Jeffrey Dahmer

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, known as the Milwaukee Monster or the Milwaukee Cannibal, was an American serial killer who murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. His crimes involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts, making him one of the most notorious criminals in American history. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-dahmer-milwaukee-serial-killer-arrest-1991)

Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His first murder occurred on June 18, 1978, when he killed hitchhiker Steven Hicks after his parents' divorce left him alone. He did not kill again until 1987, when he murdered Steven Tuomi in a hotel room in Milwaukee. Between 1988 and 1991, his killings accelerated dramatically.

Most of Dahmer's murders occurred at his apartment at 924 North 25th Street in Milwaukee. He would lure victims — predominantly gay Black men — to his apartment, drug them, strangle them, and then engage in necrophilia. He preserved skulls and body parts as trophies and experimented with cannibalism. [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/09/21/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-series-facts/)

In May 1991, 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone escaped Dahmer's apartment partially sedated. When police arrived, Dahmer convinced officers that Sinthasomphone was his adult boyfriend, and police left the boy with Dahmer, who subsequently killed him. Two Milwaukee police officers would later be disciplined for this failure.

Dahmer was caught on July 22, 1991, when Tracy Edwards, his intended 13th victim, escaped with a handcuff dangling from his wrist and flagged down Milwaukee police. Officers returned to Dahmer's apartment, where they discovered polaroid photos of dismembered bodies, a severed head in the refrigerator, and evidence of his crimes. Dahmer was arrested immediately. [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58719591)

The discovery shocked Milwaukee and the nation. Police found four severed heads, seven skulls, various preserved organs, and other body parts in Dahmer's apartment. He confessed readily and cooperated extensively with investigators.

Dahmer was charged on July 25, 1991, with four counts of first-degree intentional homicide. As investigators identified more victims, the charges grew to 15 counts. His trial began on January 13, 1992, in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-dahmer-milwaukee-serial-killer-arrest-1991)

Dahmer's defense team pursued a plea of guilty but insane, arguing he suffered from a paraphilia that made him unable to conform his conduct to the law. Prosecutors countered that Dahmer's methodical behavior — drugging victims, disposing of evidence, maintaining a job — demonstrated sanity. On January 13, 1992, Dahmer entered pleas of guilty but insane to all 15 counts of murder.

After a two-week trial focused solely on his mental state, the jury on February 15, 1992, rejected the insanity defense by a vote of 10-2. Judge Laurence Gram sentenced Dahmer on February 17, 1992, to 15 consecutive life terms — 957 years in prison — with no possibility of parole. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2012/01/04/us/dahmer-sentenced/index.html)

Dahmer was transferred to the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. On November 28, 1994, fellow inmate Christopher Scarver beat Dahmer to death with a metal bar while both were on a work detail. Scarver also killed another inmate, Jesse Anderson, in the same attack. [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/1994/nov/28/usa.crime)

The case prompted significant scrutiny of the Milwaukee Police Department's handling of prior encounters with Dahmer, particularly the 1991 incident involving Konerak Sinthasomphone. Two officers were later disciplined for their failure to investigate properly.