More than three decades after the arrest of serial killer John Wayne Gacy , authorities in Chicago have launched a new effort to identify eight of his 33 victims . The Cook County Sheriff 's Office says new technology has allowed it to obtain DNA profiles for the eight victims , whose remains were recovered from Gacy 's house in late 1978 and early 1979 but were never identified . `` These were eight young men who had futures , and one of the most evil people to ever be on this planet destroyed their lives , '' Sheriff Thomas Dart said Wednesday . Gacy was convicted in 1980 of raping and killing 33 boys and young men he had lured into his home over a period of six years , promising them construction jobs , drugs and alcohol , or by posing as a police officer or offering money for sex . Twenty-eight of the bodies were discovered under and around Gacy 's home , with most found in the 40-foot crawl space beneath the house and garage . Gacy said there were four others he had thrown into the Des Plaines River . Gacy was put to death in 1994 . The latest effort to identify the eight victims began this year when the sheriff 's office decided to clear dozens of the department 's cold case investigations . The eight unknown Gacy victims make up the department 's largest cold case , so Dart approved their exhumations in order to obtain new DNA evidence and , if possible , identify them . Authorities used the DNA samples to compile profiles of each of the eight victims . It shows that they are white males between 14 and 32 years old , and authorities have even listed the approximate dates of their disappearances . The department is now seeking family members who had a male relative go missing in the 1970s and are willing to donate a DNA sample for comparison . `` The public coming forward will allow us to do DNA matches that were not available 30 years ago , '' Dart said Wednesday . `` It 's not intrusive . It 's something that is very straightforward . We have hot lines , websites set up for people to contact us , and in short order , we can conduct any of the matches that need to be done . '' After Gacy 's arrest , authorities learned that some of his identified victims had never been reported missing , the sheriff 's office said . One reason was that the victims had been estranged from their families . Another possible reason is that the relevant missing persons reports never made it to Chicago . Gacy was known to have targeted bus stations , the sheriff 's office said , seeking victims who were traveling . Those interested in giving a DNA sample can contact the Cook County Sheriff 's Office at 1-800-942-1950 or www.cookcountysheriff.com .
Authorities want to identify some of John Wayne Kennedy 's victims . They are among 33 men and boys Gacy killed in the shooting . Police hope new DNA tests can help identify the victims .