Kriti Mehrotra
Created by Patrick Macmanus, Peacock’s ‘Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy’ is a limited drama that delves deep into the chilling tale of one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. It explores everything from the grief of victims’ loved ones to how systemic failures fueled his reign of terror for over five years to the way he was ultimately apprehended and brought to justice. The latter includes the fact that he was sentenced to death by lethal injection after alleged survivors like Jeffrey “Jeff” Rignall also came forward to testify to help secure his conviction.
Jeffrey Rignall Was Attacked by John Wayne Gacy at Age 26
On August 21, 1951, Jeffrey “Jeff” Douglas Rignall was born into a reportedly middle-class family in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and later relocated to Kentucky. Upon graduating from high school in the late 1960s, he decided to attend Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green to continue his formal studies for a much better future. As per reports, he then established a career as a building renovator, all the while also coming into his own as an openly bisexual man living in Chicago, Illinois. At just 26, Jeff could never have imagined his whole world would turn upside down on March 21, 1978, while he was walking to a gay bar in Rosemont. He was reportedly minding his business when a man driving a black Oldsmobile stopped beside him, offering a ride to his destination as well as a marijuana joint to smoke together.
The moment Jeff sat in the vehicle, though, the man allegedly whirled towards him with a dark expression and held a chloroform-soaked rag right over his face until he had passed out. Jeff was reportedly chloroformed again when he awoke a while later and saw he was being driven away before ultimately waking inside the stranger’s home while fastened to a torture device. According to his accounts, he was subjected to sexual assault, physical abuse, and prolonged torture until he finally passed out from the pain and exertion. When he awoke the next morning, he claimed he was under the Alexander Hamilton statue in Lincoln Park, on the north side of Chicago, and then slowly made his way home.
Jeffrey Rignall’s Report Was Initially Dismissed by Authorities
The moment Jeff made it back to the New Town apartment he shared with his girlfriend and his romantic partner, Ron Wilder, they rushed him to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He had to remain there for treatments for six days, during which the local police were indeed contacted, but they were skeptical of his story owing to his being unable to identify his assailant. As a result, he decided to investigate the case himself, starting by staking out all the main roads near the landmarks he had identified during his brief period of consciousness in the car.
The 26-year-old survivor was looking for the black Oldsmobile, which he eventually spotted, noted down the license plate number, and followed it to a house in Norwood Park Township. As per his accounts, he later went to the police with all the information, but it wasn’t until July 1978 that they identified John Wayne Gacy as his alleged attacker and charged him with one count of battery. However, he was permitted to remain free, that is, until he was finally arrested in December of the same year after being identified as a suspect in the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest.
It ultimately came to light that John had not only killed four young men between Jeff’s alleged assault and his December arrest, but that he had taken at least 33 lives in over 5 years. One of his victims was Robert Piest. In the end, while Jeff’s case was never resolved in criminal court, he was able to testify during John’s 1980 trial for serial murder, where he described the alleged attack on him as “beastly” and “animalistic.” Per records, Jeff did file a civil lawsuit in connection with his alleged brutal assault as well as its aftermath later on, which was settled for around $3,000.
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Jeffrey Rignall Passed Away in 2000
As per reports, the alleged ordeal in itself, the ensuing trauma of not being believed, and then having to recount his experiences while facing his reported assailant affected Jeff greatly. He allegedly lost 40 pounds in a few short months, became socially withdrawn, and developed severe depression, all the while also having to grapple with long bouts of vomiting. According to records, he soon began treatment for his mental health issues, which not only included being placed on heavy tranquilizers and sleeping drugs but also cost $25,000-$30,000 by early 1980.
By this point, Jeff had already attempted to regain control of his story by collaborating with his partner, Ron Wilder, and ghostwriter, Patricia Colander, to write a detailed memoir. Published in 1979, ’29 Below’ chronicles his experiences with the serial killer, along with his treatment by the police as well as the media, but it didn’t particularly help his mental health. Therefore, that same year, Jeff and Ron relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, in the hopes that the former could escape the daily memories and reminders of what happened to him. Unfortunately, as per records, Jeff could never really bring himself to be very social again, and he sadly passed away around two decades later. He passed away on December 24, 2000, due to AIDS-related complications, according to public records.
