The Murder of Adrian Mellon

The hate crime that triggered the new cycle of violence in 1984, and the appearance of Pennywise.

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The Attack

The Canal Days Murder The Festival During the Canal Days Festival in Derry, a gay man named Adrian Mellon was attacked by three teenagers after he left a bar. They beat him and threw him off the Main Street Bridge into the Canal. The Clown Under the bridge, a clown—Pennywise—was waiting. It attacked Adrian, tearing him apart. The teenagers claimed they saw a clown, but the police dismissed it as a hallucination. The Aftermath The murder was the first in a new series of child killings. It signaled that It had awakened after twenty-seven years. Mike Hanlon recognized the pattern and began to prepare.

The Cover-Up

The Denial The Trial The three teenagers were tried for manslaughter. The prosecution suppressed any mention of the clown, fearing it would undermine the case. The defendants were convicted, but the truth about It remained hidden. The Investigation Mike Hanlon investigated the murder and found similarities to George Denbrough's death. He realized that It was active again. He began to monitor the situation, waiting for the right moment to call the Losers. The Catalyst Adrian Mellon's murder was the catalyst that brought the Losers back together. It was the first sign that the cycle had resumed, and it forced Mike to act.

July 21st, 1984

1984-1985