Long before GPS and cell towers stitched America together, the backroads of the Midwest hid more than grain silos and farmhouses. Along the Mississippi River’s quieter bends—between Illinois and Iowa—lies a stretch of country roads, ravines, and drainage ditches that may still be holding secrets tied to one of America’s most prolific serial killers: John Wayne Gacy.
The Forgotten Sites Outside Chicago
Most people know Gacy for the 29 bodies discovered beneath his suburban Chicago home in Norwood Park Township. Another four were fished from the Des Plaines River. But Gacy didn’t always stay close to home—and police long suspected he dumped more victims in the sprawling farmland west of the city.
The suspected dumping corridor runs from Savanna, Illinois, down through Clinton and Camanche, Iowa, and across backroads hugging the Upper Mississippi River Valley. These aren’t neighborhoods—they’re wooded gullies, roadside culverts, and forgotten dirt pull-offs where a car can idle without a soul passing for hours.
Why These Locations?
Gacy traveled extensively for work as a contractor, often driving through northwest Illinois and into Iowa. He had connections in Dubuque, Clinton, Rockford, and even small towns like Mt. Carroll. In interviews and reports, Gacy hinted at other crimes—mentioning he dumped bodies “all over the place” and jokingly referenced “taking road trips” with his victims.
Though never confirmed, law enforcement has revisited this region more than once. Over the years, cadaver dogs have been brought into Apple River Canyon, rural Savanna, and Thomson Causeway—publicly with no findings, but always with suspicion.
Known Suspected Dump Sites
These spots have come up repeatedly in missing persons forums and independent investigations:
- Thomson Sand Pits (IL-84 north of Thomson)
Isolated sand quarry area off the riverbank. Easy to access from the road, totally silent at night. - Blanding Landing Rec Area (south of Galena)
Thick with overgrowth, seasonal roads, and a boat ramp with very few visitors in fall/winter. - Woods east of Savanna Army Depot
Adjacent to restricted former military land—off-limits to the public now, but back then, just a desolate stretch of brush and rails. - Clinton, IA levee system
The river runs dark and quiet here. Locals have stories—no proof, just a steady unease when walking the trails after sundown.
Still Missing
Several young men disappeared between 1972 and 1978 and were never identified among Gacy’s recovered victims. A handful vanished along Gacy’s known travel routes—between Des Moines, Rockford, and Chicago. Their families never stopped wondering if the answers are buried just a few feet below soft Midwest soil.
Visiting the Dumping Ground Today
If you’re the kind of traveler who chases the dark corners of American history, this region isn’t tourist-ready. There are no plaques or guides. Just dirt roads, cottonwoods, and the smell of river mud. Here’s what to know:
- Start in Savanna, IL, and drive south on IL-84. Bring a map—cell signal is spotty.
- Pull over at rural trailheads and boat ramps, especially near Thomson Causeway or Lock & Dam 13.
- Respect private property—much of this area is farmland or federally protected.
- Locals are talkative, especially older residents. Ask the right questions, and you may hear a story.
Why It Still Matters
The FBI believes Gacy may have killed more than 33 victims. Some were likely buried, some discarded, and some forgotten in places like these—abandoned not just by their killer but by the system that never found them.
The “dumping ground” isn’t a marked spot. It’s an uneasy stretch of middle America that hums with a silence you can’t explain. It’s the kind of place where if you stop the car and kill the engine, you’ll hear wind through the stalks, a distant barge horn, and maybe—if you sit long enough—the echo of something Gacy hoped would stay buried.
