Dahmer True Crime

Jeffrey Dahmer, infamously known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was a serial killer and sex offender who committed a series of heinous crimes between 1978 and 1991. It is important to remember that his victims were real people with families, friends, and lives of their own, tragically cut short by his horrific actions. Acknowledging the victims humanizes their memory and reminds us of the importance of compassion and respect for their suffering.

Dahmer targeted vulnerable individuals, primarily young men, whom he lured with promises of money, alcohol, or the pretense of a photoshoot. He took advantage of their trust, leading them to his apartment under the false pretense of companionship. It was there that he committed unspeakable acts of violence, including rape, dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism.

He was convicted of the murders of 17 young men and boys. Their names are: (Name, Date Missing, Age)

1. Steven Mark Hicks (June 18, 1978) 18 years old

2. Steven Walter Tuomi (November 20, 1987) 25 years old

3. James Edward Doxtator (January 16, 1988) 14 years old

4. Richard Guerrero (March 24, 1988) 22 years old

5. Anthony Lee Sears (March 25, 1989) 24 years old

6. Raymond Lamont Smith "Ricky Beeks" (May 20 1990)* 32 years old

7. Edward Warren Smith (June 14, 1990) 27 years old

8. Ernest Marquez Miller (September 2, 1990) 22 years old

9. David Courtney Thomas (September 24, 1990) 22 years old

10. Curtis Durrel Straughter (February 18, 1991) 17 years old

11. Errol Lindsey (April 7, 1991) 19 years old

12. Tony Anthony Hughes (May 24, 1991) 31 years old

13. Konerak Sinthasomphone (May 27, 1991) 14 years old

14. Matt Cleveland Turner (June 30, 1991) 20 years old

15. Jeremiah Benjamin Weinberger (July 5, 1991) 23 years old

16. Oliver Joseph Lacy (July 15, 1991) 24 years old

Some of his wishes as indicated in his last will and testament were not fulfilled.

2. No autopsy

An autopsy was performed immediately after he died.

4. No funeral ceremony

Lionel Dahmer with the assistance of Fr. Roy Ratcliff organized a private funeral ceremony for Jeffrey Dahmer which was held on December 2, 1994. Among the guests were Lionel, Shari, David and his friends, and Theresa Smith (one of the victim’s family) and her sister.

Bridget Geiger recalls how Dahmer asked him to go to the prom

At around age of nine, Dahmer invented the game ‘Infinity Land’.

He enjoyed playing this game by himself. Later, he shared it only to his brother, David.

The game involved stick men and spirals. The stick men represented the game’s army and when they come to close to one another, they will be annihilated. The spirals were tightly drawn which leads to a black hole at the center of the board.

“The stick men were fleshless; they were not conceived with the full contours of people, but with the bare essence of bone. Their danger lay in closeness; any contact resulted in oblivion, suggesting that intimacy was the ultimate disaster and the severest risk. The oblivion was represented by the black hole of infinity, an abject, featureless, hopeless nothingness, which, perhaps, the infant already saw when he gazed into himself. Or perhaps he saw it as the danger facing anyone who got near him.”

February 17, 1992 on the day of his sentencing

Your Honor:

It is now over. This has never been a case of trying to get free. I didn’t ever want freedom. Frankly, I wanted death for myself. This was a case to tell the world that I did what I did, but not for reasons of hate. I hated no one. I knew I was sick or evil or both. Now I believe I was sick. The doctors have told me about my sickness, and now I have some peace.

I know how much harm I have caused. I tried to do the best I could after the arrest to make amends, but no matter what I did I could not undo the terrible harm I have caused. My attempt to help identify the remains was the best I could do, and that was hardly anything.

I feel so bad for what I did to those poor families, and I understand their rightful hate.

I now know I will be in prison the rest of my life. I know that I will have to turn to God to help me get through each day. I should have stayed with God. I tried and failed and created a holocaust. Thank God there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins.

I have instructed Mr. Boyle to end this matter. I do not want to contest the civil cases. I have told Mr. Boyle to try and finalize them if he can. If there is ever money I want it to go to the families. I have talked to Mr. Boyle about other things that might help ease my conscience in some way of coming up with ideas on how to make some amends to these families, and I will work with him on that. I want to return to Ohio and quickly end that matter so that I can put all of this behind me and then come right back here to do my sentence.

I decided to go through this trial for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was to let the world know these were not hate crimes. I wanted the world and Milwaukee, which I deeply hurt, to know the truth of what I did. I didn’t want unanswered questions. All the questions have now been answered. I wanted to find out just what it was that caused me to be so bad and evil. But most of all, Mr. Boyle and I decided that maybe there was a way for us to tell the world that if there are people out there with these disorders, maybe they can get help before they end up being hurt or hurting someone. I think the trial did that.

I take all the blame for what I did. I hurt many people. The judge in my earlier case tried to help me, and I refused his help and he got hurt by what I did.

I hurt those policemen in the Konerak matter, and I shall ever regret causing them to lose their jobs, and I only hope and pray they can get their jobs back because I know they did their best and I just plain fooled them. For that I am so sorry. I know I hurt my probation officer, who was really trying to help me. I am so sorry for that and sorry for everyone else I have hurt.

I have hurt my mother and father and stepmother. I love them all so very much. I hope that they will find the same peace I am looking for.

Mr. Boyle’s associates, Wendy and Ellen, have been wonderful to me, helping me through this worst of all times. I want to publicly thank Mr. Boyle. He didn’t need to take this case. But when I asked him to help me find the answers and to help others if I could, he stayed with me and went way overboard in trying to help me. Mr. Boyle and I agreed that it was never a matter of trying to get off. It was only a matter of which place I would be housed the rest of my life, not for my comfort, but for trying to study me in the hopes of helping me and learning to help others who might have problems.

I now know I will be in prison. I pledge to talk to doctors who might be able to find some answers.

In closing, I just want to say that I hope God has forgiven me. I think He has. I know society will never be able to forgive me. I know the families of the victims will never be able to forgive me for what I have done. But if there is a God in heaven, I promise I will pray each day to ask them for their forgiveness when the hurt goes away, if ever.

I have seen their tears, and if I could give up my life right now to bring their loved ones back, I would do it. I am so very sorry.

Your Honor, I know that you are about to sentence me. I ask for no consideration. I want you to know that I have been treated perfectly by the deputies who have been in your court and the deputies who work the jail. The deputies have treated me very professionally and I want everyone to know that. They have not given me special treatment.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the “world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” [1 Timothy 1:15–17]

I know my time in prison will be terrible, but I deserve whatever I get because of what I have done.