On Dec. 11, 1978, serial killer John Wayne Gacy walked into Nisson Pharmacy in Des Plaines, In poor health., to debate a reworking job with the shop proprietor. Little did anybody know on the time, he was about to come across his ultimate sufferer — and proof that might assist put him behind bars.
It was early night and Robert Piest, 15, a neighborhood highschool scholar and part-time worker, was there working, alongside his classmate and pal Kim Byers, 17. At one level, Byers borrowed Rob’s parka. Throughout her shift, she crammed out a kind to develop a roll of movie and stuffed it into Rob’s coat pocket. Later that night, Piest would put his parka again on to take out the trash.
Byer’s movie receipt would turn out to be an vital piece of proof within the investigation of Gacy, the serial killer who was finally charged with the homicide of over 33 younger males, together with Piest, his ultimate sufferer.
When questioned by police, Gacy denied he’d ever met Piest however when investigators discovered the movie receipt at Gacy’s home, they knew he had lied.
Now, 46 years after Piest’s dying, Byer’s daughter Courtney Lund O’Neil has written a brand new ebook Postmortem: What Survives The John Wayne Gacy Murders about her mom’s friendship with Piest, and the way the investigation into his disappearance would result in his eventual arrest.
In an unique excerpt shared with PEOPLE, the writer recounts her mom’s recollections of the final evening of Piest’s life.
On December 11, 1978, Kim arrived late at Nisson Pharmacy for her 5 o’clock shift. It was 31 levels when she arrived. Rob got here to work shortly after her, sporting brown pants, a beige shirt and his favourite blue parka. She labored the register, and Rob busied himself pricing and checking in new gadgets to be shelved.
A brand new particular person was working within the retailer that evening. He was a big man, obese, his barely receding brown hair laced with silver. The person didn’t acknowledge Kim. They ran into one another within the aisles of the pharmacy.
“Who’s that man?” Kim requested the proprietor, Phil, on the pharmacy counter.
“A contractor,” Phil mentioned. “Larry and I requested him to take measurements for the shop. You understand, a doable facelift.” Phil mentioned it just like the contractor was a household pal.
Midway by means of the shift, the wind chill nipped at Kim by the entrance door. Rob had set his parka down on some packing containers subsequent to the entrance left checkout counter.
“Hey, Rob,” she mentioned. “Thoughts if I borrow your jacket?”
He handed her his blue parka.
Halfway by means of her shift, Kim determined she needed to develop a roll of movie. She slipped the movie roll right into a pink and white envelope. As soon as it was appropriately crammed out and sealed, with the movie secure inside, she tore off the highest receipt. In her proper hand, she went to discard the receipt, however then paused and slipped it into Rob’s parka pocket as an alternative.
The remainder of Kim’s shift dragged on. She solid round, ringing up company and listening to conversations her boss had with the unusual man within the retailer. He estimated the price of the rework could be $1,600. The contractor left round 7:15. He additionally left his coffee-colored appointment ebook on the pharmacy counter.
Round 8 p.m., it was nearing the top of Rob’s shift and he wanted to take out the trash. “Hey, thoughts if I take my jacket again?” he requested Kim.
Kim slid out of the blue parka and handed it to Rob. He zipped it as much as his chin to maintain out the chilly.
As Rob carried the plastic baggage to the dumpster within the again, he observed school-age youngsters taking part in within the snowbanks. A woman observed him and flirtatiously chucked a snowball at him.
“Hey!” Rob mentioned. The lady laughed and ran down the alley, again into the dance on the Iroquois Junior Excessive Faculty. Within the wind and snow, Rob hefted the trash over his shoulder and into the can [then] headed again inside.
Someday within the final hour of Rob’s shift, the contractor returned. He grabbed his forgotten appointment ebook. He lingered, noticing Rob. He usually employed excessive schoolers with good work habits to assist him on numerous tasks. It wouldn’t elicit suspicion if he supplied this child a job. The contractor meandered; irregularly walked the pharmacy aisles, pretended to eye the shelving once more.
At 8:55 p.m. [Robert’s mom] Elizabeth Piest entered the shop. She greeted Kim, she greeted Rob. The evening was imagined to be particular. Elizabeth was turning 46 and anxious to get again and blow out candles. She had a birthday cake ready at dwelling. The entire household was ready for her and Rob on the home.
Rob was ending his stocking job whereas his mother waited and he approached Kim round 9 p.m. a ultimate time. “That contractor needs to speak to me a few summer season job that may pay me $5 an hour. Thoughts watching the entrance for a minute?” The minimal wage was $2.50, so the contractor’s supply made him gentle up on the prospects the cash may supply.
Kim checked out Rob, and his picture imprinted in her thoughts. Loyal, good-looking, sturdy.
“Okay,” she mentioned. “See you quickly.”
He appeared from Kim to his mom and mentioned, “I’ll be proper again.”
“Okay, honey,” Mrs. Piest mentioned. “I’ll be proper right here.”
The door shut behind him, and she or he thought nothing of it. However for the remainder of her life, she’d see his departure, the closing of the door in gradual movement.
Rob by no means got here again into Nisson Pharmacy. After about 10 minutes, Kim went out again to search for him. He was gone. She noticed footprints within the icy snow, tire tracks of the contractor’s automotive.
Rob’s mom went out to search for him as effectively and noticed nothing. However deep down, a rock instantly fashioned on the basin of Elizabeth Piest’s abdomen. The place may he have gone?
At 9:20 p.m., Elizabeth Piest had been ready for over 20 minutes for Rob to come back again contained in the pharmacy. Kim informed her that Rob requested her to look at the register on the entrance of the shop, close to the door, whereas he talked to the development man outdoors.
By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free every day e-newsletter to remain up-to-date on the very best of what PEOPLE has to supply, from celeb information to driving human curiosity tales.
Arriving again dwelling, Elizabeth glanced at her birthday cake, suspended in time on the eating room desk. “Anybody from Nisson’s name?” she requested her husband. Harold shook his head.She grabbed the phone, hoping Rob had returned to Nisson Pharmacy and Kim forgot to name.
Kim answered the telephone. “Not but,” she mentioned. Mrs. Piest detected fear within the younger lady’s voice.
“Who was he speaking to outdoors? Who was that man?”
The household determined they’d all go to the police for assist.
Harold [Rob’s father] drove them to the Des Plaines Police Station. The household rushed to the counter to talk to the watch officer, George Konieczny.
Elizabeth breathed in, out, however her concern was making it practically not possible to calm down. “My son, Robert Jerome Piest, is lacking,” she gasped.
On Dec. 12, authorities contacted John Gacy. Ronald Adams was the youth officer assigned to the case. Adams received Gacy on the telephone and requested if he had been within the pharmacy the earlier evening. Gacy confirmed that he had. “Did you communicate to Robert Piest final evening?”
Gacy was agency. “No, I by no means spoke to him.”
From Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders by Courtney Lund O’Neil. Reprinted with permission from Kensington Books. Copyright 2025.
Postmortem: What Survives The John Wayne Gacy Murders is offered now from Citadel, wherever books are offered.