Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer
Born May 21, 1960
Known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who committed the
murder and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia,
cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts—typically all or part of the skeleton.
Although he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder,
Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial. He was convicted of 15 of the 16 murders he had committed in Wisconsin, and
was sentenced to 15 terms of life imprisonment on February 15, 1992. Dahmer was later sentenced to a 16th term of life
imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978.
On November 28, 1994, Dahmer was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional
Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.
Childhood: what caused his behaviour later in life? And how he committed, and why?
Mother suffered postnatal depression. Moved house. Had surgery at 4 years of age, behaviour changed, felt “withdrawn”.
Problems in parents’ marriage, lived with extreme tension, neglected at times with mothers mental state and fathers education
goals. 1966 mother fell pregnant again with a boy, moved house again. Teachers noticed that Jeffrey felt neglected. “Normal
reaction” for new sibling. However Jeffrey was even more withdrawn from the world and scared of new people- birth of brother
impact?.
Started to show unusual signs and grew an obsession with dead beings. Becoming lethargic and solitary. Would watch father
remove dead carcasses from under the house at the age of 4 years old, this grew an obsession. Fascinated by dissecting the
bodies and looking at structure. Was encouraged by father who thought it would increase his biology interest. Age 7 caught
bucket of tadpoles, for a teacher as a gift, when Jeffrey found out they were passed onto someone else, he saw this as rejection.
He later killed these tadpoles with engine oil.
1968, moved house again, by 1970 mother was hospitalised for psychiatric problems, drugs? In adolescent years he became
more isolated, played odd pranks, and became a heavy drinker, faked epileptic fits. Excelled in biology, dissected a lot, at 14 he
was reliant on alcohol to supress urges and the fact he was gay, which he was ashamed of. Also at 14, planned his first murder,
male jogger, didn’t go as planned. 1978, graduated from highschool, his parents had a bitter divorce, no custody over him but
there was over his brother, Jeffrey left homeless, however parents and brother later left the family home, leaving Jeffrey alone.
Family rarely checked on him, alcohol problems increased and he was able to work on fantasies.
June 18th 1978
Jeffrey ran out of drink so drove to pick up supplies on his way back spotted a hitch hiker, and offered lift back. Steven hicks was
18 on the way to a concert, was persuaded to stop for a beer at Jeffrey’s. hicks tried to leave and Jeffrey tried to stop him but
soon fought him off. As he turned away Jeffrey hit him over the head with a bar bell, knocking him unconscious, then strangling
him. With the unconscious body he fulfilled his sexual urges and layed on the floor with the corpse. Dissected the corpse in a
bath and hid the body in drain pipe. And dissolved the rest in acid and flushed it. He smashed the bones and scattered them in a
nearby forest.
When family visited they described him as looking “dead” “spiralling out of control” and “heavily drinking”.
Shortly after he enrolled in ohio state university he lasted a semester before dropping out, after his dad found him black out
drunk in his dorm. Later that year his father remarried. After his dad refusing to feed his addiction he joined the US army in
1979,he trained as a medical specialist. After working in Germany his “demons returned” and he started drinking heavily. 2
soldiers admitted being raped by Jeffrey, one over a 17 month period and the other claimed to be drugged starting in 1979. In
1981 he was undeemed by the army because of his drinking problem.
He used his discharged plane ticket to fly to Miami beach, florida as he was ashamed to go home to his parents. He found an
employment and rented a room in a motel, he spent most of his money on alcohol and was soon evicted for not paying rent. He
slept on the beach a couple of upcoming nights and later phones his father wanting to come home. After 2 weeks living with his
father and his fathers new wife he was arrested for drunk and disorderly.
December 1981 lived with his grandmother, she thought of him as a “perfect” grandson. 1982 he found employment at a blood
centre. After a few weeks he was arrested for indecent exposure,after he exposed himself to women and children at a local park.
1985 hired as a mixer at a chocolate factory, was banned from a gay bar for drugging men in booths, he liked control over the
“act”.
