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The murder of Rick Johnston occurred just one day after James Haakenson, marking another escalation in the frequency of John Wayne Gacy’s killings. This case highlights how quickly Gacy could repeat his process, demonstrating that his crimes were no longer spaced out by circumstance—they were driven by opportunity and compulsion. By this stage, Gacy had reached a level of operational confidence where he could kill in rapid succession without fear of detection, reinforcing his belief that he was untouchable.
Gacy encountered Johnston and persuaded him to return to his residence, likely using the same methods he had refined—offering employment or financial opportunity. Once inside, Johnston was restrained using the “handcuff trick,” which had become Gacy’s primary method of gaining control. The simplicity and effectiveness of this approach allowed Gacy to immobilize victims quickly. After restraining him, Gacy assaulted and murdered Johnston, most likely through strangulation. The method remained consistent with previous killings, reflecting the complete normalization of his process. Following the murder, Johnston’s body was buried in the crawl space beneath the house. Despite the increasing number of bodies already concealed there, Gacy continued to rely on the same disposal method.
Johnston’s disappearance did not lead to any immediate investigative breakthroughs. There were no witnesses linking him to Gacy, and no physical evidence pointing to a suspect. The lack of communication between cases involving missing teenagers allowed Gacy’s pattern to remain undetected.