The Milwaukee Cannibal
When one hears the term serial killer, it’s likely the name Jeffrey Dahmer will come to mind. Dahmer can be argued to be one of the most notorious serial killers to have ever lived. During Dahmer’s childhood, there were many signs that hinted he had the potential to commit such heinous crimes. While Jeffrey Dahmer was in his teenage years, a group of boys found the head of a dog impaled on a stick behind the Dahmer home. According to forensic psychiatrists, “such a fascinations with death and cruelty to animals is an almost predictable sign in the lives of people accused of being serial killers” (Goleman). There has been several serial killers who have been accused of animal abuse, similar to Jeffrey Dahmer, because they have complete control over the animals. Many other neighbors stated they found frogs and other small animals staked to trees, as well as Jeffrey had a shed full of the skeletons of the animals he mutilated. However, the people who knew what went on in the Dahmer household did not report the animal cruelty they witnessed until Dahmer was arrested for the murders of his victims; there is the possibility they could have put a stop to Dahmer’s inhumane actions before they even
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began. Dahmer’s transition from killing animals to people did not begin until after he graduated high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After killing his first victim by strangling him with a barbell, he continued to dismember the body and packed the parts into plastic bags. Dahmer’s technique of his first killing is not what makes him the famous, twisted serial killer many know him like today, but what he did after his first killing. During his emerging adulthood, he became an alcoholic and had been arrested several times in Milwaukee and Ohio where his father was living. “Dahmer's alcohol consumption [eventually] spun out of control” and he “dropped out of Ohio State University after one quarter term,” beginning his 13 year killing spree (Biography
Editors). In the course of his 13 years as an infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer aggressively killed and dismembered the bodies of over 17 people. Dahmer would lure mostly African- American men from bars to his home, and after giving them alcoholic beverages laced with drugs, he would strangle them. The most disturbing part of Dahmer was he “developed rituals as he progressed [as a serial killer], experimenting with chemical means of disposal and often consuming the flesh of his victims” (Biography Editors). Starting out, the Milwaukee native would engage in sex acts with the corpses before dismembering the bodies, however as time continued, Dahmer found new ways of fulfilling his bizarre and callous desires. Before the actual death of his victims, Dahmer drilled into their skulls and filled it with acid, often while these people were still alive. However, in the early 90’s, the Milwaukee Cannibal’s luck finally ran out, when police entered the serial killer’s home after investigating the claim that Dahmer drugged and restrained a 32-year-old man. After entering his home they “noticed photographs of dismembered bodies lying around” the home, and found “three heads in his freezer” (Biography Editors). Police finally put an end to Dahmer’s inhumane and psychopathic ways, as Dahmer was sentenced to life for each of his victims after these two policeman found the incriminating evidence in his home.
Dahmer was a pretty normal, but very lonely kid. His loneliness followed him throughout the course of his life. Never having an intimate friendship or relationship, along with being consumed with confusion over his own sexuality eventually led him to become the household name he is today. From 1978 to 1991, Dahmer murdered 17 boys and men. Not only is he considered a murderer, but he committed (on several occasions) rape and dismemberment. After his later murders, he was found guilty of necrophilia, cannibalism, and permanent preservation of body parts. He is arguably the most well known, gruesome, and intriguing criminal in American history.
were also very hard for the Dahmer family to deal with. To many it was
Jeffrey Dahmer was born May 21st, 1960, the first child for Lionel and Joyce Dahmer, after a difficult pregnancy that had Joyce on various prescription drugs.
Dahmer’s social awkwardness extended past his withdraw from social groups and blank expressions. Instead of normal activities for kids his age like playing outside and making friends. Dahmer would routinely ride around on his bicycle searching for road kill, reportedly stripping the skin and keeping the bones, he also dissected many of the carcasses. At one point he had taken the head from a dog and placed it on a stake. Dahmer attended Revere High school, and was seen as an outcast among the schools social order. Although an average student with decent grades and a spot on the schools newspaper he still had trouble with making friends and eventually started drinking heavily, by the time he graduated Jeffrey was a full blown alcoholic. He co...
