This article covers sensitive topics that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Jeffrey Dahmer – born May 21, 1960 – was an infamous serial killer and sex offender who practiced homicide, necrophilia, and cannibalism – killing and sexually assaulting 17 men and boys. Dahmer’s victims ranged from age 14 to 33.
Dahmer’s murderous rampage began in 1978 and ended in 1991 when a victim escaped and led the police to his apartment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In Dahmer’s early life, he was said to be a happy and energetic child, which changed after recovering from a double hernia surgery at the age of four. He developed a fascination with animal bones and body parts, as well as how to preserve them in formaldehyde.
As reported later by Dahmer, his obsession with necrophilia and murder started at age 14. Around the same time, he became friendless, quiet, disengaged, tense, and developed an alcohol addiction.
In hopes of fixing up his life, Dahmer enlisted in the army in 1978. His alcoholism gradually spiraled out of control, and he was dishonorably discharged in 1981 for his alcohol abuse.
After his discharge, Dahmer went home to Ohio, where he was arrested for disorderly conduct. His father then sent him to Wisconsin to live with his grandmother, where he was arrested again, this time for allegedly committing lewd acts in front of two teenage boys. He was placed on probation for a year.
Dahmer brutally murdered 17 men and boys. He would often profile borderline criminals and those on the fringes of society to better his odds of being caught. Dahmer often lured colored men from gay bars to his home with promises of money or sex. He would then drug them, strangle them to death, dismember them, and perform necrophilic acts on the corpses.
Dahmer regularly took pictures of his victims’ mutilated bodies and took “trophies” from his victims.
Eventually getting his apartment in Wisconsin, Dahmer would lure multiple men and boys to his home to murder them. During this time, he was also charged with sexual exploitation and second-degree sexual assault for bringing a 13-year-old boy to his home for nude photos.
Dahmer began experimenting with chemical disposal of the bodies, as well as cannibalism. He kept many body parts from his victims – eating many of them. Dahmer also performed a procedure on his 11th victim, Errol Lindsey, that he had hoped would put Lindsey in a permanent submissive state.
Dahmer used a drill to put a hole in Lindsey’s head – while he was drugged – and put muriatic acid into Lindsey’s brain. Lindsey woke up during the procedure and exclaimed “my head hurts, what time is it?” Startling Dahmer, he strangled Lindsey.
Tracy Edwards, Dahmer’s 18th victim, escaped Dahmer’s apartment shirtless and handcuffed. He stumbled upon police and led them to Dahmer’s “killing factory”. There, police found a collection of gruesome trophies, male genitalia, 11 whole male bodies, three torsos in a 57-gallon vat full of acid, multiple weapons, multiple heads, and many Polaroid photos of the victims.
Dahmer was arrested and pleaded not guilty in court because of insanity. Dahmer was found guilty, and sane. He was sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences.
A fellow inmate named Christopher Scarver murdered Dahmer in prison on November 28, 1994.
