The Knife of Never Letting Go - Dystopian Lit Essay Example for Free

The Knife of Never Letting Go Dystopian Lit Essay A dystopia is quite common as a literary subject. It is usually unpleasant, with a repressive society and/or strict ruling force, and is the flip side to another common literary subject; a utopian society, in which everything is perfect to either the inhabitants or/and protagonist. Some stories set in a dystopian universe or world may seem quite normal or maybe even perfect at first, but eventually the reasons behind that become apparent and become quite unpleasant for the protagonist as they are forced to fight against a society or group they were once a part of. Examples of this kind of dystopian world are in both Uglies [2005, Scott Westerfeld], where the reader follows the female protagonist, an ugly who is allowed to undergo surgery to become pretty -portrayed to be a perfect state in her world- once she turns sixteen, but over the course of the novel, she finds out it might not be everything she had hoped for. With mind manipulation by the ruling force, isolation between certain age groups until a coming of age ceremony and bulling the inferior group into wanting to do what the ruling force chooses- in Uglies, it is becoming a pretty who has purposely been given brain damage without consent, something she does not want to happen And in The Knife of Never Letting Go, which follows a very simular pattern. The main protagonist [Todd] is a boy, and will continue to be so until he is thirteen and has completed a coming of age ceremony of his own, and from then on is considered a man. Like in Uglies, becoming a man is considered a perfect state, or at least more idyllic than being a boy, and this is reinforced by bulling by his superiors -men- over his inferior state, thus making it seem that becoming a man is something he should want to become, so he is no longer isolated from his peers, and becomes one of the group. Again, over the course of the novel, he finds out exactly what become a man means, and it is far from what he wants to become. Some other examples of modern dystopian lit. can be found in these novels; Armageddons Children (2006) by Terry Brooks Bar Code Rebellion (2006) by Suzanne Weyn The Pesthouse (2007) by Jim Crace Extras (2007) by Scott Westerfeld The Host (2008) by Stephenie Meyer Double Cross (2008) by Malorie Blackman The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins Revealing Eden (2012) by Victoria Foyt

Comparing Moby Dick, Ahabs Wife and Diary :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

A Comparison of Moby Dick, Ahab's Wife and Diary A story is composed of many parts, some necessary and some to add meaning. What are necessary are characters, a setting, a conflict, and a resolution. To add meaning an author may include complicated histories to their characters' lives, underlying themes, value within the setting, and surprising twists within the conflicts and resolutions. Because this outline is generally used throughout fictional stories, many, even if written in completely different genres and time periods, are alike and can be compared. This is because through technological and social changes, themes such as man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs. nature, and man vs. society remain constant. Newer authors such as Chuck Palahniuk are considered post modern; he must create art in a world where everything that could possibly be original has already been created. Therefore he is expected to take what has been done and make it better. Thus, he combines themes from Moby Dick and Ahab's Wife to make Diary. Herman Melvill e wrote Moby Dick in the nineteenth century to narrate a story of a man who battles the world in search of himself. It is hinted that he left a wife behind and selfishly sacrifices his fellow humans because he can only see his one goal: capturing the white whale. Sena Jeter Naslund took the idea that Ahab had a wife and created Ahab's Wife (1999), which gives birth to many characters and similar themes. Most of this novel details Una's life before she met Ahab, but also includes her absent husband a great deal and illustrated their relationship while he is present as well as after he leaves. In both novels the inner turmoil of man dominates, creating similar backgrounds, lives, and goals for both Ahab and his wife Una. Chuck Palahniuk, a nouveaux shock fiction writer, also writes with man vs. himself (sometimes literally), man vs. society, and man vs. nature permeated throughout in order to create his novels. By combining character traits, settings, conflicts, and resolutions, one c an easily understand how, though the world has evolved, the underlying themes of fiction have not. Within the plots of the three novels there are many similarities. Diary is a fictional story written as a series of diary entries. Misty is keeping this diary as suggested by her comatose husband's mother; "It's what sailors and their wives used to do .

