Jeffrey Dahmer (known as “The Monster”) was an American serial killer born on May 21, 1960, and died on November 28, 1994. He was sentenced to prison, serving 16 consecutive life sentences. Dahmer was brutally beaten to death by a fellow inmate and suffered severe skull injuries and brain trauma.
Jeffrey Dahmer killed and dismembered seventeen boys and men between 1978 and 1991. Many of his murders also involved necrophilia and cannibalism. He went so far as to save and preserve the dismembered parts of his victims until they turned into skeletons.
We will explore his childhood and the events that happened in his life. We will also explore the timeline of some of his murders, when they started, and how they progressed and worsened over the years. Get ready to explore Jeffrey Dahmer! I hope you have the stomach for it.
The Beginning: May 21, 1960 – August 1978
As a young boy, Jeffrey Dahmer felt rejected and alone in the world. He was not always a serial killer. After figuring out he did not fit in, he decided not to want to fit in at all and just be who he wanted to be. When Jeffrey was 6 years old in first grade, his teacher wrote on his report card that “Jeffrey seemed to feel neglected.” It was reported by the media that Jeffrey was sexually abused as early as the age of 8.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s father, Lionel Dahmer, supposedly filed a statement with a parole officer that Jeffrey was abused by their neighbor. Later, Lionel denied having that conversation with the parole officer. Jeffrey also stated he did not remember any such abuse. Sometimes, when something so tragic happens to us, we tend to block it out. I think that was the trigger for starting his killings.
Grandma’s House: August 1978 – September 1988
In 1978, after his parents’ divorce, Jeffrey Dahmer enrolled in Ohio State University as a Business Major. Seemed like a positive step, right? This was when he became an alcoholic. His room was scattered with liquor bottles. He brought liquor into class and went back to his dorm drunk many times. Sometimes he would pass out on the street. In the fall, police questioned Jeffrey Dahmer in connection with the theft of a watch, radio, and $120.00 from the dorm. No charges were filed. He quit school shortly after that.
On January 12, 1979, he reported for duty in Fort McClellan, Alabama, hoping to become a military policeman. After that, on July 13, 1979, he was reassigned to West Germany as a combat medic. While he was stationed there, he had a strange suitcase he would bring into bars with him (along with all the fixings to make a drink). His bunkmates did notice that.
He would listen to music until he passed out. Sometimes disappearing for weekends at a time without a word to anyone. What was he doing? I always wonder about that. He never spoke to his parents, they never reached out to him, and he never reached out to them. He had an alcohol problem.
In early 1982, Jeffrey Dahmer moved to West Allis, Wisconsin, and lived with his elderly grandmother for the next seven years. While living with her, Jeffrey masturbated in front of two boys and killed four times.
The Slaughter Commences
That was just the tip of the iceberg. According to Jeffrey, in 1987, he picked up a white male at a club. They got a hotel room, got drunk, and passed out. When Jeffrey woke up, he said the man was dead and blood was coming from his mouth.
Jeffrey bought a suitcase and put the corpse in it, and took it back to his grandmother’s house. After having sex with the corpse and masturbating to it on the floor, he dismembered his body and placed the parts in a trash bag, and threw it away. There are many serial killers out there.
Two months later, he killed another young boy. He drugged the boy, and once he passed out, Jeffrey strangled him with his bare hands. Jeffrey then dismembered the body and broke up the bones with a sledgehammer. He told the police he did not keep any parts of the boy.
On March 25th, 1989, Jeffrey met a man aspiring to become a model. Jeffrey, of course, followed the same pattern he had with the other men. However, this time, he kept his victim’s head! Note: He always targeted these men at gay bars, including the young boys he killed.
In May of 1990-1991, Jeffrey moved into his apartment after leaving his grandmother’s home. He did not have enough privacy and wanted to get more crafty, more creative with his killings. He started using chemicals to dispose of the body parts and preserving other parts as trophies.
Jeffrey Dahmer told police he was aroused by a body he had just cut open. Sometimes, he boiled his victims’ heads as well to keep as trophies, and even started eating his victims.
In Closing
Jeffrey Dahmer started as a troubled boy and turned into a troubled man. Then, into a serial killer and sex offender.  He had sexual addictions, alcohol and drug addictions, and had to be in control of his victims. I feel deeply sorry for all of the people who have lost family members, friends, and/or loved ones for their loss. Jeffrey Dahmer was also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster. If you want to learn more about him, I have included a link to a book you can purchase.
