Grey’s Anatomy Star Reveals Survival Story: Drugged and Abused by Notorious Killer John Wayne Gacy
Grey’s Anatomy actor Jack Merrill recently shared a haunting story of survival, recounting how he was drugged and assaulted by infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy in 1978. For the first time, Merrill has chosen to reveal details of the horrific encounter, hoping his journey of resilience inspires others while shedding light on his past struggles.
In 1978, a then 19-year-old Merrill had just finished a swimming lesson at a YMCA near Chicago. As he was leaving, Gacy, who was a stranger to him, approached and offered him a ride. At first, Merrill felt an odd hesitation, but he accepted, thinking, “If he thought I was different from others he’d picked up, maybe I should just stick with it.”
What followed was a twisted encounter that would forever change Merrill’s life. Inside Gacy’s car, Merrill recalled, Gacy forcefully pressed drugs to his face, knocking him unconscious almost instantly.
When Merrill regained consciousness, he found himself handcuffed and at Gacy’s mercy. Inside the dark and unsettling walls of Gacy’s home, the young Merrill faced a terrifying realization.
“A light from the back of the house hit him in the eyes,” Merrill described, “and suddenly I knew I couldn’t anger him.” Alone and outmatched, he relied on his survival instincts, deciding to remain calm and appear compliant, hoping it would help him escape.
Gacy’s twisted mind games continued as he asked Merrill if he trusted him. When Merrill cautiously replied “yes,” Gacy took off the handcuffs briefly, allowing them to drink beer and smoke.
The reprieve was short-lived, however, as Gacy soon placed Merrill back in handcuffs, binding him in a cruel contraption with ropes and pulleys that choked him if he moved.
The torture escalated. Gacy assaulted Merrill with a gun to his mouth, ultimately leading to the assault that left Merrill both physically and emotionally scarred. “I knew if I fought him, I didn’t have much of a chance,” he remembered.
Yet, despite the unimaginable cruelty, Merrill experienced a strange empathy for Gacy, seeing in him a man incapable of halting his own monstrous actions.
After hours of torment, Merrill sensed Gacy’s energy waning. To his shock, Gacy announced he would take Merrill home, eventually dropping him off near the YMCA where they had met. Before parting, Gacy even offered Merrill his phone number, suggesting they meet again—a request Merrill promptly refused, flushing the number down the toilet once home.
That night, reeling from the trauma, Merrill sought comfort in routine, heading to a local diner. “I made a pact with myself that I was going to get past this. I wasn’t going to leave my happiness in that house,” he said, recalling the determination that carried him forward despite the scars.
It wasn’t until months later, while reading an article in the , that Merrill realized the full horror of his encounter: the man who had tortured him was a notorious killer. The revelation brought back painful memories and a sense of having been “stained” by the experience.
Determined to rebuild his life, Merrill moved to New York at 21, enrolling in the NYU drama department, where he found solace in theater. Years later, in 1986, he co-founded the Off-Broadway troupe Naked Angels, a creative outlet that became his sanctuary and helped him channel his pain into art.
Though Merrill shared his ordeal with only a few close friends over the years, he has now transformed his story into a one-man show called . Running at Los Angeles’s Electric Lodge from October 24 to November 3, the performance marks a major step in his healing journey. Reflecting on his life, Merrill says, “I’m proud of the journey.
I was able to learn from the bad and use it for the good.”
Jack Merrill’s story is one of resilience in the face of unimaginable horror. What are your thoughts on his experience and his courage in sharing it? Share your reflections and join the conversation below.
