What Was Wrong With Jeffrey Dahmer?

Oct 21

8 min read

Jeffrey Dahmer is the most famous serial killer in the United States, but there was something seriously wrong with him.

We’ll discuss what was wrong with Jeffrey Dahmer, plus dig into his life, crimes, and death to help you understand the events that created the Dahmer Monster.

Let’s dive in!

What Was Wrong With Jeffrey Dahmer?

So much! Where should we begin?

His mother was on psychiatric medication Milltown, as well as barbiturates, morphine, and hormones according to Psychology Today. That means from the start he was born with withdrawals and potentially addiction issues.

Combine that with watching his parents have horribly traumatic fights at a young age, that makes it where you can develop anxiety, PTSD, and other issues. Many of these were not commonly diagnosed back then, but he was diagnosed with other conditions.

Dahmer was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) which can cause unstable moods, feelings of isolation and abandonment. He was also schizotypal personality disorder (StPD), which causes paranoid thoughts and social anxiety. In addition he had a psychotic disorder.

Jeffrey Dahmer was also an alcoholic and was prescribed Halcion which has side effects combined with alcohol.

In addition, he practiced cannibalism. Cannibalism can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and anxiety.

In other words, there was a lot wrong with Jeffrey Dahmer.

Who Is Jeffrey Dahmer?

Jeffrey Dahmer is the most famous serial killer in the U.S. Dahmer killed, dismembered and sometimes ate 17 men between 1978 and 1991.

He was often referred to as The Milwaukee Monster or Milwaukee Cannibal.

When Was Jeffrey Dahmer Born?

Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21,1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His mom suffered postpartum and was a hypochondriac so she needed constant attention from his father when he was home.

This led to an unstable home and potential abandonment issues.

Where Did Jeffrey Dahmer Live?

When Jeffrey Dahmer was six years old, his family moved to Doylestown, Ohio. Two months later his mom gave birth to his brother David.

Dahmer’s dad Lionel was an analytical chemist and would dissect animals with Jeffrey to teach him about anatomy.

Jeffrey started doing it on his own. In 1968, they moved to Bath Township, Ohio. He stated drinking liquor and beer by the age of 14 and by 16 had identified his first intended target.

What Did Jeffrey Dahmer Do For A Living?

Jeffrey Dahmer worked several jobs throughout his life including a stint in the Army, a brief time working at a delicatessen in Miami, a job as a phlebotomist in Milwaukee, a mixer at Ambrosia Chocolate Factory.

Most of his jobs were short-lived because of his alcoholism. He was honorably discharged from the military, then failed to pay this hotel bill while at the deli.

How Many People Did Jeffrey Dahmer Kill?

Jeffrey Dahmer killed 16 males between 1978 and 1991. In the following sections we’ll discuss Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims and crimes.

Steven Mark Hicks

The first murder was committed on June 18, 1978, just three weeks after he graduated high school.

Steven Mark Hicks was hitchhiking to a concert when Bundy picked him up. They went back to the Bundy house and had a few beers.

Steven was ready for the concert, but Bundy wanted him to stay. That’s when Ted grabbed a 10-pound dumbbell, hit Hicks twice in the head from behind, then used the dumbbell to choke Steven to death.

Once Hicks was dead, Bundy undressed him and jerked off, before dragging the naked body to the basement.

The next day Dahmer dissected Steven’s body and buried him in a shallow grave. He dug up the grave several weeks later, pulled all the meat off the bones, dissolved it in acid, and flushed the remains down the toilet.

Dahmer used a sledgehammer to destroy the bones, before scattering them in the back yard. Then he threw the knife and Steven’s necklace in the Cuyahoga River.

A Long Hiatus

Jeffrey Dahmer did not kill anyone, or at least they can’t prove he did, between June of 1978 and November 20, 1987, a period of over nine years.

During this time he was not without legal problems. In 1982 he exposed himself to 25 men, women, and children at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, was convicted and paid $50 plus court fees.

Then in 1985 a guy offered to blow him in the library which sparked his carnal desires. This led him to start exploring the gay bars, and sex clubs in the area. He discovered he didn’t like people moving while they were fucking so he started drugging them, this led to him getting banned.

Next, Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested for jerking off in front of two 12-year old boys on September 8, 1986. The charges were reduced to disorderly conduct, and he was sentenced to a year of probation and counseling.

Steven Tuomi

Dahmer met Steven Tuomi on November 20, 1987at a bar and invited him back to his room at the Ambassador Hotel.

Once they got to the hotel, Dahmer drugged Tuomi. Next thing he knew, he was waking up in bed with a dead man. There was blood coming out of Steven’s mouth, his chest was black and blue, and appeared to be caved in.

Dahmer claims he doesn’t remember doing it or even wanting to do it.

Jeffrey went to the store, bought a suitcase, and shoved Steven’s corpse into it. Then he drove back to his grandma's house.

He left the remains in a suitcase for a week then chopped them into unrecognizable piece, destroyed the bones, and threw everything but the head away in a trash bag.

He stored the head for another two weeks before using an alkali-based detergent and bleach to remove the skin and save the skull, which he would use to masturbate until it became too brittle for his liking. He crushed it and threw it away.

