When people think about John Wayne Gacy, the image that usually pops up is that terrifying, grease-painted face of Pogo the Clown. It’s the stuff of literal nightmares. But behind the 33 murders and the horrific crawl space at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue, there was a man who, for a long time, looked like the ultimate suburban success story.
Honestly, the most chilling part isn't the clown suit; it’s how "normal" he appeared to his neighbors in Norwood Park. He was a guy who threw massive block parties, knew the local politicians, and ran a successful construction business. Naturally, this leads to the big question: was john wayne gacy married while he was out there living this double life?
The short answer is yes. Twice, actually.
Gacy wasn't just some loner hiding in the shadows. He was a husband and a father. He spent years trying to build a traditional "white picket fence" existence, partly to please his abusive father and partly to hide the growing darkness inside him.
The Iowa Years: Marlynn Myers and the KFC Connection
Gacy’s first crack at domestic bliss started in 1964. He married a woman named Marlynn Myers. For a while, it seemed like he’d made it.
The couple moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where Marlynn’s father owned several Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. Gacy didn't just work there; he managed them. He was good at it, too. He joined the Jaycees, became a local "Man of the Year," and by all accounts, was a rising star in the community.
During this marriage, Gacy became a father to two children—a son and a daughter. He later claimed this was the only time in his life he felt he had truly earned his father's respect.
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But the "perfect" life was a thin veneer. In 1968, the mask slipped. Gacy was arrested for sexually assaulting a teenage boy and sentenced to ten years in prison. Marlynn didn't wait around. She filed for divorce while he was behind bars, and the split was finalized in 1969. She took the kids, moved away, and Gacy never saw them again.
He lost everything in Iowa. The family, the business, the reputation. But instead of changing, he just moved back to Chicago to start the cycle all over again.
The Second Marriage: Carole Hoff and the House of Horrors
After being paroled early in 1970, Gacy moved in with his mother. But he didn't stay "single" for long. By 1972, he had married again. This time it was to Carole Hoff, a woman he had briefly known back in high school.
This is where the story gets really weird.
Carole moved into Gacy’s ranch-style home on Summerdale Avenue with her two daughters from a previous marriage. On the surface, they were the quintessential 1970s family. Gacy was the "friendly neighbor" who plowed everyone’s driveways for free.
But Carole started noticing things.
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- The Smell: This is the detail everyone remembers. A rotting, putrid stench began wafting up from the crawl space. Gacy told her it was a sewage backup or "dead rats." He even had her help him spread lime and concrete under the house to "fix" the moisture problem.
- The Evidence: Carole eventually found gay pornography in the house. She found wallets and IDs belonging to young men who didn't live there.
- The Schedule: Gacy would disappear for hours at night, returning at 3:00 AM with excuses about "emergency construction jobs."
Basically, the marriage was a mess long before the police showed up. Gacy eventually told Carole he was bisexual and essentially stopped having a physical relationship with her entirely.
They divorced in 1976.
It’s a disturbing thought: Gacy committed his first known murder (Timothy McCoy) on the very night he bought the house, shortly before marrying Carole. This means she lived in that home for years while bodies were literally being buried beneath her feet.
Did the Wives Know?
This is the question that haunts true crime fans. How could you live with a serial killer and not know?
The truth is usually more about "denial" than "complicity." Carole Hoff testified at Gacy's trial, describing him as a "warm and gentle" lover at first, but someone who became increasingly erratic and cold. When she confronted him about the young men's IDs or the late-night disappearances, he would blow up at her, telling her it was "none of her business."
She knew he was living a secret life, but there's no evidence she knew that secret life involved murder. She thought he was cheating or struggling with his sexuality—not strangling people.
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Why This Matters Today
Understanding that John Wayne Gacy was married helps us understand how these predators operate. They don't always look like monsters. Sometimes they look like the guy who brings the potato salad to the neighborhood BBQ.
Gacy used his "family man" image as a shield. It made him look trustworthy. If you’re a parent in the 70s, are you going to be suspicious of the married business owner who belongs to the Jaycees? Probably not.
Actionable Takeaways for True Crime Research
If you’re digging deeper into the Gacy case or similar "hidden in plain sight" killers, here’s how to approach the research:
- Look for the "Mask of Sanity": Study how Gacy used civic organizations (like the Jaycees) to build credibility. This is a common trait in high-functioning sociopaths.
- Analyze the Timelines: Notice the gap between his 1976 divorce and his 1978 arrest. Without the "restraint" of a wife in the house, Gacy’s killing spree actually accelerated.
- Cross-Reference Trial Testimonies: If you want the real story, look for Carole Hoff’s court statements from 1980. They provide a much more nuanced view of Gacy’s daily behavior than the "Killer Clown" documentaries usually show.
Gacy’s marriages weren't just footnotes in his life. They were the primary tools he used to hide his crimes for nearly a decade.
He was a husband, a stepfather, and a "pillar of the community." And that is exactly why he was able to kill for so long without anyone suspecting the truth.
To further understand the psychology of how Gacy maintained this facade, research the "Social Control Theory" in criminology, which often uses Gacy’s life as a case study for what happens when a person's social bonds—like marriage—completely dissolve.