Actor Jack Merrill has come forward with a chilling account of being abducted and sexually assaulted by notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy in 1978. The 65-year-old actor, known for roles in shows like Law & Order and Grey's Anatomy, shared his story in a powerful personal essay published Wednesday in People magazine.
Merrill recounts how, at age 19, he was walking alone in Chicago when Gacy pulled up in his car and offered him a ride. After being drugged with amyl nitrite, Merrill awoke in handcuffs as Gacy drove him to his now-infamous house near Cumberland Avenue.
"The house was dark. I sensed it was a trap," wrote Merrill, describing how Gacy restrained him with a makeshift device of ropes and pulleys that would tighten around his neck if he struggled. At gunpoint, Gacy then sexually assaulted the young actor.
Merrill credits his survival to staying calm during the horrific ordeal. "I knew if I fought him, I didn't have much of a chance. I never freaked out or yelled," he revealed. After the assault, Gacy unexpectedly drove Merrill home around 5 AM.
The actor didn't report the attack at the time, only later realizing his assailant's identity when news broke about bodies being discovered at Gacy's property. Between 1972 and 1978, Gacy murdered at least 33 young men before his arrest. He was executed in 1994.
In the decades since, Merrill has found healing through acting and his relationship with his husband. He has channeled his experience into a one-man show called "The Save," currently running in Los Angeles. "I'm proud of the journey. I was able to learn from the bad and use it for the good," Merrill stated.