Born May 21, 1960
Known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who committed the
murder and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia,
cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts—typically all or part of the skeleton.
Although he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder,
Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial. He was convicted of 15 of the 16 murders he had committed in Wisconsin, and
was sentenced to 15 terms of life imprisonment on February 15, 1992. Dahmer was later sentenced to a 16th term of life
imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978.
On November 28, 1994, Dahmer was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional
Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.
Childhood: what caused his behaviour later in life? And how he committed, and why?
Mother suffered postnatal depression. Moved house. Had surgery at 4 years of age, behaviour changed, felt “withdrawn”.
Problems in parents’ marriage, lived with extreme tension, neglected at times with mothers mental state and fathers education
goals. 1966 mother fell pregnant again with a boy, moved house again. Teachers noticed that Jeffrey felt neglected. “Normal
reaction” for new sibling. However Jeffrey was even more withdrawn from the world and scared of new people- birth of brother
impact?.
Started to show unusual signs and grew an obsession with dead beings. Becoming lethargic and solitary. Would watch father
remove dead carcasses from under the house at the age of 4 years old, this grew an obsession. Fascinated by dissecting the
bodies and looking at structure. Was encouraged by father who thought it would increase his biology interest. Age 7 caught
bucket of tadpoles, for a teacher as a gift, when Jeffrey found out they were passed onto someone else, he saw this as rejection.
He later killed these tadpoles with engine oil.
1968, moved house again, by 1970 mother was hospitalised for psychiatric problems, drugs? In adolescent years he became
more isolated, played odd pranks, and became a heavy drinker, faked epileptic fits. Excelled in biology, dissected a lot, at 14 he
was reliant on alcohol to supress urges and the fact he was gay, which he was ashamed of. Also at 14, planned his first murder,
male jogger, didn’t go as planned. 1978, graduated from highschool, his parents had a bitter divorce, no custody over him but
there was over his brother, Jeffrey left homeless, however parents and brother later left the family home, leaving Jeffrey alone.
Family rarely checked on him, alcohol problems increased and he was able to work on fantasies.
June 18th 1978
Jeffrey ran out of drink so drove to pick up supplies on his way back spotted a hitch hiker, and offered lift back. Steven hicks was
18 on the way to a concert, was persuaded to stop for a beer at Jeffrey’s. hicks tried to leave and Jeffrey tried to stop him but
soon fought him off. As he turned away Jeffrey hit him over the head with a bar bell, knocking him unconscious, then strangling
him. With the unconscious body he fulfilled his sexual urges and layed on the floor with the corpse. Dissected the corpse in a
bath and hid the body in drain pipe. And dissolved the rest in acid and flushed it. He smashed the bones and scattered them in a
nearby forest.
When family visited they described him as looking “dead” “spiralling out of control” and “heavily drinking”.
Shortly after he enrolled in ohio state university he lasted a semester before dropping out, after his dad found him black out
drunk in his dorm. Later that year his father remarried. After his dad refusing to feed his addiction he joined the US army in
1979,he trained as a medical specialist. After working in Germany his “demons returned” and he started drinking heavily. 2
soldiers admitted being raped by Jeffrey, one over a 17 month period and the other claimed to be drugged starting in 1979. In
1981 he was undeemed by the army because of his drinking problem.
He used his discharged plane ticket to fly to Miami beach, florida as he was ashamed to go home to his parents. He found an
employment and rented a room in a motel, he spent most of his money on alcohol and was soon evicted for not paying rent. He
slept on the beach a couple of upcoming nights and later phones his father wanting to come home. After 2 weeks living with his
father and his fathers new wife he was arrested for drunk and disorderly.
December 1981 lived with his grandmother, she thought of him as a “perfect” grandson. 1982 he found employment at a blood
centre. After a few weeks he was arrested for indecent exposure,after he exposed himself to women and children at a local park.
1985 hired as a mixer at a chocolate factory, was banned from a gay bar for drugging men in booths, he liked control over the
“act”.