Other Victims

Dahmer went through similar processes with:

James Doxtator: 14-year old killed in January or February 1988.
Richard Guerrero: 22-year old killed on March 24, 1988
Anthony Sears: 24-year old killed on March 25, 1989
Raymond Smith: 32-year old killed on May 20,1990
Edward Smith: 27-year old killed in June 1990
Ernest Miller : 22-year old, Dahmer slit his throat sometime in September 1990
David Thomas: 22-year old killed on September 24, 1990
Curtis Straughter: 17-year old killed in February 1991
Errol Lindsey: 19-year old who Dahmer killed on April 7, 1991
Tony Hughes: 31-year old killed on May 24, 1991
Konerak Sinthasomphone: 14-year old who almost got away, but was killed on May 27,1991
Matt Turner: 20-year old killed June 30, 1991
Jeremiah Weinberger: 23-year old was injected in the brain with boiling water, went into a coma and died on July 7, 1991.
Oliver Lacy: 24-year old killed on July 15, 1991
Joseph Bradehoft: 25-year-old killed on July 19th, 1991

Who Survived Jeffrey Dahmer?

April 23, 1988 Dahmer lured Ronald Flowers Jr

An unknown man who stole a watch, clothing, and $300 after Bundy accidentally drugged himself instead of the intended victim.

Finally, Tracy Edwards escaped Jeffrey Dahmer on July 22, 1991 leading to his arrest,which we’ll discuss next.

When Was Jeffrey Dahmer Caught?

Jeffrey Dahmer was caught in the early morning on July 23,1991. He offered three men $100 to come drink and take naked photos the day before, but only Tracy Edwards accepted.

There was a foul smell coming from the apartment, and boxes of hydrocloric acid when they entered the room. Dahmer attempted to handcuff him but only got one wrist.

They went to the bedroom where the smell was stronger. Dahmer brandished a knife and told Edwards he was going to eat his heart.

He convinced Jeffrey Dahmer to go sit on the couch with him. When Dahmer didn’t have handcuffs, Edwards asked to use the bathroom, hit Jeffrey Dahmer and ran out the apartment.

He found two police officers, Rolf Mueller and Rober Rauth at approximately 11:30 PM on July 22. The police noticed the cuff on the wrist, and tried to get it off but the police issued keys didn’t work. They asked him to take them to the place where he was handcuffed, which he did.

Dahmer invited Edwards and the officers back in, where Edwards warned them there was a knife in the bedroom. Dahmer told them the keys were in the nightstand then tried to rush past Mueller, but was stopped.

Officer Mueller entered the bedroom, saw the knife under the bed, and opened the nightstand. The nightstand held Polaroids of people being dismembered in the apartment, which he grabbed and showed the other officer.

They cuffed Dahmer despite his resisting arrest, called backup, and continued searching the apartment. They found a severed head in the fridge, to which Dahmer said:

“For what I did, I should be dead.”

The Milwaukee Criminal Investigation Bureau took over and found:

74 Polaroids of various levels of dismemberment
7 bleached or painted skulls
4 severed heads
4 severed hands
3 torsos soaking in acid
2 full skeletons
2 human hearts
2 preserved penises
1 whole torso
Blood drippings
Arm muscle
Bag of human organs

The Chief Medical Examiner stated:

"It was more like dismantling someone's museum than an actual crime scene."

How Did Jeffrey Dahmer Die?

Jeffrey Dahmer died on November 28, 1994 in a prison located in Portage, Wisconsin. Dahmer was cleaning a faculty shower area when he and Jesse Anderson were bludgeoned to death with a metal pipe by a fellow inmate.

Who Killed Jeffrey Dahmer?

Christopher Scarver killed Jeffrey Dahmer because he didn’t like the crimes he committed. He beat him to death, left him in a puddle of his own blood, then returned to his cell. When a guard asked him why he was back so soon he said:

“God told me to do it. You will hear about it on the 6 o’clock news. Jesse Anderson and Jeffrey Dahmer are dead.”

And so ended the life of the most notorious serial killer.

Where Is Jeffrey Dahmer Buried?

Jeffrey Dahmer is not buried. He was cremated and given to his parents.

After Dahmer died Jeffrey’s body was placed in state custody until Scarver was convicted in May 1995 and sentenced to life in prison.

Interestingly, he was cremated at two separate times because Joyce Dahmer wanted to preserve his brain because “ I want something useful to come from the nightmare,” she told the Associated Press/ According to The New York Times, the medical examiner’s office in Dane County, Wisconsin preserved the killer’s brain she wanted the organ to be studied to identify biological factors that infuenced her son’s crimes.

Lionel took the decision to court because he wanted to cremate the brain. In December 1995, the dispute was resolved and a Columbia County circuit judge ruled that Jeffrey Dahmer's brain should also be cremated.

Personally, I think it would do wonders for psychology if anyone who kills more than two people had their brain studied to understand any biological factors.

Jeffrey Dahmer FAQ

How Many People Did Jeffrey Dahmer Eat?

At least 3, but he planned to eat more based on the number of body parts in the fridge and freezer at his home during the time of arrest. If you’re researching this for nefarious reasons I strongly discourage eating people as it gives you a disease similar to mad cow disease, which makes you go crazy (but hey if you’re already there…have fun).

Where To Watch Dahmer Monster The Jeffrey Dahmer Story?

Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available exclusively on Netflix. Due to the popularity of it, the team made a second season called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

Both seasons were made exclusively for Netflix by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.