ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — When defense attorneys for John Wayne Gacy argued their client couldn’t receive a fair trial in Cook County, the judge turned to Rockford.

In 1980, the entire jury for the trial of Gacy — the Chicago-area man convicted of murdering 33 young men and boys — was selected from Winnebago County.

The move was a compromise crafted by Judge Louis Garippo. The defense requested a change of venue. Prosecutors petitioned to keep the proceedings local. Garippo ordered that the trial would remain in Chicago, but the jury would be selected from Rockford.

Jury selection took place at the Winnebago County Courthouse beginning Jan. 28, 1980, where dozens of potential jurors were questioned about their knowledge of the case and their ability to remain impartial.

The final panel —

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