‘I didn't like him, but he was a human being’: Attorney tells of representing Gacy in new book

With all the news articles, documentaries, books and even multiple feature films — one starring the late, great Brian Dennehy — you might think there's nothing new to be said about the case of John Wayne Gacy.

His onetime attorney Karen Conti sets out to prove otherwise with her forthcoming book, "Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy." Conti, who was part of Gacy's final legal team that advocated against his execution, told us this week the book offers a unique look at the notorious suburban serial killer from the perspective of one of the few women to represent him after his crimes were revealed.

"He and I had a relationship that was very different from those he had with his male attorneys," said Conti, who now practices in Chicago but is perhaps better known as host of "The Karen Conti Show" on WGN radio and for appearances as a legal commentator on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and other media outlets.

"Gacy really liked women," she added. "He loved his mother and sisters, and was more confrontational and manipulative with men. I was able to redirect that manipulation and get him to do what he needed to do to try to save his life."

Conti was just a few years into her legal career when Gacy invited her and her partner, her late husband Gregory Adamski, to the Menard Correctional Center downstate to help him with some civil court matters. Gacy apparently had learned of her work before the U.S. Supreme Court representing the Democratic Party of Cook County in a ballot access case.

Not long after that first meeting, Conti and Adamski agreed to represent Gacy in his efforts to avoid the death penalty for killing 33 young men and boys, most of whose bodies were found buried under his Norwood Park Township home.

Why take on a client who's guilty of what you call "evil, vile acts?"

"I thought it was important to take a stand against the death penalty, even for someone like him," she told us.

Conti said she spent more than 40 hours with Gacy in the final years of his life, through his unsuccessful appeals and ultimately his execution by lethal injection May 10, 1994.

While never forgetting his terrible crimes, Conti also saw his humanity.

"A person that is so evil, does such evil things, still has a side that is human," she said. "He wasn't my friend, and I didn't like him, but he was a human being."

Besides her experiences with Gacy, Conti said she hopes readers see her story as one of women's empowerment. It recounts how she was treated differently than her male colleagues by judges, the media and others, but she didn't allow it to make her bitter or resentful.

"It's about how a difficult and challenging situation can make you more resilient, a better person and, in my case, a better lawyer."

Why now?

It's been nearly three decades since Gacy's execution, so why share this story now? Conti told us the idea came to her after the Peacock streaming service aired a six-part documentary series about Gacy called "Devil in Disguise." Her appearance in the series led to three production companies reaching out asking to tell her story.

She declined, instead deciding to write her story herself.

The book is set for release March 26, and will be available at Amazon and other retailers.

Woodridge chief exiting

Woodridge Police Chief Brian Cunningham is retiring this month, ending a 39-year law enforcement career.

Before his seven years in Woodridge, Cunningham served with the Burr Ridge and Naperville police departments.

One might think getting to help design and build a new police station, which Woodridge opened a few months ago, might be the most memorable experience of his time with the village.

But Cunningham says what he’ll remember most is how residents responded when a tornado hit in 2021, leveling 31 houses and damaging 500 more.

“During this difficult time, members of the community stood by our side as we responded to hundreds of life-threatening calls,” Cunningham said in a news release announcing his retirement.

Cunningham will sign off Jan. 24. There will be a farewell reception at 5 p.m. Jan. 18, at village hall.

Want fries with that?

You can't make this stuff up.

It's 9:06 p.m. Sunday night. This comes over the police scanner in Wheaton:

Dispatcher: "(call number) the missing nuggets. 2030 S. Naperville Road. (pause) She paid for a Happy Meal and did not get the nuggets. So wait outside."

Officer: "Did she go inside to try to talk to the business regarding this?"

Dispatcher: "Have no idea."

Officer: "This is what we call job security.“

How did it turn out? The officer and the woman went in to the restaurant, and the woman received the nuggets and a new Happy Meal.

Different kind of drug dog

The Glendale Heights Police Department is thankful for the gift of a bloodhound, which it will use to search for missing people and criminal suspects.

The dog’s name is Ivy — after the business that donated money to pay for her, Ivy Hall marijuana dispensary.

“Ivy Hall is committed to being a good steward of our license, a great corporate citizen, and on behalf of our ownership group and team members, we welcome Ivy to the force,” Greg Elliott, chief growth officer of Ivy Hall and the majority owner of the Glendale Heights dispensary license, said in a news release from the village. “We know she will serve the residents of Glendale Heights with dedication in the years ahead.”

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