Dahmer went as far as to dismember and store body parts throughout his apartment after killing them. He would sometimes even eat these dismembered body parts of the body. Some say he went so long without being caught. because he chose the ever shifting population such as drifters and prostitutes. who had no real identity.
Lionel and Joyce Dahmer gave birth to their first born, Jeffrey Dahmer, on May 21, 1960 in Milwaukee. Despite Joyce experiencing a difficult pregnancy, Dahmer was a healthy child who was wanted and adored by both his parents. However, his mother did start to become distant to him as she refused to breast feed him and started demonstrating unstable behavior along with substance abuse. Meanwhile, his father was pursuing his doctoral for chemistry in Iowa which limited the time Lionel had with his family. At age five, Dahmer’s little brother was born and that was when the feeling of neglect set in him. For the first time, the little attention provided from his parents had to be shared with his brother David. Dahmer began displaying extreme shyness but also severe tantrums. During the ages of six and seven, Dahmer “was regarded by other children as odd and bizarre (Martens, 2005).” Even though he did not show any interest in developing genuine social relations, Dahmer did demonstrate a fascination with bug and animal dissections. When Dahmer was six he had “undergone hernia surgery, when he woke up from the anesthesia he was worried someone could have cut his genitals, the pain lasted for one week and after a long recovery period his parents remember he turned to be very loner (Giannetakis, n.d.).” It is believed that at age eight Dahmer had been sexually abused by a boy in his neighborhood (Hickey, 2013). If this event did occur, it could explain why he developed destructive sexual fantasies at the young age of twelve. Despite him being aloof, it has been reported that he would seek attention by faking epileptic seizures at school and local shops. By his adolescent years, he developed compulsive masturbation which would eventually lead to legal trouble (Silva, 2002). At the age of fourteen, Dahmer turned to alcohol abuse in order to overcome his feeling of despair and compulsive thoughts of sexual violent acts.
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer came into the world at 4.34pm on the 21st of May at the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Milwaukee 1960. Little did his parents know at the time of his birth that there son would become one of America's most infamous serial killers, not only for the amount of victims which he had killed, but also for dismembering them and his odd tendencies. Jeffrey's childhood started like any other, he had two parents who loved and adored there son dearly. They would give him what ever his heart desired. Joyce Dahmer started a scrap book on her son recording events that happened in his life, his first step, his first accident, his first tooth, his first haircut and even his first scolding. While Jeffrey was still very young his father worked long hours in his laboratory and his mother worked as a machine instructor. But the carrying of Jeffrey had been hard on Joyce Dahmer and every little thing seemed to annoy her. So Lionel being the husband that he was and wanting the best for his wife decided to move to his mothers house in West Allis, but the crack's in the marriage started to show early.
Jeffery Dahmer is arguably the most notorious serial killer -cannibal in history. Targeting men and boys, Dahmer‘s life of crime began with drinking and sex offending. His murders were exceptionally gruesome, often involving rape, torture, necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism. The media often commented on how “normal” Dahmer appeared. Jeffrey Dahmer made everyone question how one develops into such a monster. By the time of his apprehension, Dahmer had sodomized, murdered, and cannibalized at least seventeen men, mostly black, Hispanic or Asian, in the Milwaukee area between the years of 1978 until his arrest in 1991 (Williams pg.1).
He was an alcoholic in his early teenage years, as he was known to consume large amounts of alcohol before school, and during the school day. Early warning signs of Dahmer’s alcoholism was linked to his struggle to deal with his sexuality which triggered feelings of socially awkwardness and loneliness causing him to isolate himself from society. After graduation Dahmer entered the U.S. Army and according to accounts from some of his peers, he expressed signs of alcoholism, violence and homicidal thoughts. He was discharged from the Army for drinking problems. During his killing spree, he would sit at a bar drinking until he met a man to take home. Most all of Dahmer’s victims were murdered when he was in a drunken state and sexual rage (Wilson, Tolputt, Howe, & Kemp,
Print. The. “Dahmer, Jeffrey Lionel.” The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Life. Ed.
