Watch The Clown and the Candyman

The Clown and the Candyman is a true-crime documentary series that explores the horrifying events of two of America's most notorious serial killers who operated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The show is available to watch on the streaming service discovery+. The documentary is directed by John Block and features interviews with law enforcement officials, surviving family members of the victims, and journalists who covered the cases. The documentary is based on a groundbreaking investigation by journalist Jacqueline Bynon and her team, who spent several years tracing the intersecting paths of John Wayne Gacy and Dean Corll, two serial killers who preyed on vulnerable teenage boys.

The series is divided into four episodes, each exploring a different aspect of the case. The first episode sets the scene by introducing the two killers and their modus operandi. John Wayne Gacy, known as the 'Killer Clown,' was a respected businessman who lived in Chicago but secretly killed at least 33 boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Dean Corll, also known as the 'Candyman,' was a charismatic and affable man who operated a candy factory in Houston, Texas, but killed at least 28 boys and young men between 1970 and 1973.

The second episode focuses on the investigation of John Wayne Gacy and the challenges faced by law enforcement in identifying victims and linking them to the killer. The documentary highlights the crucial role played by forensic science in solving the case and the groundbreaking use of facial reconstruction to help identify victims whose bodies were buried in Gacy's crawl space.

The third episode delves into the investigation of Dean Corll and the difficulties faced by law enforcement in identifying his victims and bringing him to justice. The documentary explores the role played by Corll's two teenage accomplices, David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, in luring and assisting in the murder of their classmates and acquaintances.

The final episode ties together the threads of the two cases and reveals how their paths intersected. The documentary explores the possible connections between the two killers and the chilling possibility that they may have operated together or influenced each other's behavior. The episode also highlights the impact of the crimes on the families of the victims and the wider community, with some powerful and emotional interviews with those left behind.

Throughout the series, the documentary features archive footage, photographs, and original artwork created by John Wayne Gacy himself. The series also includes interviews with Jacqueline Bynon, who discusses her research and the challenges of uncovering new information about the cases. The documentary also features Skip Hollandsworth, a Texas Monthly journalist who wrote extensively about the Dean Corll case, and Dan Furstenfeld, a criminal profiler who provides insight into the minds of the killers and their motivations.

Overall, The Clown and the Candyman is a compelling and thought-provoking documentary series that sheds new light on two of America's most notorious cases. The series presents a detailed and sensitive portrayal of the killers, their victims, and the wider context of the crimes, making it a must-watch for true-crime enthusiasts and anyone interested in the darker aspects of human behavior.

The Clown and the Candyman is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between January 18, 2021 and on discovery+