WHO IS JEFFREY DAHMER?

Are serial killers created or are they born to kill? This question has infatuated many. If scientifically answered this question they are both created and born to kill.

According to the book “ The Anatomy of Violence,” it has been stated by Dr. Adrian Raine that genetics and environment both work together to encourage violent behaviour.

This brings us to the topic of “Jeffrey Dahmer” aka ‘The Milwaukee Cannibal’ or the ‘Milwaukee Monster’.

Jeffrey Dahmer: A Formal Introduction

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer born on 21st May 1960 was an American Serial Killer and a sex offender who committed seventeen murders of several men and boys and engaged in segmentation of his victim’s body parts.

Dahmer’s later murders were associated with necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts.

He was diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and psychotic disorder, but was found to be completely fine (sane) during his trial.

He was convicted of the 15 murders he did out of 16 (the offender says that he doesn’t have any memory of one of the murders)

However, he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate Christopher Scarver on 28th November.

Early Life

Born to Joyce Dahmer and Lionel Dahmer, Jeffrey was just like any other normal kid that you would come across, he had a normal childhood. However, he started to become cold and distant as he grew older.

Apparently, he had an interest in “dead animals”. He might have piqued what he was at the age of four when he saw his father (Lionel Dahmer) extracting animal bones beneath the home.

According to his father, he was thrilled by the sounds of bones, and he would often search beneath and around the home for animal bones. He would also inspect live animals to discover where their bones were located. And in the same year, Lionel taught him how to preserve bones.

Adolescence

By the age of 14, Dahmer began daylight drinking. He mentioned once to his classmate that alcohol was his “medicine”

When he hit puberty he discovered he was gay, and this information didn’t reach his parents. When he was about 16 he had fantasized about knocking out a male jogger and using his body for sexual purposes, whom he had found to be attractive. He admitted that once he hid behind the bushes with a baseball bat in his hand however that particular male didn’t show up that day. This was Dahmer’s first attempt to attack someone.

Late Teens

Dahmer’s late teens weren’t any good either. Dahmer’s grades were degrading but he somehow graduated.

He committed his first murder right after 3 weeks after his graduation.

On 18th June Dahmer lured a hitchhiker named Steven Mark Hicks, who was almost 19. Dahmer lured him into his house promising alcohol and the youth accompanied him.

According to Jeffrey, the sight of Steven half-naked turned him on. Hicks would talk about girls and any sexual attempt made on him by Dahmer will go in vain.

However a few hours later, Hicks wanted to leave but Dahmer didn’t, he wanted Hicks to keep him company so he hit him with a 4.5kg (10 pound) dumbbell and struck his head twice, while Hicks sat on a chair. When he fell unconscious Dahmer strangled him to death, stripped him of his clothes, and masturbated upon his body. He then later disposed of his body, performed dissection, dissolving flesh in acid, and crushed his bones with a sledgehammer and scattering them in the woodland behind the family house.

After a few weeks after Hick’s murder Dahmer enrolled at Ohio State University hoping to major in business, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen mainly because of his alcohol addiction. He soon dropped out after 3 months.

Dahmer later enlisted in the United States Army, trained as a medical specialist, and was later deployed to Germany and worked as a combat medic.

However, because of his alcoholic addiction, he was considered unsuitable for military service and therefore was discharged from the Army.

Return To Ohio

Dahmer soon returned to Ohio and lived with his grandmother.

In 1983 he got a job at Blood Plasma Centre. He reportedly stole a vial of blood and drank it.

Dahmer also used to visit several bathhouses, he gave his partners alcohol mixed with sleeping tablets because he saw them as “objects” instead of people for pleasure. And after many times of Dahmer doing this the bathhouse administration revoked his membership.

He is also known to have mentioned trying to steal a coffin from the ground, but he was unable to do so.

Murders

Dahmer killed 3 people while living with his grandmother and soon after he moved out to his own apartment and his killing spree started then.

Dahmer would lure men that he found on bus stops or near gay bars with a promise of money for various purposes alcohol, and just ‘talking’ but we would end up strangling them instead. He would have sex with the corpse, dismember the body and preserve the skeleton or whichever body part he desired. He also had polaroids of his victim’s body.

He is known to have admitted to ‘eating’ his victims. He would eat parts of thighs, liver, and hearts. He would often inject hydrochloric acid or water into their skulls.

A list of his victims:

Stephen Hicks, 18: June 1978

Steven Tuomi, 26: September 1987

Jamie Doxtator, 14: October 1987

Richard Guerrero, 25: March 1988

Anthony Sears, 24: February 1989

Eddie Smith, 36: June 1990

Ricky Beeks, 27: July 1990

Ernest Miller, 22: September 1990

David Thomas, 23: September 1990

Curtis Straughter, 16: February 1991

Errol Lindsey, 19: April 1991

Tony Hughes, 31: May 24, 1991

Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14: May 27, 1991

Matt Turner, 20: June 30, 1991

Jeremiah Weinberger, 23: July 5, 1991

Oliver Lacy, 23: July 12, 1991

Joseph Bradeholt, 25: July 19, 1991

The Capture

Jeffery Dahmer was captured when he was unsuccessful in holding his victim Tracey Edwards. He had handcuffed Edward but he somehow escaped. Edward was caught by the police while he was still handcuffed and asked the authorities to uncuff him. He guided the cops towards Dahmer’s apartment. Upon Reaching there Dahmer calmly answered their questions but the officers saw the polaroids of his victims later on searching Dahmer’s house they found human body parts and the killer was arrested.

The Trial

According to the events that occurred in the trial, the testimony was based on Dahmer’s confessions and it was said that his necrophilia urges were too much that he was unable to control himself. The defence proved that he was guilty of his actions.

Dahmer was sentenced to 15 life terms. He apologised for his actions and concluded with this statement

“I hated no one. I knew I was sick or evil or both. Now I believe I was sick. The doctors have told me about my sickness, and now I have some peace. I know how much harm I have caused. Thank God there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins. I ask for no consideration.”

Prison Life

Dahmer was sent to Columbia Correctional Institute however he was kept in solitary confinement for his own safety. Soon after he was transferred to a less secure unit and where he was assigned restroom cleaning for two hours daily. He also was baptised and turned into a Christian. While we cannot speak to the validity of these claims, it certainly strikes a chord.

Death

On the morning of 28th November 1994, Dahmer left his cell to do the assigned work followed by two other inmates named Jesse Anderson and Christopher Scarver. For some reason, they were left unsupervised for 20 minutes. Upon returning Dahmer and Anderson were found almost beaten to death by Scarver. Dahmer was suffering from severe head trauma and was immediately rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead an hour later and Anderson died two days later.