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Synopsis
John Wayne Gacy raped, tortured, and murdered 33 boys and young men, burying most of them in the crawlspace under his Chicago home. Karen Conti was in high school at the time watching the bodies being removed on the television news.
Fourteen years pass. Through a twist of fate, Conti, now a young and inexperienced attorney, is called upon to handle Gacy’s final death row appeals. The serial killer soon becomes her most famous, difficult, and haunting client.
Thirty years after Gacy’s execution, Conti looks back through the eyes of a seasoned professional on the legal and media circus that ensued—and her countless hours of detailed conversation with the killer clown. We hear for the first time about Gacy’s gruesome “Body Book.” Were there more victims? Conspirators involved in the murders? What secrets were buried with him?
If one were to ask Conti, “How could you represent such a monster?” she would respond, “What you really want to know is, ‘What was he like?’” This book answers that question.
Author Bio
As an aggressive and driven litigator and trial lawyer for 36 years, Karen has handled numerous high-profile and noteworthy cases across the country including a U.S. Supreme Court appeal and several well-known Chicago-area criminal cases including the death row appeals for serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Her experience spans almost all areas of law including criminal, appellate, family law, and business litigation. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and California. She is a certified mediator and collaborative lawyer. She has also served as a law professor for over 25 years at DePaul University and University of Illinois law schools. Karen is an avid athlete, having run marathons, taking second place in a state body building competition, and winning the “Most Fit Lawyer” competition in Chicago. She is a world traveler, voracious reader, handwriting analysis enthusiast, and news junky.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
