He was once a normal, happy child, but violent, drunken abuse from his father sends John Wayne Gacy down a dark and sinister path.

Gacy continues to cruise for victims on the streets of Chicago. He brings them home, then tortures, and kills them with what he calls “tricks.” Restraining boys and strangling them with rope, he fills the crawlspace under his home with bodies.

One of Gacy’s victims, Jeffery Rignall, has survived and tracked him down. Going to police, Rignall tries to bring Gacy to justice, but his polished public persona, including clown performances for young children, fools everyone.

Detective Joe Kozenczak secures a warrant to search Gacy’s home and finds an array of items linked to young boys, but the boy he’s searching for isn’t there. Kozenczak orders 24-hour surveillance while continuing to dig for details on Gacy.