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5 ways AI should be fixing travel planning right nowEXCLUSIVE Haunting diary entries reveal the heartbreaking truth about John Wayne Gacy's forgotten victims READ MORE: Killer clown was a 'narcissist' with 'no conscience', expert says By RUTH WALKER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 12:12 GMT, 30 November 2024 | Updated: 12:12 GMT, 30 November 2024 e-mail View comments The phone rings in Kim Byers’ kitchen. It’s 7.30am on May 10, 1994, and she’s making breakfast for the family before school - a regular busy Tuesday morning. But today is not like other days. Today, Kim's father is calling to give her the news she’s been waiting 14 years to hear. ‘He’s gone,' her dad says. 'Gacy’s dead.’ Kim was just 16 when John Wayne Gacy lured her friend Rob Piest from the Illinois pharmacy where they both worked, before murdering him, then dumping him in the Des Plaines River. Kim was the last person to see Rob alive and, aged just 17, was a key witness in the case against Gacy She was the last person to see Rob, 15, alive, and the evidence Kim provided, as key witness at his trial, was enough to secure the death penalty. The notorious serial killer spent 14 years on Death Row. When, finally, he was dead, it felt like the closing of a huge book. Kim turned her back to the living room where her daughters were watching Sesame Street, and melted to the floor, sobbing quietly: ‘He’s gone.’ ‘Why are you crying, Mommy?’ Little Courtney had wandered from her spot in front of the TV and crawled on to her lap, and was now dabbing at her mom's tears. Courtney Lund O'Neil remembers the moment clearly, as Kim repeated a lesson that was drilled into her for as long as she could remember: this world is not safe; danger lurks around every corner. ‘In life, always be careful,' she told her daughter. 'There are bad men out there. If a man pulls up in a van and offers you a ride or a popsicle or to see his puppies, you do not go. Never go. If he takes you anyway, you fight. You scream. You never give up. If he says he will kill your parents if you scream out, scream.’ Gacy raped, tortured, and killed at least 33 young men , burying many of them underneath his ranch-style house in Norwood Park township, near Chicago. Rob Piest was just 15 when he was lured to his death by John Wayne Gacy The film receipt from Nisson Pharmacy placed Rob at Gacy's house, and helped convict the killer Gacy's grinning mugshot - he was found guilty of murdering 33 boys and young men Kim’s proximity to the case - she had accidentally bumped up against Gacy in the pharmacy, looked into his dark eyes before he drove her friend to his death - changed her forever. In her new book, Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders , Courtney says: ‘What haunts my mother will also come to haunt me.’ As she grew up, she was increasingly curious about her mom’s remarkable link to this case that made headlines around the world: the ‘Killer Clown’ who would regularly dress as ‘Pogo’ at local parties, and gained infamy for his sinister clown paintings. So, when Courtney herself became a mother, Kim presented her with the diaries she wrote as a teenager and young woman. ‘I read it and was changed,’ she writes. ‘When I think about the mothers, I think about my own motherhood. All the unknowns, both beautiful and painful, I’m yet to hold... I wonder how any of the parents survived the experience of losing a son. I don’t know how anyone truly could.’ The day after Rob disappeared, Kim wrote in her diary: 'He never came back to the store and he never went home. Rob would never run away, he had no reason to' 'I can just imagine Rob lying out in some empty forest — alive but unable to move — crying for help with no one answering him' Kim wanted to know about her mom’s remarkable link to this case that made headlines around the world: the ‘Killer Clown’ who would regularly dress as ‘Pogo’ at local parties When Gacy finally gave a statement to police, he denied even talking to Rob The diary entries - while irregularly written - reveal in haunting detail a teenage Kim's innermost thoughts and fears, starting the day after her friend's disappearance December 12, 1978 'Today was an absolutely miserable day. It started out good. I got up at 9.00 and took a bath. Then I got a phone call from a youth officer — he [Rob] never came back to the store and he never went home. Rob would never run away, he had no reason to. And this guy Gacy claims he never talked to Rob. I can’t believe Rob would have lied to us. But someone is obviously lying. 'I held my cool for the whole day. But right before we were supposed to leave for the meet — I was talking to Mr Tanner (school counselor) and I just started crying. I feel so scared, worried and helpless. I can just imagine Rob lying out in some empty forest — alive but unable to move — crying for help with no one answering him. It is just not fair — Rob never did anything wrong to anyone. 