Jeffrey Dahmer: The Life and Crimes of a Serial Killer

Post on August 17, 2023.

Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was a notorious American serial killer and sex offender. From 1978 to 1991, he murdered and dismembered seventeen males. Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His crimes were particularly brutal, involving necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts.

Early Life and Crimes

Dahmer's upbringing was tumultuous and he harbored a fascination with deceased animals. By the summer of 1991, he had begun committing approximately one murder per week. He fixated on the notion of transforming his victims into "zombies" to serve as youthful and obedient sexual companions. Dahmer employed a variety of methods, including drilling into their skulls and administering hydrochloric acid or boiling water to their brains. Soon, neighbors began complaining about odd noises and terrible odors emanating from Dahmer's apartment.

Arrest and Conviction

Dahmer was taken into custody on July 22, 1991, following an escape by one of his intended victims, who notified the authorities. Subsequent to a search of his apartment, the police found human remains, including severed heads and other body parts, and photographs of his victims. Dahmer was accused of 17 counts of murder and received a life imprisonment sentence devoid of any possibility of parole. He was incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. On November 28, 1994, he was assaulted and killed by another inmate.

Depictions in Media

Dahmer's criminal activities have been widely covered by documentaries, films, and TV series. A 10-episode series named "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" was released by Netflix in 2022. The series portrays instances where Dahmer came close to being caught before his subsequent conviction and death. The cast includes Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Jenkins as Lionel Dahmer, and Niecy Nash as Glenda, a neighbor who grew suspicious.

Legacy

The ongoing interest in Jeffrey Dahmer spans several decades and owes largely to the grotesque nature of his crimes. This included cannibalism, necrophilia, and inhumane cranial experiments conducted on his unconscious victims. While the families of the victims continue to share their experiences and advocate for memorials, Dahmer remains a subject of fascination among many.

The Victims and Their Stories

Between 1978 and 1991, American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys. He targeted his male victims, primarily of the black race, by luring them from gay bars, malls, and bus stops with offerings of money or sex and eventually took them to his residence where he drugged and strangled them. Post-mortem, he engaged in sexual acts with the bodies, dismembered them and disposed of the remains, often keeping their skulls or genitals as mementos.

Dahmer focused on individuals who frequently relocated, hindering journalists from obtaining comprehensive data concerning their backgrounds. Consequently, the identities of the 17 males Dahmer murdered have often been omitted in accounts of the offenses. Nonetheless, based on available information and Anne E. Schwartz's book on the case ("Monster: The True Story of the Jeffrey Dahmer Murders"), the following outlines what is known about each victim.

The Victims

Steven Hicks: Dahmer's first victim, Hicks was a hitchhiker who Dahmer picked up in 1978. Dahmer killed him with a barbell and buried his body in the woods.
Steven Tuomi: Dahmer met Tuomi at a bar in 1987 and took him back to his hotel room, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Jamie Doxtator: Doxtator was a 14-year-old boy who Dahmer met at a bus stop in 1988. Dahmer lured him to his grandmother's house, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Richard Guerrero: Dahmer met Guerrero at a bus stop in 1988 and lured him to his grandmother's house, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Anthony Sears: Sears was Dahmer's first victim whom he killed in his apartment. Dahmer kept his head and genitals as souvenirs.
Eddie Smith: Dahmer met Smith at a bar in 1990 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Ricky Beeks: Dahmer met Beeks at a bar in 1990 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Ernest Miller: Dahmer met Miller at a bus stop in 1990 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
David Thomas: Dahmer met Thomas at a mall in 1990 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Curtis Straughter: Dahmer met Straughter at a bus stop in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Errol Lindsey: Dahmer met Lindsey at a bus stop in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Tony Hughes: Dahmer met Hughes at a bus stop in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Konerak Sinthasomphone: Dahmer met Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old boy, at a bus stop in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he drugged him and attempted to kill him. Sinthasomphone escaped, but Dahmer convinced the police that he was his 19-year-old lover and took him back to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Matt Turner: Dahmer met Turner at a bus stop in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Jeremiah Weinberger: Dahmer met Weinberger at a mall in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Oliver Lacy: Dahmer met Lacy at a mall in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.
Joseph Bradehoft: Dahmer met Bradehoft at a bar in 1991 and lured him to his apartment, where he killed him and dismembered his body.

The Aftermath

Dahmer was taken into custody in 1991 when one of his victims, Tracy Edwards, managed to escape and inform the authorities. Following a thorough search of Dahmer's residence, police discovered the remains of 11 victims, along with Polaroid photographs of Dahmer's slain victims arranged in an open drawer – positioned naked and dismembered. The apartment was so replete with dismembered human remains, stored and displayed with such meticulousness, that the medical examiner compared the procedures to dismantling an individual's personal museum, rather than evaluating an ordinary crime scene.

Dahmer admitted committing over a dozen murders, involving torture, mutilation, and the desecration of corpses. He received 15 consecutive life sentences for this spree and was unlawfully killed by another prisoner at the Columbia Correctional Institution where he was serving his time.

The Legacy

The case of Jeffrey Dahmer presented exceptional circumstances due to the nature of the murders, intense media coverage, and the sexual orientation of many of the victims. The producers of the Netflix show "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" stated that the aim of the program was to recount the stories of the victims, rather than presenting Dahmer's perspective. However, the 10-episode series allocates insufficient time to anyone other than Dahmer. This focus has resulted in criticism of the show from media outlets and the family members of the victims.