The Case of Timothy David O'Rourke

Timothy David O'Rourke, 20, disappeared from Chicago in June 1978 during the final months of John Wayne Gacy's known murder spree. He was later identified as one of the young men buried beneath Gacy's Norwood Park Township home. His remains were recovered after Gacy's arrest in December 1978, when investigators uncovered the extensive burial site.

Timothy O'Rourke was 20 years old and lived in the Chicago area. He disappeared in June 1978, only months before Gacy's crimes were finally exposed. By this stage, Gacy had already murdered more than 20 young men and boys and had been using his home as a concealed burial site for years. O'Rourke's disappearance occurred during the final phase of Gacy's known offending. Although the exact date of his murder has not been established, investigators placed his death in June 1978. His disappearance remained unresolved until Gacy was arrested later that year.

O'Rourke was murdered by Gacy and his body was concealed beneath 8213 West Summerdale Avenue in Norwood Park Township. By 1978, the crawl space beneath Gacy's home contained the remains of numerous victims. Gacy had repeatedly used the property to conceal the bodies of young men he had murdered. O'Rourke's remains were eventually recovered during the excavation of the property following Gacy's arrest.

O'Rourke's disappearance was initially treated as an individual missing-person case. The investigation into Gacy began in December 1978 after 15-year-old Robert Piest disappeared from a Des Plaines pharmacy after speaking with Gacy. Police subsequently investigated Gacy and searched his home. Evidence found inside the property led investigators to the crawl space, where they discovered human remains. The discovery triggered a massive excavation of the property. As more bodies were recovered, investigators began comparing the remains against missing-person reports from Chicago and surrounding areas. O'Rourke was ultimately identified as one of the victims recovered from Gacy's home.

John Wayne Gacy was convicted of Timothy O'Rourke's murder in 1980, along with 32 other murders, and sentenced to death. O'Rourke's remains were recovered from Gacy's property during the December 1978 excavation and subsequently identified. Gacy was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on May 10, 1994.

Timothy O'Rourke was Victim 25 of 33 in our chronological CrimeTrakr sequence. His murder date is approximate. Investigators placed his death in June 1978, but an exact day has not been established. His case occurred during the final months of Gacy's known murders, shortly before the disappearance of Frank Landingin, James Mazzara, and finally Robert Piest, whose disappearance ultimately led to Gacy's exposure.