This month marks the 30th anniversary of the horrific murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer’s, conviction. I thought since it is the 30th anniversary of when he was convicted that I should go over what he really did those many years ago. Dahmer killed presumably 17 boys/men before his conviction in which he further defiled their bodies, dismembered them, and even participated in cannibalism.

Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 21st, 1960. He grew up in Ohio after his family moved there in 1966. Growing up Dahmer did not have many friends because of his odd behavior. Dahmer would kill stray dogs in his teenage years via independent. He would even go as for as putting their heads on sticks. So from an early age we can see his serial killer like behavior.

His parents eventually divorced when he was around the age of 18 which caused even more drama in an already sadistic life.

On June 18th, 1978 Dahmer started his killing. His first victim was Steven Hicks, a 19 year old hitchhiker. Dahmer picked him up and they went back to his place. They presumably had sex and then Hicks wanted to leave. Dahmer, feeling so alone at the time, did not want him to. This led to him killing Hicks by clubbing then strangling him. Dahmer would go on to disposing the body by stripping the skin and dissolving it with acid. He then smashed the bones. He then disposed of all this behind his parents house in the same woods that he used to kill animals in. He would not kill for another nine years.

Dahmer attended Ohio State for one semester before dropping out.

After dropping out, he enlisted in the Army. He was in the army till 1981 when he was discharged after his drinking left him incapable of continuing his duties. When he got back his dad was fed up and sent him to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to start a new life and live with his grandmother.

The rest of Dahmer’s victims would follow two MO’s: male and lonely people. He would go after easy targets that wouldn’t be missed and it worked. He blended in almost perfectly.

Being back in Milwaukee awoke Dahmer’s urge to kill again. He would go to bars, drug people, do what he wanted with them, and eventually kill them. His first kill in nine years happened in September of 1987. It was Steven Tuomi, a twenty-four year old. He would wake up to him dead beside him in a hotel room. From there was what he did worst.

His next victim would be a James Doxtator in October of 1987. A  fourteen year old boy that Dahmer promised $50 in exchange for posing for nude photographs.

He then did not kill nearly for half a year until he met Richard Guerrero outside a gay bar in March of ’88. He offered him $50 to have sex with him. He would drug Guerrero with sleeping pills and strangle him to death. After killing him, he would have sex with the corpse in which he dismembered the body soon after.

Dahmer’s grandmother finally got annoyed with Dahmer bringing so many men to her house so he went and got an apartment. She was aware of him having sex with these men but was only aware of a strange smell in the house which was most likely from the acid he used.

In September of ’88 Dahmer would try to claim his first victim since moving into his own place  but this teenager escaped but not before being molested and drugged by Dahmer. This was Keison Sinthasomphone and after escaping he went to the police.

Dahmer would go to jail for a week before making bail. They were still unaware of his killings.

In March Dahmer would claim yet another victim in Anthony Sears. A young man aspiring to become a model. He would end up killing him but keeping his first trophies from the victim. He kept these in his work locker. Can you believe that! He kept them in his work locker! What!?

Dahmer was then arrested again for second degree sexual assault in May of 1989. He would be sentenced to 12 months with work release. He would get out two months early and move into a new place.

Dahmer would go on to claim another 12 victims. In this time Dahmer would start taking part in more cannibalism. He did this in order to feel as if his victims were always with him. Also in this time he created a shrine containing skulls and other fragments of his victims. Another disturbing thing Dahmer did in that time was to experiment on his victims while alive. He would drill holes in their skull and put acid in it in an attempt to put the victim into a zombie like state.

One victim came very close to getting Dahmer caught. Konerack Sinthasomphone, brother of the boy that got Dahmer arrested in ’88, almost escaped Dahmer’s clutches while he was out. Konerack was walking down an alley dazed and naked when a women from an apartment called the cops. Dahmer told the cops he was his boyfriend and they even went into his apartment where there was a corpse from a previous victim but they did not see it and left. Dahmer then finished the job and killed Konerack.

The parents would later file a lawsuit against the police called The Estate OF Konerak Sinthasomphone v. The City of Milwaukee.

The killing would go on until he attempted to take his 18th life. A man by the name of Tracy Edwards was handcuffed by Dahmer but ran out of the apartment until he saw a police car. His original intention was just to get the handcuffs off but the police decided they all go back to the apartment. Dahmer shut the door on them but after some struggle gave in. The police arrested Dahmer  on July 22, 1991 and an investigation began.

The case got immediate spotlight from the world. Everyone was so curious to what he did to these people because it was unheard of. Police were seen removing boxes, a fridge, a tank, and many more things that just normally do not happen at a crime scene. Dahmer would be known as the Milwaukee Monster.

Dahmer told the detectives everything he could remember and when he did remember he would let them know. He said he told them these things because he wanted the families to have closure. On February 17, 1992 he was sentenced to life in prison.

While in prison Dahmer found comfort in the Bible and decided he would like to be baptized. In May of 1994 he was baptized in a prison bathtub by Roy Ratcliff.

On November 28, 1994 Christopher Scarver killed Dahmer and a fellow inmate.

Before writing this article, I had never known anything other than that Jeffrey Dahmer was a famous serial killer. Now reading into it and doing research I have heard of things that I did not even think were possible of a human being. You hear these words like cannibalism and necrophilia but you never think anyone does it. Now here is a person that has done both and also killed seventeen people in the process. This was very interesting to me yet gave me chills every step of the way. I am left speechless with nothing but hoping we see nothing like this ever again. Who knows how many more people would of been killed if not for the bravery of Tracy Edwards?

If you want to learn more about Jeffrey Dahmer and his murders, I highly recommend Jeffrey Dahmer: The Milwaukee Cannibal via Real Crime’s World’s Most Evil Killers.