The Chicago Killer [Hardcover]

Joseph R. Kozenczak (Author), Karen M. Kozenczak (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1401095321 | ISBN-13: 978-1401095321 | Publication Date: November 3, 2003 | Edition: illustrated edition

THE CHICAGO KILLER: The Hunt For Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy is the story of the capture of John Wayne Gacy, as told from the perspective of the former Chief of Detectives of the Des Plaines, Illinois Police Department , Joseph Kozenczak. The conviction of Gacy on 33 counts of murder is a record in the archives of the criminal justice system in the United States. Two additional bonus chapters give the reader a comprehensive insight into the use of psychics and the lie-detector in a serial murder investigation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph R. Kozenczak is a private investigator in Chicago. He is the former Chief of Police for the City of Des Plaines, Illinois and also served as the Chief of Detectives. Mr. Kozenczak was the arresting officer and chief investigatior in the John Wayne Gacy serial murder investigation. Mr. Kozenczak is recognized as a national expert in missing person issues. Mr. Kozenczak is an accomplished artist, sculptor and photographer. He may be reached at the Email forwarding service via the author web page. (www.xlibris.com) Karen Henrikson is the Public Relations Director for the City of Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. She is the author of numerous articles published in a variety of periodicals, many of which she also co-authored with Mr. Kozenczak. In addition to writing, Ms. Henrikson enjoys music, jogging, photography, golf and the theater. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation; illustrated edition edition (November 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401095321
• ISBN-13: 978-1401095321
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,854,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, April 21, 2006

By 

midwest bookworm - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chicago Killer (Hardcover)

Given his primary role in the investigation and arrest of John Wayne Gacy and his years of service in law enforcement, I wish I could say better things about Mr. Kozenczak's book.

Unfortunately, I can't. I purchased the book thinking it would offer new insights into the case from a detective who was an active participant. Instead, this is a dull and disjointed book. The writing is awkward, the story is hard to follow, and there are enough typos scattered throughout to make you want to whip out your red pen and start making corrections.

Plus, at least in the edition I read, there's an oversight that should have been caught prior to publication: Kozenczak omits one victim's name entirely--Greg Godzik--when he excerpts the portion of the trial where the prosecution named each identified victim and stated how their bodies were found.

The most interesting part of the book deals with the role of one particular psychic in the investigation, prior to Gacy's arrest when no one but the police knew he was a suspect. Other than that, I can't say this book really held my attention or offered much in the way of new information on the case.

This book was published 25 years after the death of Gacy's last victim, so Mr. Kozenczak has lived with this case for a while and probably knows it better than just about anybody. With that kind of familiarity, I guess I just expected a better book. Mr. Kozenczak has no doubt had a distinguished career and considerable professional achievements, but this book is a mediocre effort at best.

4.0 out of 5 stars for collectors of true crime, March 1, 2009

By 

R. T. Jones "An Elvis from Hell" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Chicago Killer (Hardcover)

I just finished The Chicago Killer. As one reviewer noted--WOW! Did they desperately need a proofreader. At times the typos made it difficult to read. That said...I did enjoy this book. I've read all but 3 books on this case (Jeffrey Rignall's book 29 Below, the book Gacy himself wrote and Fall of the House of Gacy) but they are in my wish list. I was also a penpal of Gacy's for the last 5 years of life.
Although there wasn't a lot of new information about the case, the information about Kozenczak's contact with the psychics was interesting and I did enjoy the fictional parts relating to what was going on in Gacy's mind as they case progressed. Having had a lot of contact via mail and telephone calls with him, it did strike me as the way Gacy thought.
For someone unfamiliar with this case I would not suggest this as an introduction--try Buried Dreams. But for true crime enthusiasts you'll want this in your collection

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling True Police Story- The John Wayne Gacy C.ase, December 30, 2003

By 

"sleuth007" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chicago Killer (Hardcover)

This is a chilling true police story about the capture of John Wayne Gacy, one of America's most prolific serial killers. The story is told by the former Chief of Detectives for the Des Plaines, Illinois Police Department, Joseph R. Kozenczak and was co-authored with Karen M. Henrikson. The book offers two additional Bonus Chapters regarding the Use of Psychics in a serial Murder Investigation, along with an insight into the use of a lie-detector which helped in cracking the case. This book is a Silver Commemorative Issue, First Edition. Well worth reading!