The Case of David Paul Talsma

David Paul Talsma, 19, was a U.S. Marine who disappeared from Chicago on December 9, 1977, after telling his mother he was going to a rock concert in Hammond, Indiana. He never returned home. His remains were later recovered from the crawl space beneath John Wayne Gacy's home and identified through forensic evidence.

David Talsma was 19 years old and serving in the United States Marine Corps. He lived in the Chicago area and was the son of a family who would spend years searching for answers following his disappearance. On December 9, 1977, David told his mother that he was going to attend a rock concert in Hammond, Indiana. He left home but never returned. His disappearance occurred only three weeks after Tommy Boling disappeared and during one of the most concentrated periods of Gacy's known murders. David's family had no reason to believe that he had become the victim of a serial killer. At the time, Gacy's crimes remained concealed, and the disappearances of young men across the Chicago area had not been connected.

David was murdered by Gacy and buried beneath 8213 West Summerdale Avenue in Norwood Park Township. His remains were discovered during the extensive excavation of Gacy's property following the disappearance of Robert Piest in December 1978. David was designated Body No. 17 during the investigation. He was found with a ligature around his neck, consistent with the manner of killing investigators attributed to Gacy. His remains were located in the crawl space close to those of John Mowery.

David's disappearance remained unresolved for almost two years. The investigation into Gacy began after 15-year-old Robert Piest disappeared on December 11, 1978. Piest had been seen speaking with Gacy shortly before disappearing, leading police to investigate Gacy and search his home. The search uncovered human remains beneath the property. Investigators then undertook a massive excavation of the house and crawl space, ultimately recovering the remains of numerous young men and boys. David's remains were identified through forensic comparison, including radiological evidence. His identification was formally established on November 16, 1979, more than a year after his remains were recovered. The identification finally established what had happened to the young Marine who had disappeared after telling his mother he was going to a concert.

John Wayne Gacy was convicted of David Talsma's murder in 1980, along with 32 other murders, and sentenced to death. David's remains were recovered from Gacy's home in December 1978 and identified in November 1979. Gacy was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on May 10, 1994.

David Talsma was Victim 23 of 33 in our chronological CrimeTrakr sequence. His murder occurred only 21 days after Tommy Boling's, continuing the exceptionally concentrated series of killings during late 1977. The sequence at this point was: Robert Winch: November 10, 1977 Tommy Boling: November 18, 1977 David Talsma: December 9, 1977