Handicraft Industry in Nepal

Industry in Nepal Industrial Social Work Submitted by: Submitted to: Bikina Chhetri Kesh Malla 6th Semester Date: 1st October, 2010 Concept: Handicrafts are unique expressions that represent a culture, tradition and the heritage of a country. Nepal is well known for its exotic Handicrafts legacy and tradition. A wide range of Nepalese Handicrafts represents the diversity of Handicrafts Tradition in Nepal.Handicraft is an artwork that needs tremendous artistic skills and creative mastery. Variety of designs and finishes are available in Nepalese market that reflects excellent artistic skills of craftsmen. . Handicraft, also known as craft work or simply craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools. Usually the term is applied to traditional means of making goods. The individual artisanship of the items is a paramount criterion; such items often have cultural and/or religious significance.Handicrafts were the predom inant form of production until the appearance of large-scale machine industry, with which they coexist, although they have lost much of their former importance. The characteristics of handicrafts are the use of simple implements of labor; the decisive importance of the artisan’s skill, which makes possible the production of high-quality, artistic goods; and small-scale production, in which the artisan works alone or with an extremely limited number of assistants. Often, the concept of handicrafts does not include domestic handicrafts, which are designated by some other term.For example, peasant domestic handicrafts may be known as domestic industry. Sometimes, only commissioned handicrafts are included in the concept of handicrafts, and handicrafts for market are referred to as cottage industry. The term â€Å"handicrafts† sometimes designates commissioned work and marketed work only at the stage when artisans are small-scale, economically independent producers who per sonally own the means of production. Nepalese Handicrafts can be categorized into two major divisions: Traditional/ConventionalProducts such as metal statues, ethnic costumes, traditional silver jewellery, wood carving, religious and ritual objects like bells, vajra, stone sculpture, metal utensil, paubha painting, ceramics, Handmade Paper, Hand Knitwear, filigree, Bell, Vajra products are traditional Nepalese crafts. Contemporary/Modern Products like home furnishing material, floor covering, modern painting, patina products, puzzle toys, macrame (knot crafts), pashmina, leather products, modern silver jewellery gift ware, decorative items, dolls & puppets, crazy hats, batik, bead crafts, bone & horn products, natural buttons, felt craft etc. re some of the modern forms of Nepalese handicrafts. Origin: Handicrafts emerge with the rise of human productive activity. Developing along with technology under different social formations, handicrafts assume various forms. In conform ity with the stages of the social division of labor, they are usually subdivided into domestic handicrafts, commissioned (made-to-order) handicrafts, and handicrafts produced for the market. Domestic handicrafts, the earliest form, prevail before handicrafts develop into an independent sector of the economy.Produced by the members of a household to satisfy their own needs, they are an inseparable part of the subsistence economy. Nepalese handicraft history can be traced back to the Stone Age when human beings were inadequate of tools of any kind. The history of artistic handicrafts only began during the 5th Century A. D. , when different religions began to form their bases among the people of Nepal. Hence we see a lot of religious influence on Nepalese handicrafts. Introduced by the Nordic Aryans, mixed with different groups of Mongolians, nurtured by Buddhist and Hindu concepts adapted the taste of market.The historical development of Nepalese handicraft industry is very old althou gh has its rise and falls. According to the reference found in Kautilya's Economics about various productions and exports from Nepal, during the time of Chandra Gupta Mouriya, in fourth century, Nepal was known for quality rainproof woollen blankets. The blankets were made of eight pieces joined together of black colour known as â€Å"bhiringisi† as well as â€Å"apasaraka†. Similarly the good quality blankets are mentioned in the epics of Jain religion â€Å"Brihatakalpasutra Vhashya†. Various famous Chinese travellers like Wanghunshe and Huansang in 648 A.D. have appreciated Nepalese arts and crafts and the skills of Nepalese craftsmen and artisans in their travelogues. From the beginning up to the mid-nineteenth century, the rulers of the country promoted national industries and trade to various measures of production, promotion and encouragement. Saving national industry only imported commodities which were not produced locally. Towards the end of the ninete enth century Nepalese arts and crafts industry and the entire home based industries in general suffered a lot due to the general liberal import policy of the government.Prior to the establishment of British regime over India and entering a peace treaty with Tibet in 1904 A. D. Nepal was interpreted as the main route to Tibet for external trade with other countries. But the treaty of 1904 A. D. facilitated the British to open a new route between India and Tibet through Chumbic Valley and the trade route treaty of 1923 A. D. between Nepal and British India, which was not in favour of Nepal and had very unfavourable effects both on industries and on flourishing trade of the country. In Nepal, the production of handicraft is an age-old practise.Novel handicraft is also developed in harmony with changing market taste. For the last 25–30 years, export of handicrafts has been growing. The development of handicraft helps the conservation of national heritage and culture of country; w hich in return contributes to appease poverty by creating job opportunities. The handicrafts of Nepal is produced in a traditional way, from generations to generations leading the footpath of ancestors or from forefather to grandfather to father and to son and this continuity has given the survival to Nepalese handicrafts, preserving their heritage, cultural values, aspects and tradition.More recently, these arts and crafts is one of the major exporting industry of Nepal, earning foreign exchange and providing employment to thousands of Nepalese craftsmen, artisans, promoters and businessmen generating revenue to government. There are many online websites on Nepalese handicrafts, which are used by international customers for ordering products. Importance to the Development and Economy: Handicrafts have remained stronger in economically underdeveloped countries, where they still account for a significant percentage of the output.Even in these countries, however, handicrafts are givin g way to factory industry. Handicrafts have both cultural and economic importance for any country. Handicrafts are the potential medium to preserve the rich traditional art, heritage ;amp; culture, traditional skills ;amp; talents. On other side handicrafts play significant role for economic development in Nepal and provides ample opportunities for employment and boosts the tourism industry.Handicrafts in Nepal are associated with different festivals, rituals, religion and beliefs as there is diversified culture and tradition all over the Himalayan kingdom, like Mandla Art, Buddha jayanti, Christmas Decorative, Buddhist Sculptures, Sculptures of Hindu Deities, and Mithila arts from Janakpur. There is a huge demand for Nepalese handicrafts products in both domestic and international market. Major part of Handicrafts Industry is dominated by small ;amp; medium scale enterprises. To deliver quality products ;amp; match the demand ;amp; supply there is need of greater technological supp ort ;amp; innovativeness in industry.Handicrafts are an integral part of Nepalese Culture and will continue to play a major role in the Cultural and Economic well being of Nepal. MAJOR EXPORT COMMODITIES 1990/91 Rs. Mn Carpets (hand knotted woolwn) 3701. 99 Readymade garments 1343. 57 Jute ;amp; jute products 1343. 57 Hides and skins 277. 70 Pulses 241. 67 Vegetable oils 215. 00 Oil cake 87. 50 Niger seeds 86. 50 Catechu 76. 5 Ginger 61. 40 Handicrafts 49. 18 Silverware and jewellery 44. 67 (source: ministry of industry of Nepal) The above given result shows that handicraft also plays a significance role for the economic development of the country. Not only has this but it also helps in utilization of raw materials and creating employment opportunities for the people. So, it can be termed as one of the vital area to work for increasing the GDP. Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal:Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal was established in 1972 to enhance and promote handicraft trade and industry. Originally, its name was Handicraft Association of Nepal (HAN). It is registered under Institution Registration Act of Nepal. It is a service oriented non-profit organization of private sector business and artisan community. It helps its members to improve their productivity, explore markets and introduce them to the international arena. It also works as liaison between its members and the Government and Non-Government Organizations. The Government of Nepal has not specified a typical policy for handicraft.The handicraft has been included inside the industry policy while there is a Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal which works hand in hand with government and has developed some functions for handicraft which are: 1. Organize seminars, symposiums and conferences on various topics relevant to strengthening the handicraft trade ;amp; industry. 2. Organize exhibition and trade fairs to highlight handicraft products ;amp; create public awareness in its usage. 