Flashback Chicago- 2/13/79: Clueless police should've caught serial killer John Gacy much earlier than they did

This dealt with the issue of Gacy coming into the radar of authorities within the Chicago Police Department over a dozen times - and missing key warning signs (such as thefts, kidnapping and ) that, if acted on, might have prevented the many murders attributed to him; Gacy had managed every time to slip through their fingers. One unnamed interviewee describes Gacy as a "master con man" who "got whatever he wanted." The Butkovich case is mentioned; John's car was found, abandoned, in August of 1975 at Lawrence and Sheridan; and his father, Marko Butkovich, describes what John had meant to do before he met his end. Other victims and missed opportunities for police are mentioned: Taft High School senior Greg Godzik (with his , Eugenia Godzik, interviewed); the sale of the car of another victiim, John Szyc, to Mike Rossi who was a Gacy associate; a 19-year-old who was abducted by Gacy at Lawrence and Western in December 1977; Jeff Rignall, another would-be victim who ultimately aided in Gacy's arrest; and the disappearance of Rob Piest who was murdered on December 11th 1978 - and which case led to the discovery of many bodies in Gacy's basement. Jay mentions at the end of his that they requested an interview with Chicago Police Superintendent James O'Grady, and the request was denied due to a gag order; and that Rossi has hired former state's attorney Ed Hanrahan as his lawyer.

This originally aired on WLS Channel 7 on February 13, 1979.