10 things you didn´t know about Jeffrey Dahmer

MTW | | 367 views

Learn about the brutal criminal, one of the most repudiated in the United States, but also one of the most represented in movies, series and documentaries.

Responsible for the death of 17 people and a confessed practitioner of cannibalism and necrophilia. Known as the “Milwaukee Cannibal”, his crimes have been told from the perspective of his victims in “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, a Netflix series, with Evan Peters in the character of the criminal, which has been released in September 2022 and which has been added to the extensive film collection around the figure of the criminal, who died in prison in 1994.

The protagonist of this grim case caught the world’s attention not only for his brutal coldness in committing each murder, but also for his disturbing procedures and rituals.  Here are some key facts about Milwaukee’s cruelest serial killer.

Not an unusual boy:

People who knew Jeffrey Dahmer at school remember him as a normal boy, somewhat shy and reserved, although joking at times when he “made a Dahmer.” No sexual or physical abuse was reported in her home. He also wasn’t lousy at his grades until before he became an alcoholic.

Dahmer the alcoholic:

What did come out later is that Dahmer drank a lot of alcohol in high school. He even attended classes while intoxicated or drank in the same school, to the detriment of his school performance and social life. He became an outcast.

The father´s help:

One of the most important traits of Dahmer’s personality is that, as a child, he became obsessed with animal bones, an interest that his father celebrated and promoted because for the first time he showed interest in something. When he was 10 years old, “Jeff” asked Lionel Dahmer how he could preserve the bones in bleach and since he seemed to have a scientific streak, the chemist by profession taught him some things that his son would use on his victims later on.

The surgery:

Another key to his early years is the surgery he underwent as a child for a double hernia in the scrotum. According to Lionel Dahmer, his son was not the same after that operation, but, Women’s Health points out, there is no scientific evidence linking the intervention to his criminal behavior. For some specialists, Jeffrey Dahmer could actually have suffered from Asperger’s syndrome. However, he was never diagnosed with this disorder.

His obsession for movies:

Dahmer was also obsessed with the movies “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and “The Exorcist III,” tapes he watched with his victims before murdering them. It has also been said that he went back to see one of these films before going out to look for someone to kill.

His early first victim:

In 1978, three weeks after finishing school, Jeffrey Dahmer committed his first murder. His victim was an 18-year-old named Steven Mark Hicks, who asked him for a ride on his way to a rock concert. He convinced him to drink something at his house and there he murdered him after hitting him with a dumbbell.

The skull:

Dahmer came to work in a chocolate factory and, in his personal locker, kept the skull of one of his victims. The serial killer said he had a compulsion to keep part of the people he killed close. To the point that he had no qualms about carrying with him what might have given him away.

The escapee:

One of the most outrageous moments in the Dahmer case was the murder of Konerak Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old from Laos who screamed so loudly that neighbors called the police. However, the agents believed the murderer that it was a fight already finished. The troops left calmly and Dhamer, shortly after, raped and murdered the minor. The police officers were dismissed when the criminal was arrested.

The aftermath:

Lionel Dahmer published the book “The Story of a Father” to tell and express his great failure in raising his son, who would later be known as “The Milwaukee Cannibal”. There was no defense to Jeffrey, just the words of a confused and hurt parent. His friends and classmates also published texts such as “My Friend Dahmer”, which was made into a film.

The “bone altar”:

Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in 1991, after the escape of his last victim, and confessed to the authorities that he planned to make an altar with the bones of the people he murdered, a task that he estimated to be completed in six months. Dahmer’s story ended in 1994, when he was murdered by a cellmate.

Share this: