Charles A. Hattula, 25, died on May 13, 1978, in Freeport, Illinois. His body was recovered from the Pecatonica River; authorities in Des Plaines were told Hattula had fallen from a bridge and his death was ruled accidental.

Hattula worked for PDM Contractors, a company connected to John Wayne Gacy, and reportedly had conflicts with Gacy. Because investigators later examined Gacy’s crimes, Hattula’s name has been mentioned as a possible additional victim, and some have speculated his body might have been disposed of in the river rather than buried elsewhere. No definitive evidence links Gacy to Hattula’s death, and no arrests or charges have been filed in relation to it.

The circumstances that led to Hattula entering the river remain unclear. Did anyone who knew Hattula at the time notice conflicts with Gacy or other unusual events around May 1978?