3. Activate and increase contacts with National and International Agencies for the growth of handicraft trade ;amp; industry. . Explore additional markets for the handicraft products. 5. Institute award in recognition of highest export and best craftsmanship. 6. Arrange participation in international trade fairs ;amp; exhibitions for its members. 7. Publication of news bulletins, books, catalogues, members’ directory and other materials relevant to promote handicraft trade ;amp; industry. 8. Act as catalytic agent for management of training programmes for the benefit of its members. 9. Documentation ;amp; dissemination of information regarding handicraft trade ;amp; industry. | Analysis:The market of handicraft is increasing day by day. Now a day’s people are showing their interest in handicrafts as it looks beautiful, attractive and primitive. In my view it is important to understand the present state of craft trade and the experience of the people who produce and sell crafts. The quantity of each handicrafts product at the outlets is generally small due to which the people involve in this business are not able to gain attention from the government. A major problem in supplying the retail outlets is that they order very small quantities.Due to the small scale of their business, they might keep products on consignments and pay groups for what they sales and return what does not sell. Craft groups are rapidly loosing ground due to some reasons like most of artisans do not get to hear about the schemes made for them. Even if they hear also, they don’t seem to be getting more benefits as they are unable to compete in larger urban market, both domestic and international. At the producers’ and financial constraints, lack of raw materials, changes in market trends are the problem that has to be tackling in this business.On the other hand Government of Nepal is also not much interested in handicrafts as it has not declared a ny policy for handicrafts. But somehow many NGO and other small scale industry have given it some priority and have been working accordingly. May be this will help the government to realize the importance of handicraft in future and give special priority towards it as a means of economic development of the country.References: www. wikipedia. com www. ekantipur. com www. fhan. com. org www. moics. gov. np

John Wayne Gacy, the Third Most Prolific Serial Killer in U.S. History

John Wayne Gacy was convicted of the torture, rape, and murder of 33 males between 1972 until his arrest in 1978. He was dubbed the Killer Clown because he entertained children at parties and hospitals as Pogo the Clown. On May 10, 1994, Gacy was executed by lethal injection. Gacys Childhood Years John Gacy was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of three children and the only son born to John Stanley Gacy and Marion Robinson. From age 4, Gacy was verbally and physically abused by his  alcoholic father. Despite the abuse, Gacy admired his father and constantly sought his approval. In return, his father would hurl insults at him, telling him he was stupid and acted like a girl. When Gacy was 7 years old, he was molested repeatedly by a friend of the family. He never told his parents about it, fearing that his father would find him at fault and that he would be severely punished. Gacys Teen Years   When Gacy was in elementary school, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition which limited his physical activity. As a result, he became overweight and endured  teasing from his classmates. At age 11, Gacy was hospitalized for several months at a time after experiencing unexplained blackouts. His father decided Gacy was faking the blackouts because the doctors were unable to diagnose why it was happening. After five years of being in and out of the hospital, it was discovered that he had a blood clot in his brain, which was treated. But Gacys delicate health issues failed to protect him from his fathers drunken wrath. He received regular beatings, for no particular reason other than his father disdained him. After years of abuse, Gacy taught himself not to cry. This was the only thing he consciously ever did that he knew would provoke his fathers anger. Gacy found it too difficult to catch up with what he had missed in school while hospitalized, so he decided to drop out. His being a  high school dropout  solidified his fathers constant accusations that Gacy was stupid. Las Vegas or Bust At the age of 18, Gacy was still living with his parents. He became involved with the Democratic Party and worked as an assistant precinct captain. It was during this time that he began to develop his gift for gab. He enjoyed the positive attention he received in what he felt was a prestigious position. But his father quickly squelched whatever good came out of his political involvement. He belittled Gacy’s association with the Party: he called him a Party patsy. Gacy’s  years of abuse  from his father finally wore him down. After several episodes of his father having refused to let Gacy use his own car, he had enough. He packed his belongings and escaped to Las Vegas, Nevada. A Frightening Awakening In Las Vegas, Gacy worked for an ambulance service for a short time but was then transferred to a mortuary where he was employed as an attendant. He often spent nights alone at the mortuary, where he would sleep on a cot near the embalming room.   On the last night that Gacy worked there, he got into a coffin and fondled the corpse of a teenage boy. Afterward, he was so confused and shocked by the realization that he had been sexually  aroused by a male corpse, that he called his mother the following day and without providing details, asked if he could return home. His father agreed and Gacy, who had only been gone for 90 days, quit his job at the mortuary and drove back to Chicago. Burying the Past Back in Chicago, Gacy forced himself to bury the experience at the mortuary and move forward. Despite not having completed high school, he was accepted at Northwestern Business College, where he graduated in 1963. He then took a management trainee position with the Nunn-Bush Shoe Company and was quickly transferred to Springfield, Illinois, where he was promoted to a management position. Marlynn  Meyers was employed at the same store and worked in Gacys department. The two began dating and nine months later they married. Community Spirit During his first year in Springfield, Gacy had become very involved with the local Jaycees, dedicating much of his spare time to the organization. He became adept at self-promotion, utilizing his salesmanship training to gain positive attention. He rose through the Jaycee ranks and in April  1964 he was awarded the title of Key Man. Fundraising was Gacys niche and by 1965 he was appointed the vice-president of the Jaycees Springfield division and later that same year he was recognized as being the third most outstanding Jaycee in the state of Illinois. For the first time in his life, Gacy felt confident and full of self-esteem. He was married, a good future before him,  and had persuaded people he was a leader. The one thing that threatened his success was his growing need to be  sexually involved with young male teens. Marriage and Fried Chicken After dating in Springfield, Illinois, Gacy and  Marlynn  married in September 1964 and then moved to Waterloo, Iowa where Gacy managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants owned by Marilyns father. The newlyweds moved into  Marlynns  parents home, rent-free. Gacy soon joined the Waterloo Jaycees, and once again quickly moved up the ranks. In 1967, he received recognition as Outstanding Vice-President of the Waterloo Jaycees and earned a seat on the  Board of Directors. But, unlike in Springfield, the Waterloo Jaycees had a dark side that involved illegal drug use, wife swapping,  prostitutes, and pornography. Gacy slid right into the position of managing and regularly participating in these activities. Gacy also began to act on his desires to have sex with male teenagers, many of whom worked at the fried chicken restaurants he managed. The Lure He turned a basement room into a hangout as a way to attract teens. He would entice the boys with free alcohol and pornography. Gacy would then take sexual advantage of some of the boys after they became too intoxicated to put up any resistance. While Gacy was molesting teens in his basement and doing drugs with his Jaycee pals, Marlyn was busy having children. Their first child was a boy, born in 1967, and the second child was a girl, born a year later. Gacy later described this time of his life as being nearly perfect. It was also the only time he finally gained any approval from his father. The Colonel A common trait shared by many  serial killers  is their belief that they are smarter than everyone and that they will never get caught. Gacy fit that profile. With his above-average earnings and his social connections through the Jaycees, Gacys ego and confidence level grew. He became pushy and commanding and would often brag about accomplishments, most of which were transparent lies.   The Jaycee members who were not into hookers and porn began putting a distance between themselves and Gacy, or Colonel, as he insisted on being called. But in March 1968 Gacys near-perfect world quickly fell apart. First Arrest In August 1967 Gacy had hired 15-year-old Donald Voorhees to do odd jobs around his house. Donald met Gacy through his father, who was also in the Jaycees. After finishing his work, Gacy lured the teen to his basement with the promise of free beer and  porn movies. After Gacy supplied him with an abundance of alcohol, he forced him into having oral sex. This experience seemed to unplug any fears Gacy had about getting caught. Over the next several months, he sexually abused several teenage boys. He convinced some of them that a scientific research program that he was involved in was looking for participants and they would be paid $50 for each session. He also used blackmail as a way to force them into sexual submission. But in March 1968 it all came crashing down on Gacy. Voorhees told his father about the incident with Gacy in his basement, who immediately reported it to the police. Another 16-year-old victim also reported Gacy to the police. Gacy was  arrested  and charged with oral sodomy of the 15-year-old and attempted assault of the other boy, charges he strongly denied.   As his defense, Gacy said that the accusations were a lie by  Voorhees  father who was trying to sabotage his efforts to become president of the Iowa Jaycees. Some of his Jaycee friends believed it was possible. However, despite his protests, Gacy was indicted on the sodomy charges. In an effort to intimidate Voorhees and keep him from testifying, Gacy paid an employee, 18-year-old Russell Schroeder, $300 to beat up the teenager and warn him against showing up in court. Voorhees went straight to the police who arrested Schroeder. He promptly  admitted his guilt  and Gacys involvement to the police. Gacy was charged with conspiracy-assault. By the time it was over, Gacy pled guilty to sodomy and received a 10-year sentence.   Doing Time On December 27, 1969, Gacys father died of cirrhosis of the liver. The news hit Gacy hard, but despite his obvious poor emotional state, the prison officials denied his request to attend his fathers funeral. Gacy did everything right in prison. He earned his high school degree and took his position as head cook seriously. His good behavior paid off. In October 1971, after completing just two years of his sentence, he was released and placed on  probation  for 12 months. Marlyn filed for divorce while Gacy was in prison. He was so angered by the divorce that he told her that she and the two children were dead to him, vowing never to see them again. Marlyn, no doubt, hoped that he would stick to his word. Back in Action With nothing to return to in Waterloo, Gacy moved back to Chicago to begin rebuilding his life. He moved in with his mother and got a job working as a cook, and then worked for a construction contractor. Gacy later bought a home 30 miles outside of Chicago, in Des Plaines, Illinois. Gacy and his mother lived in the house, which was part of the terms of Gacys probation. In early February 1971, Gacy lured a teenage boy to his home and tried to rape him, but the boy escaped and went to the police. Gacy was charged with  sexual assault, but the charges were dismissed when the teen did not show up in court. Word of his arrest never got back to his parole officer. First Kill On Jan. 2, 1972, Timothy Jack McCoy, age 16, was planning on sleeping at the bus terminal in Chicago. His next bus wasnt scheduled until the following day, but when Gacy approached him and offered to give him a tour of the city, plus let him sleep at his house, McCoy took him up on it.   According to Gacy’s account, he awoke the following morning and saw McCoy standing with a knife at his bedroom door. Gacy thought the teen intended on killing him, so he charged the boy and got control of the knife. Gacy then  stabbed the teen to death. Afterward, he realized that he had mistaken McCoys intentions. The teen had a knife because he was preparing breakfast and had gone to Gacys room to wake him up.   Although Gacy had not planned to kill McCoy when he brought him home, he couldnt dismiss the fact that he had become sexually aroused to the point of orgasm during the kill. In fact, the killing was the most intense sexual pleasure he had ever felt. Timothy Jack McCoy was the first of many to be buried in the crawl space under Gacys home. Second Marriage On July 1, 1972, Gacy married a high school sweetheart, Carole Hoff. She and her two daughters from a previous marriage moved into Gacys home. Carole was aware of why Gacy had spent time in prison, but he had downplayed the charges and convinced her that he had changed his ways. Within weeks of being married, Gacy was  arrested and charged  with sexual assault after a teen male accused him of impersonating a police officer to get him into his car, then forcing him to engage in oral sex. Again the charges were dropped; this time because the victim had tried to blackmail Gacy. In the meantime, as Gacy added more bodies in the crawlspace under his house, a horrible stench began to fill the air, both inside and outside of Gacys home. It got to be so bad that neighbors began to insist that Gacy find a solution to get rid of the odor.   Youre Hired In 1974 Gacy left his construction job and started a contracting business called Painting, Decorating, and Maintenance, or PDM Contractors, Inc. Gacy told friends that one way he planned to keep his costs down was by hiring teenage boys. But Gacy saw it as another way to find teens to lure to his basement of horrors.   He began posting available jobs and then invited the applicants to his house on the pretext of talking to them about a job. Once the boys were inside his home, he would overpower them using various tricks, render them unconscious and then begin his gruesome and sadistic torture that almost always led to their death. The Do-Gooder While he wasnt killing young men, Gacy spent time reestablishing himself as a good neighbor and good  community leader. He worked tirelessly on community projects, had several neighborhood parties, developed close friendships with his next-door neighbors, and became a familiar face, dressed as Pogo the Clown, at birthday parties and at the childrens hospital.   People liked John Wayne Gacy. By day, he was a successful business owner and community do-gooder, but by night, unknown to anyone but his victims, he was a sadistic killer on the loose. Second Divorce In October 1975 Carole filed for divorce after Gacy admitted to her that he was attracted to young men. She wasnt surprised by the news. Months before, on Mothers Day, he had informed her that they would not be having any more sex together. She was also bothered by all of the gay porn magazines lying around and she could no longer ignore all the teenage males coming in and out of the house. Having Carole out of his hair, Gacy focused on what really mattered to him most; keeping his do-gooder facade in the community so that he could continue to achieve sexual gratification by raping and killing young boys. From 1976 to 1978, Gacy had managed to hide the bodies of 29 of his victims under his house, but because of lack of space and the odor, he dumped the bodies of his last four victims into the Des Moines River. Robert  Piest On December 11, 1978, in Des Moines, 15-year-old Robert Piest went missing after leaving his job at a pharmacy. He told his mother and a co-worker that he was going to an interview with a construction contractor about a summer position. The contractor had been in the pharmacy earlier in the evening discussing a future remodel with the owner.   When  Piest  failed to return home, his parents contacted the police. The pharmacy owner told investigators that the contractor was John Gacy, owner of PDM Contractors. When Gacy was contacted by the police, he admitted being in the pharmacy on the night the boy disappeared but denied ever speaking to the teenager. This contradicted what one of  Piests  fellow employees had told the investigators. According to the employee,  Piest  was upset because he had been turned down earlier in the evening when he asked for a raise. But when his shift ended, he was excited because the contractor that was remodeling the pharmacy agreed to meet with him that night to discuss a summer job. Gacy’s denying that he had even spoken to the boy raised a lot of suspicions. Investigators ran a background check that revealed Gacys past criminal record, including his conviction and prison time for sodomizing a minor. This information put Gacy on the top of the list of possible suspects. On December 13, 1978, a  warrant to search  Gacys Summerdale Avenue home was granted. While investigators searched his home and cars, he was at the police station giving an oral and written statement about his activities at the pharmacy on the night  Piest  disappeared. When he learned that his house had been searched, he went into a fit of anger. The Search The  evidence  collected at Gacys house included a high school ring for the class of 1975 with initials J.A.S., handcuffs, drugs and drug paraphernalia, two drivers licenses that were not issued to Gacy, child pornography, police badges, guns and ammunition, a switchblade, a piece of stained carpet, hair samples from Gacys automobiles, store receipts, and several items of teen-styled clothing in sizes that would not fit Gacy.   Investigators also went down into the crawl space, but did not discover anything and left quickly due to the rancid odor that they attributed to being a sewage problem. Although the search solidified suspicions that Gacy was likely an active pedophile, it did not turn up any evidence linking him to  Piest. However, he was still their prime suspect.   Under Surveillance Two surveillance teams were assigned to watch Gacy 24 hours a day. The investigators continued their search for  Piest  and continued interviewing his friends and co-worker. They also began interviewing people who had contact with Gacy. What investigators learned was that Robert  Piest  was a good, family-oriented kid. John Gacy, on the other hand, had the makings of a monster. They also learned that  Piest  was not the first, but the fourth person who had disappeared after having contact with Gacy. Meanwhile, Gacy seemed to be enjoying a game of cat and mouse with the surveillance team. More than once he was able to sneak away from his house undetected. He also invited the team into his home and served them breakfast, and then he would joke about spending the rest of the day getting rid of dead bodies. The Big Break Eight days into the investigation the lead detective went to the  Piests  home to bring his parents up