Actor Jack Merrill Opens Up About Surviving John Wayne Gacy's Brutal Attack

Actor Jack Merrill, known for his minor roles in shows like Law & Order and Grey’s Anatomy, has shared his harrowing experience of being abducted and raped by serial killer John Wayne Gacy in 1978. Merrill was just 19 years old at the time and living alone in Chicago.

In an emotional essay for People magazine, Merrill, now 65, described how Gacy lured him into his car one night. “A guy pulled over and said, ‘Do you want to go for a ride?’” Merrill recalled. He recounted how Gacy used a drug-soaked rag to render him unconscious and took him to his home, where the nightmare unfolded.

Merrill detailed the terrifying events, explaining how Gacy restrained him with a contraption that would choke him if he struggled. “He stuck a gun in my mouth. Then he raped me,” Merrill wrote, describing his fight to stay calm to survive the ordeal.

Hours later, Gacy unexpectedly decided to let Merrill go, dropping him off near the place he had been abducted. Merrill flushed Gacy’s phone number, which he had been given, and didn’t realize until months later that his attacker was a notorious serial killer.

When news broke of bodies being discovered at Gacy’s property, Merrill recognized the man who had assaulted him. Gacy, who was convicted of killing at least 33 young men, was executed in 1994.

Over the years, Merrill has found healing through acting and his personal life. “Acting was therapeutic for me,” he wrote. “I was able to learn from the bad and use it for the good.” Merrill, who is now married, has written a one-man show, The Save, about his experience. The production is currently being performed at the Electric Lodge in Los Angeles.

Reflecting on his journey, Merrill said, “I’m proud of the journey. I was able to learn from the bad and use it for the good.”