ShadowReports is a digital media site that publishes original investigative reports and unique feature stories.
Based in Chicago, ShadowReports is committed to high-quality journalism and reporting that goes well beyond the limited coverage provided by the large news agencies.
Chris Maloney, Founder
Maloney launched ShadowReports in January 2011. His first major investigative article for the site, “Unfinished Nightmare: The Search for More Victims of John Wayne Gacy” was posted in February 2011.
The story received national attention and was the catalyst for authorities to reopen the investigation in October 2011.
In January 2012, Maloney published the eBooks, Unfinished Nightmare: The Search for More Victims of John Wayne Gacy (Amazon), and Eaten Alive: Five Killer Croc Attacks (Amazon).
Maloney won the 2009 Golden Key Literary Achievement Award in news writing and has been published in Shape, Hustler, PGATour.com, The Huffington Post and Yahoo! Singapore – a homepage feature story.
In addition, Maloney is a marketing consultant for Mythopolis Pictures, a Singapore-based production company. He was part of the guerrilla marketing team for the Mythopolis low-budget horror film Haunted Changi, which was the number one movie in Singapore its first week of release in Sept. 2010.
Previously, Maloney was a recruiter and marketing consultant for Brokerage Consultants, a financial recruiting firm based in Chicago.
Maloney earned his M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University in 2005 and a B.A. in journalism from the University of Dayton in 1991.
Dear Mr. Maloney,
Thanks for your excellent report on John Wayne Gacy and the investigation by the CPD. Very interesting. One thing stuck with me after reading the story was Cmdr. Thomas’ comment:
“We found a glass marble, a flattened sauce pan, a two and a half-foot length of wire, a large chunk of concrete and a preponderance of roots in both holes,” said Thomas, who would later hold the No. 2 job in the department.”
While West Miami Ave is tree-lined a quick look back at historic aerial photos of the area may reveal whether or not area around the apartment bldg. had tree cover back in the 70s. Why? Because Im hard pressed to believe that they found roots underneath a paved parking lot. Furthermore, if there were large trees all around the site, then it is likely that the soils would not be strewn with wastes such as wire and concrete.
Just a thought.
Dave
Please send me notifications of new updates.
Subscribe by email to this site
When I read Cmdr. Thomas’ comment:
“We found a glass marble, a flattened sauce pan, a two and a half-foot length of wire, a large chunk of concrete and a preponderance of roots in both holes,”
I immediately thought it strange to feel ‘sarcasm’ in the ‘telling’ of these items (rather than stating: no remains found)–much like I found it strange years ago when Kenneth Lay erupted at a reporter about accounting questions, before the Enron debacle became public.
Keep digging is my ‘feeling’.
Why has the next article on crocodile attacks not come out yet??? First it was supposed to come out in March, then April 5….where is it????
The five-part croc story will debut next week on Tuesday, April 12. Sorry about the delay.
Chris Maloney
Founder, ShadowReports
Cool, looking forward to it! Thanks for the update!!
looking forward to the next part of the croc story
An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a colleague who
has been conducting a little research on this. And he actually ordered me lunch
simply because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this….
Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this
topic here on your internet site.
Hi Chris, i am a retired police officer from north burbs, ive had some very interesting info regarding more victims of gacy, please get in touch, ive talked with bill dorsch too
Mr Maloney, are there any records on JWG travels. When I was a teenager I lived in Springfield Illinois. There was an incident that happened in 1977 I remember. I guy stopped me as I was walking through a car dealership parking lot and asked me if I wanted to smoke some weed. He creeped me out as he was an older guy and i had never had an older person ask me something like that. I had a couple choice words for him and he got pissed and gassed the car and took off. I had not thought of this for years and never made the connection that may have been Gacy until I learned he had lived here once back in the 60s. Just out of curiosity I tried to see where he lived. I found he lived at 3309 NORMANDY, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, That is about 3 blocks from the car dealership that this happened. There is a Walgreens there now. I was shocked when I brought it up on Google maps when i saw in the same frame was the very place the creepy dude asked me if I wanted to smoke some weed. I kinda remembered the car was dark colored 4 door what we would call a boat back then. I did a search on what kind of car he drove and found it matched what I remembered. The reason I am bringing this to your attention is maybe you should look into any missing boys in Springfield at that tie period.
I’m guessing I may be the only person reading your blog who personally knew two of the five crocodile attack victims featured in your reports. Thank you for these well-written summaries. I have often shared them with friends. More compassionate and less sensational than many of the stories that come up with an online search – i.e. the Daily Mail article about Ginger Meadows – and with more personal details than an obituary (Dick Root’s in the New York Times). Ginger and I went to high school together (she was my brother’s classmate) and Dr. Root was a dear family friend and longtime colleague of my father. Needless to say, I plan to stay far, far away from known croc-infested waters.