ask if he had an accomplice.
So, what’s the truth? Did the real-life Gacy have an accomplice? Not exactly.
Keep reading to find out more…
“Jack Hanley” is the name of Gacy‘s darker alter ego. He would refer to Jack as the one who actually committed the murders. In the series, Gacy claims he only buried the bodies after.
In Peacock’s previous Gacy documentary, it was noted that, in addition to Jack, he would refer to men named “Michael Rossi” and “David Cram,” whom he said were “involved in the murders and helped him dig up the crawl space,” per The Wrap.
His assertions “made investigators believe Gacy was attempting to use the insanity defense to claim he had multiple personality disorder. One survivor once testified that there had been a third man in the house while he was being tortured, but no other person was ever convicted in Gacy’s crimes.”
Michael Chernus has a line in the new show where he says there are four guys, “John the Contractor. John the Politician. John the Clown. Then there’s the other guy,” referring to Jack, “Jack does evil things.”
So, in short, there is no Jack Hanley, at least none that investigators ever found.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is now streaming on Peacock, as is the docuseries John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise.