Plot Synopsis

THE CLOWN AND THE CANDYMAN is a two-part special that chronicles the stories of two sadistic killers -- Dean Corll (aka Candyman) and John Wayne Gacy (aka The Killer Clown) -- who individually murdered dozens of young men while going undetected for much of the 1970s until fate intervened, revealing their depraved actions to a shocked world. Gacy often performed as a clown for hospitals and charity events and became known as "The Killer Clown," while Corll, whose family owned a factory, often gave away candy to kids in the neighborhood which earned him the nickname "The Candyman." Gacy and Corll were far more sinister than their outward facing personas, and their depraved actions resulted in the deaths of more than 60 young men and women and brought heartbreak to countless families, with some of their victims still unidentified to this day. The police believed the murders were the work of sole killers, but for the first time, the sordid secret revealing the network of pedophiles spanning the country is explored. This network included prominent members of American society with tentacles in some of our most trusted institutions. This two-parter takes viewers down the rabbit hole to a murky world of predators in the '70s. Centered around the evil of Gacy and Corll, the special offers a deep dive into their crimes, how they were discovered, and the race to identify their remaining nameless victims. The special also investigates their connections to John David Norman, the key operator of a nationwide pedophile ring, while never-before-heard tapes of Gacy offers viewers a glimpse into the disturbed man and his hideous actions. discovery+ released both 85-minute installments on:

"Two Monsters": Corll and Gacy each murdered dozens of boys, undetected for years in the 1970s. However, new evidence uncovers the shocking connection between them and a nationwide pedophile ring.

"The Apex Predator": Corll and Gacy's links to an elaborate nationwide pedophile trafficking ring are revealed for the first time -- a network that included prominent members of society with tentacles in some of our most trusted organizations.

Two months after discovery+ dropped both episodes on Friday, January 15, 2021, THE CLOWN AND THE CANDYMAN made its linear television debut on Sunday, March 14, 2021 from 9-11pm ET/PT, as Investigation Discovery aired Part 1 ("Two Monsters").