'I pray he has just run off somewhere and is at least safe! Kerry will call me and let me know any new news. I can’t talk about it anymore — my heart is being ripped apart. By the way we lost our meet.' Read More EXCLUSIVE Nancy Grace reveals new evidence in Ellen Greenberg 'suicide' case December 13, 1978 'Well, no word about Rob yet. I feel worse and worse as time goes on. It’s the not knowing that’s ripping me apart. I called Ken [Rob's brother] at 2.30. He said they have Gacy under surveillance. Tailed him and then lost him after 2 blocks — I could do better than that. I had a really morbid dream last night — (had it twice). We found Rob in a trunk of a beat-up old gold car. Any significance?????' Early that morning, Gacy had reluctantly given a statement to the police. Unaware that Kim had seen him talking with Rob, he denied he'd had anything to do with him. Strangely, he was covered in thick mud - which cops would eventually learn was a result of pushing his car out of sludge near the river after dumping Rob's body. Kim didn't know any of this at the time, of course, but perhaps her dream did have some significance after all? The next day, she went to school as usual, but was chilled to learn of her growing role in the case against the prime suspect. Cops had obtained a search warrant for Gacy's house, and placed an officer outside the Byers' home as protection. 'If she witnessed what she said she witnessed, she could be in danger,' writes Courtney. 'Someone working with Gacy could potentially cause her harm. Come after her.' December 14, 1978 'Well, still no sign of Rob... I was still depressed. Cried twice... They (police) have a theory! I hope they find him soon. Also, they put the case up to the Grand Jury — he says I’m the key witness. I’m scared, say they come after me?!! Yuck.' The moment cops entered Gacy's house, the were hit with the smell of decay. They left that first search with no body, but with enough evidence to ensure Gacy remained in their sights. 'Authorities found creepy oddities: the strange Tiki-style bar, the gallery wall of clown paintings, a hallway that looked like it was out of a haunted house, with bizarre yellow and brown zigzag lines on the walls, and then, a trap door that accessed a crawl space,' writes Courtney. Kim’s (left) proximity to the case changed her forever. Her daughter Courtney (right) was similarly haunted by the murders 'Still no sign of Rob,' Kim wrote in her diary. 'I was still depressed. Cried twice... They (police) have a theory! I hope they find him soon' Gacy covers his face as he's led into the courtroom in December 1978 As police searched below his house, they recovered the bodies of 29 boys and young men 'They found startling mementos — a Maine West High School class ring; a 6mm pistol; handcuffs and keys; an identification card that was not Gacy’s. A film receipt.' That film receipt was from Nisson Pharmacy, with the serial number 36119. Kim had put it in the pocket of Rob's blue puffer jacket when she borrowed it on the day he went missing. December 18, 1978 'Mondays, yuck. Got up, took a shower, Mom took me to school. Was called into the office to speak with Mr Adams [the youth officer assigned to the case] and another detective. They found a pendant — I can’t remember if Rob had one on. I wish Rob would show up. I have a strange feeling something will happen tomorrow — call it women’s intuition — But first of all, the film stub I put in Rob’s coat pocket Monday is number 36119, the 19th (the film is not back yet) is tomorrow.' December 19, 1978 'Well, I guess my hunches were right. I came home after school to get something to eat before I went shopping, The phone rang. They asked me questions about the film slip. My guess is that they found it. Will pray for Rob.' The receipt proved Rob was at Gacy's house - and was enough to justify a second search warrant. With Gacy under arrest for weed possession, police descended on the property - focusing their attention on that eerie crawl space that smelled of death. December 22, 1978 'Mom came in and told me they found lots of bodies in Gacy’s house — and he is now leading them on a search for Rob’s... Gacy has confessed to 20 murders. They have not yet found Rob’s body. He said he dumped it into the Des Plaines River over the Kankakee Bridge — that’s far and wide. What sent them back for the 2nd search of the house was my film slip. They found it in Gacy’s garbage can — and did not realize that it came from Rob.' Christmas came and went, but there was little to celebrate. By December 28, the body count had hit 21 at Gacy’s house, and there were still more places to search. Rob was not recovered until the river started to unfreeze in the spring. As bluebells emerged from the hard ground along the bank of the Des Plaines River, a crane operator spotted a body floating by Dresden Lock. April 9, 1979 'They found Rob today — in Morris where the Des Plaines River meets the Illinois... Autopsy will be tomorrow (Tues). Dental something will be Thursday. Funeral is not planned yet but will be soon. Will stay home part of the day tomorrow. I need some time for myself.' The following year, Gacy stood trial for the murder of 33 young men and boys. His youngest victims were 14, the eldest just 21. As expected, Kim was a key witness. As she stood in the courtroom, willing the man who had cold-bloodedly raped and murdered her friend, to meet her eyes, Gacy refused to look up. 