Robert Piest

I really appreciate that so much that it's told from their perspective for the most part.

And just with a generally a great respect for the the victims, and it begins with Robert Pease's disappearance rather than Gacy's childhood, which obviously you just explained why, or even his first murder.

So why was Robert the right way into the story?

Well, I think that part of it had to do with the fact that I had told the studio and the network that I wasn't going to show a single murder.

And so once I, like, figured that part out, then it became, like, let's start with the last victim and then make our way back to how do we tell their stories.

And that's part one.

And then part two was why I start with Robert Piest was that Piest was – really the only victim that they truly took seriously, right? And so if a part of the storytelling became about how these other victims were, again, I'm being reductive for the point of this conversation right now, were ignored for various reasons, then you want to figure out why, you want to begin with why did the police pay attention? And that was Robert Peast.

So that's why we started there.

But John Wayne Gacy remained free.

It wasn't until 15-year-old Robert Piest disappeared in 1978 that investigators finally searched Gacy's home and uncovered the horrifying truth.

The respected businessman and community volunteer had murdered 33 young men and boys, burying most of them beneath and around his house.

Devil in Disguise, John Wayne Gacy, tells the story not just of Gacy, but of the victims, their families, and the failures that allowed him to keep killing.

And then I was lucky enough to, the writers I've worked with for a long time, they sort of got what the mission was and they really helped make the show what it became.

Yeah, I really appreciate that so much that it's told from their perspective for the most part.

And just with a generally a great respect for the The victims and it begins with Robert Peace disappearance rather than Gacy's childhood, which obviously just explained why or even the first his first murder.

So why was Robert the right way into the story?

Yeah, I really appreciate that so much that it's told from their perspective for the most part.

And just with a generally a great respect for the And it begins with Robert Pease's disappearance rather than Gacy's childhood, which obviously you just explained why, or even his first murder.

So why was Robert the right way into the story?

Well, I think that part of it had to do with the fact that I had told the studio and the network that I wasn't going to show a single murderer.

And so once I figured that part out, then it became like, let's start with the last victim and then make our way back to how do we tell their stories.

And that's part one.

And then part two was why I start with Robert Piest was that Piest was... really the only victim that they truly took seriously, right? And so if a part of the storytelling became about how these other victims were, again, I'm being reductive for the point of this conversation right now, were ignored for various reasons, then you want to figure out why, you want to begin with why did the police pay attention? And that was Robert Peast.

So that's why we started there.

no motive to run off.

Robert Piest is unusual.

He's different than the other missing young men.

He's an outlier in the sense that he's the kind of guy who's connected to his family.

and turned the corner, and he never came back.

Lieutenant Joe Kozenczak is the chief of detectives at Des Plaines PD, and this case hits especially close to home.

Kozenczak also has a teenage son, and he attends the same high school as Robert Piest.

It's not hard for him to imagine what Mrs. Piest is going through.