Studies show that traits of a serial killer can be seen in a person at a very young age. Most warning signs go unnoticed, which is why the growth of the killer continues. Animal cruelty is one of many clues inside the growth of a serial killers mind “They often start out their careers by maiming, harming, and torturing small animals.” “In extreme cases, they have been known to spend hours inflicting a slow death on animals.this is a form of control that allows them the power to crave” (Kocsis,2008). Many future serial killers also show a major interest in setting fires.
During Dahmer’s psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Wahlstrom concluded, “Jeffrey was suffering from a mental illness never cured for” (FBI 1992). This leads me to perceive that Dahmer must have been displaying psychotic traits that went unnoticed and undocumented during his early lifetime. I can only speculate that this uncured mental illness lead Dahmer to develop and refine his inability to empathize with society; which in turn, lead him to engage in cruelty without mentally comprehending the victim’s suffering. Although the causes for psychopathy are unclear, some suggest that psychogenic aspects can outline abnormalities which may be present in psychopaths (Schmalleger 2014). When looking at Dahmer’s distant relationship with his parents early on in his childhood, I became conscious of the fact the lack of affection from his parents which may have lead him to develop twisted views on how one should display affection to others, thus prompting him to show psychotic behavior later on in life (The profile of Jeffrey Dahmer 1996). Even though the letter of the law fails to describe Dahmer and even if he was not fit to stand trial, I believe the court would have declared him fit for trial due to the brutality of the
Data has been collecting reporting that “31% of people who had both a substance abuse disorder and a psychiatric disorder (a "dual diagnosis") committed at least one act of violence in a year, compared with 18% of people with a psychiatric disorder alone. This confirmed other research that substance abuse is a key contributor to violent behavior” (Harvard Health Publishing). This can be applied to Dahmer’s case. It is said that after getting hernia surgery when he was four, Dahmer was never the same. He went from a regular playful child to a distant anxious one. When becoming an adolescent, one will develop an interest in concepts and hobbies. For Dahmer it animal carcasses. He would find roadkill, “dissect and dismember them. He explained that he wanted to know how each animal "fitted together"(Cahill). This could come off as creepy and off-putting, but he was not hurting anyone. It is believed that his parents’ constant fighting and moving was the catalyst in making his obsession with carcasses into a dangerous one. “Children from broken homes are nine times more likely to commit crimes than those from stable families” (Bloxham). His drive to kill could quite possibly be linked to the fact that he simply linked to his familial issues. These problems in the family are definitely linked to his drinking problems as well. Dahmer’s
Cannibalism has been in practice since before the Persian empire and has been enticing people of all different cultures. Cannibalism can be defined as the act of killing and eating the flesh of the victim, it is also known as anthropology. Cannibalism is perhaps the ultimate cultural taboo. There are many reasons why humans partake in this practice; for cultural purposes, for survival or even for pleasure. Throughout the modern world there have been many counts of serial killer cannibals. The name Jeffrey Dahmer has become a household name since his crimes were brought to public eyes between the years of 1978 and 1991; he was known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. During his 13 years on the loose, he murdered 17 males that we know of. He was known to rape, dismember, and practice necrophilia; however, some say that he is most well known for cannibalizing his young boys. Jeffrey Dahmer has proclaimed to have eaten every part of the human body. He stewed his victims and fed his soup to his family and his church. Another example of this is Albert Fish he was a grandfatherly man who specialized in murdering and cannibalizing children. He can be considered a real life Hannibal Lecter. It is speculated...
In the 1970’s, Robert Ressler, who was the previous director of Violent Criminal Apprehension Program with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), coined the term “serial killer”. He did so because when he was a child, the police in England used to refer to murders such as this as “crimes in a...