'Kim thought he was a coward for not looking.' On March 12, 1980, it took a jury less than two hours to find him guilty. He was sentenced to death, but remained on Death Row for 14 years. 'Just as an earthquake destroys a town or city or small country,' writes Courtney, 'murder has an epicenter, where and when the devastation took place, and its aftershocks reverberate. 'With murder, the aftershocks don’t ever go away. Over the next decade, American media — tabloids, YouTubers, streaming services, sensational cable television, literature, film, documentaries — would aid in making Gacy a cult killer. 'The victims’ stories surfaced rarely; those whose lives were forever altered by the murders; the mothers and fathers who mourned; the ones who loved the young men Gacy killed for his pleasure. For decades, these “other” stories became buried by the buzz and loudness of Gacy — still so very alive, even after his final breath.' After multiple appeals, he was eventually executed by lethal injection early on May 10, 1994. 'Gacy, now in his fifties, and no longer the thirtysomething-year-old murderer posing as an ambitious businessman, was set to be executed after midnight,' writes Courtney. 'In his final hours he didn’t seem worried; he still proclaimed his innocence; and he also talked about the Chicago Cubs to the guards. His last meal was fried shrimp, fried chicken, French fries, and strawberries.' Outside demonstrators sang the song by Steam, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, while others chanted 'Strap down the clown!' 'Gacy was first injected with sodium thiopental, which put him to sleep,' writes Courtney. Some of Gacy's victims. As of 2023, five or six of the young men he murdered are still unidentified 'But an error occurred: a clog in the IV line delayed the second injection. Gacy lay there, about to enter the in between, while technicians prepared his execution. 'About ten to 20 minutes later, the clog was cleared and the second drug, pancuronium bromide, entered Gacy’s bloodstream. 'The third and final drug, potassium chloride, stopped the beating of Gacy’s heart. In the first hour of May 10, 1994, at 12.58am, the monster was dead.' For Kim, her overwhelming sense was one of relief. 'Finally, that guy is dead.' But for other families, there would be no peace. At the time of his death, eight of Gacy's victims remained unidentified. As DNA technology advanced, authorities reopened the case and, on November 29, 2011, the first unknown victim was given a name: William George Bundy, a 19-year-old diver and gymnast. 'Some victims are still unnamed,' writes Courtney. 'The most recent one identified was Francis Wayne Alexander in 2021. In 2023, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, five remain unidentified, after being buried on June 12, 1981. 'However, as of 2023, there is still current debate around Michael Marino’s identification as Victim No 14. According to his mother, still living, there was not a positive DNA match after his body was exhumed. So perhaps that number is six. 'Either way, those mothers lived most of their lives without ever knowing what happened to their children.' Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders by Courtney Lund O'Neil is published by Citadel on December 24 Illinois Share or comment on this article: Haunting diary entries reveal the heartbreaking truth about John Wayne Gacy's forgotten victims e-mail Add comment

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CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final. The Galaxy were one of MLS' worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. "Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it's great," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it's a special moment. Couldn't be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game." Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy, who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus, archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. "We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean," Schwarz said Friday. "To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it's necessary, because it's a final, and without pressure it's not possible to bring the best quality on the field." The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they've collected three Supporters' Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy's trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. "I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit," Vanney said. "It's one thing to have players you like, and it's a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group." Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle. The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. "He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him," Schwarz said. "But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it's not clear now how they're playing without him." The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Singh was one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers and he was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister. He had been admitted to a hospital in the capital Delhi after his health condition deteriorated, reports say. Among those who paid tribute to Singh on Thursday were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wrote on social media that “India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders”. Modi said that Singh’s “wisdom and humility were always visible” during their interactions and that he had “made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives” during his time as prime minister. Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and a Congress party member, said that Singh was “genuinely egalitarian, wise, strong-willed and courageous until the end”. Her brother Rahul, who leads Congress, said he had “lost a mentor and guide”. Singh was the first Indian leader since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after serving a full first term, and the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post. He made a public apology in parliament for the 1984 riots in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed. But his second term in office was marred by a string of corruption allegations that dogged his administration. The scandals, many say, were partially responsible for his Congress party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 general election. Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in a desolate village in the Punjab province of undivided India, which lacked both water and electricity. After attending Panjab University he took a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge and then a DPhil at Oxford. While studying at Cambridge, the lack of funds bothered Singh, his daughter, Daman Singh, wrote in a book on her parents. “His tuition and living expenses came to about £600 a year. The Panjab University scholarship gave him about £160. For the rest he had to depend on his father. Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidised meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence.” Daman Singh remembered her father as “completely helpless about the house and could neither boil an egg, nor switch on the television”. Singh rose to political prominence as India’s finance minister in 1991, taking over as the country was plunging into bankruptcy. His unexpected appointment capped a long and illustrious career as an academic and civil servant – he served as an economic adviser to the government, and became the governor of India’s central bank. In his maiden speech as finance minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo, saying that “no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come”. That served as a launchpad for an ambitious and unprecedented economic reform programme: he cut taxes, devalued the rupee, privatised state-run companies and encouraged foreign investment. The economy revived, industry picked up, inflation was checked and growth rates remained consistently high in the 1990s. Manmohan Singh was a man acutely aware of his lack of a political base. “It is nice to be a statesman, but in order to be a statesman in a democracy you first have to win elections,” he once said. When he tried to win election to India’s lower house in 1999, he was defeated. He sat instead in the upper house, chosen by his own Congress party. The same happened in 2004, when Singh was first appointed prime minister after Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned down the post – apparently to protect the party from damaging attacks over her Italian origins. Critics however alleged that Sonia Gandhi was the real source of power while he was prime minister, and that he was never truly in charge. The biggest triumph during his first five-year term was to bring India out of nuclear isolation by signing a landmark deal securing access to American nuclear technology. But the deal came at a price – the government’s Communist allies withdrew support after protesting against it, and Congress had to make up lost numbers by enlisting the support of another party amid charges of vote-buying. A consensus builder, Singh presided over a coalition of sometimes difficult, assertive and potentially unruly regional coalition allies and supporters. Although he earned respect for his integrity and intelligence, he also had a reputation for being soft and indecisive. Some critics claimed that the pace of reform slowed and he failed to achieve the same momentum he had while finance minister. (BBC News) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.TikTok is inching closer to a potential ban in the US. So what's next?