to date. During the conversation, Mrs. Piest mentioned a conversation that she had with one of the employees working on the night her son went missing. The employee had told her that she had borrowed her sons jacket when she went on her break and left a receipt in the jacket pocket. This was the same jacket that her son had on when he left to go talk to the contractor about a job and never returned. That same receipt was found in the evidence collected during the search of Gacys house. Further  forensic tests  were performed on the receipt that proved that Gacy had been lying and that  Piest  had been in his home. Gacy Buckles Those closest to Gacy were interviewed by detectives on multiple occasions. Afterward, Gacy demanded that they tell him everything that was said. This included the in-depth questioning of his employees regarding the crawl space under Gacys home. Some of these employees admitted that Gacy had paid them to go down into specific areas of the crawl space to dig trenches. Gacy realized it was just a matter of time before the extent of his crimes would be exposed. He began to buckle under the pressure, and his behavior turned bizarre. On the morning of his arrest, Gacy was observed driving to the homes of his friends to tell them goodbye. He was seen taking pills and drinking mid-morning. He also talked about committing suicide and confessed to a few people that he had killed thirty people. What finally led to his arrest was a  drug deal  that Gacy orchestrated in full view of the surveillance team. They pulled Gacy over and placed him under arrest.   Second Search Warrant While in police custody, Gacy was informed that a second search warrant of his home had been issued. The news brought on chest pains, and Gacy was taken to the hospital. In the meantime, the search of his house, particularly the crawlspace, had begun. But the extent of what would be uncovered shocked even the most seasoned investigators. The Confession Gacy was released from the hospital later that night and taken back into custody. Knowing that his game was up, he  confessed to murdering  Robert  Piest. He also confessed to thirty-two additional murders, starting in 1974, and hinted that the total could be as high as 45. During the confession, Gacy explained how he had restrained his victims by pretending to do a magic trick, which required that they put on handcuffs. He then stuffed socks or underwear into their mouths and used a board with chains, which he would place under their chest, then wrapped the chains around their neck. He would then choke them to death while raping them. Victims Through dental and radiology records, 25 of the 33 bodies found were identified. In an effort to identify the remaining unknown victims, DNA testing was performed from 2011 to 2016.   Went Missing Name Age Location of Body January 3, 1972 Timothy McCoy 16 Crawl space - Body #9 July 29, 1975 John Butkovitch 17 Garage - Body #2 April 6, 1976 Darrell Sampson 18 Crawl space - Body #29 May 14, 1976 Randall Reffett 15 Crawl space - Body #7 May 14, 1976 Samuel Stapleton 14 Crawl space - Body #6 June 3, 1976 Michael Bonnin 17 Crawl space - Body #6 June 13, 1976 William Carroll 16 Crawl space - Body #22 August 6, 1976 Rick Johnston 17 Crawl space - Body #23 October 24, 1976 Kenneth Parker 16 Crawl space - Body #15 October 26, 1976 William Bundy 19 Crawl space - Body #19 December 12, 1976 Gregory Godzik 17 Crawl space - Body #4 January 20, 1977 John Szyc 19 Crawl space - Body #3 March 15, 1977 Jon Prestidge 20 Crawl space - Body #1 July 5, 1977 Matthew Bowman 19 Crawl space - Body #8 September 15, 1977 Robert Gilroy 18 Crawl space - Body #25 September 25, 1977 John Mowery 19 Crawl space - Body #20 October 17, 1977 Russell Nelson 21 Crawl space - Body #16 November 10, 1977 Robert Winch 16 Crawl space - Body #11 November 18, 1977 Tommy Boling 20 Crawl space - Body #12 December 9, 1977 David Talsma 19 Crawl space - Body #17 February 16, 1978 William Kindred 19 Crawl space - Body #27 June 16, 1978 Timothy O'Rourke 20 Des Plaines River - Body #31 November 4, 1978 Frank Landingin 19 Des Plaines River - Body #32 November 24, 1978 James Mazzara 21 Des Plaines River - Body #33 December 11, 1978 Robert Piest 15 Des Plaines River - Body #30 Guilty Gacy went on trial on February 6, 1980, for the murder of thirty-three young men. His defense lawyers tried to prove that  Gacy was insane, but the jury of five women and seven men did not agree.  After only two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and Gacy was given the death penalty. Execution While on death row, Gacy continued to taunt authorities with different versions of his story about the murders in an attempt to stay alive. But once his appeals were exhausted, the execution date was set. John Gacy was executed by lethal injection on May 9, 1994. His  last words  were, Kiss my ass. Sources Fall of the House of Gacy by Harlan Mendenhallï » ¿Killer Clown by Terry Sullivan and Peter T. Maiken