The Case of John Butkovich

John Butkovich, 17, was murdered by John Wayne Gacy in July 1975. Butkovich worked for Gacy's construction company and disappeared with two friends after a dispute over unpaid wages. His remains were recovered from the crawl space beneath Gacy's home in 1978, helping investigators establish the connection between Gacy and the growing number of missing young men.

John Butkovich was 17 years old and worked for Gacy's construction business. He lived with his parents in the Chicago area. Butkovich had reportedly become frustrated with Gacy over unpaid wages. On July 31, 1975, he went to Gacy's home with two other young men to confront him about the dispute. The three young men were reportedly offered drinks by Gacy. The two others eventually left, but Butkovich remained behind. He disappeared that night.

The murder occurred at Gacy's home at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue. Gacy later confessed that he had killed Butkovich and disposed of his body beneath the house. When investigators excavated the property in December 1978, Butkovich's remains were among those recovered from the crawl space.

Butkovich's parents reported him missing after he failed to return home. His disappearance was investigated for several years. Because he had been involved in a dispute with Gacy shortly before disappearing, investigators eventually considered Gacy a possible suspect. The case remained unresolved until Gacy's arrest in December 1978. During the investigation of Gacy's home, police discovered numerous human remains buried beneath the property. Butkovich's remains were subsequently identified through dental records.

John Wayne Gacy was convicted of John Butkovich's murder as part of the prosecution's case involving 33 victims. Butkovich's remains were recovered from the crawl space beneath Gacy's home in 1978 and identified through forensic evidence. His murder became the second identified killing in Gacy's chronology.

John Butkovich was Gacy's second known victim, more than three years after Timothy McCoy. His disappearance was particularly significant because of the connection to Gacy's construction business and the dispute over unpaid wages immediately before his death.