Jeffrey Dahmer, an American serial killer, murdered and dismembered seventeen men and boys in Ohio and Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991 before his 1991 arrest and 1992 conviction on 16 counts of murder.
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismembered seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991. He committed his first murder in Bath Township, Ohio, in 1978, killing 18-year-old hitchhiker Steven Hicks after inviting him to his family home; he bludgeoned and strangled Hicks, then dismembered and disposed of the remains. Dahmer did not kill again until 1987, after which his crimes escalated in Wisconsin, primarily at his grandmother's West Allis home and later at his apartment at the Oxford Apartments in Milwaukee.
Dahmer's later modus operandi typically involved luring victims—often met at gay bars, bathhouses, or public locations—back to his residence with offers of money, drinks, or nude photography sessions. He drugged victims with sedatives such as triazolam or temazepam, then strangled or otherwise killed them. Many of the murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts, including skulls and skeletons that Dahmer treated with bleach, acid, or paint. Victims identified in the record include Steven Hicks, Steven Tuomi, James Doxtator, Richard Guerrero, Anthony Sears, Raymond Smith, Edward Smith, Ernest Miller, David Thomas, Curtis Straughter, Errol Lindsey, Tony Hughes, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Matt Turner, Jeremiah Weinberger, Oliver Lacy, and Joseph Bradehoft.
A significant law-enforcement failure occurred on May 27, 1991, when Milwaukee police officers John Balcerzak, Joseph Gabrish, and Richard Porubcan responded to a 911 call concerning 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, found disoriented and injured on a street corner. Despite concerns raised by three women who had called police, officers returned Sinthasomphone to Dahmer's apartment after Dahmer claimed the teenager was his adult boyfriend. Dahmer killed Sinthasomphone shortly after the officers left.
Dahmer was arrested on July 22, 1991, after intended victim Tracy Edwards escaped his apartment and alerted police, who then discovered evidence of the killings inside. Dahmer was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder, but was found legally sane and competent to stand trial. He was convicted of 16 counts of murder—15 in Wisconsin and one in Ohio—and sentenced in 1992 to 16 terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
On November 28, 1994, Dahmer was beaten to death by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin, where he was serving his sentence.
Tony Hughes, Errol Lindsey, James Doxtator, Curtis Straughter, Oliver Lacy, Tracy Edwards, Raymond Smith, Steven Hicks, Joseph Bradehoft, Ernest Miller, Anthony Sears, David Thomas, Steven Tuomi, Edward Smith, Matt Turner, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Jeremiah Weinberger, Richard Guerrero
Date
1992
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (with earlier offenses in Bath Township, Ohio)
Case status
solved
Case timeline
1960-05-21
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1978-06-18
Dahmer kills Steven Hicks, his first victim, in Bath Township, Ohio.
1987-11-20
Dahmer kills Steven Tuomi at the Ambassador Hotel in Milwaukee, resuming his killings after a nine-year gap.
1988-01
Dahmer kills James Doxtator, a 14-year-old victim, at his grandmother's West Allis home.
1989-01-30
Dahmer pleads guilty to second-degree sexual assault and enticing a child for immoral purposes related to a 1988 incident.
1989-03-25
Dahmer kills Anthony Sears; he retains Sears' head and genitalia, the first body parts he permanently preserved.
1990-05-14
Dahmer moves into Apartment 213 at the Oxford Apartments in Milwaukee, where most subsequent murders occur.
1991-05-27
Milwaukee police officers return 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone to Dahmer's apartment despite concerns raised by bystanders; Dahmer kills him shortly after.
1991-07-22
Dahmer is arrested after intended victim Tracy Edwards escapes his apartment and alerts police.
1992
Dahmer is convicted of 16 counts of murder and sentenced to 16 terms of life imprisonment without parole.
1994-11-28
Dahmer is beaten to death by inmate Christopher Scarver at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Bailey Sarian / 1 hr 2 min
Jeffrey Dahmer. Inside His Messed Up Mind & How He Almost Got Away. Mystery & Makeup | Bailey Sarian
People
Tony Hughes
VICTIM
31-year-old aspiring model killed by Dahmer in May 1991.
Christopher Scarver
CONVICTED
Fellow inmate who beat Dahmer to death on November 28, 1994, at Columbia Correctional Institution.
Errol Lindsey
VICTIM
19-year-old killed by Dahmer in April 1991.
James Doxtator
VICTIM
14-year-old victim killed by Dahmer at his grandmother's West Allis residence in January 1988.
Curtis Straughter
VICTIM
17-year-old killed by Dahmer in February 1991.
Oliver Lacy
VICTIM
24-year-old killed by Dahmer in July 1991.
Tracy Edwards
VICTIM
32-year-old intended victim who escaped Dahmer's apartment on July 22, 1991, leading to Dahmer's arrest.
Jeffrey Dahmer
CONVICTED
Convicted in 1992 of 16 counts of murder (15 in Wisconsin, one in Ohio) and sentenced to 16 terms of life imprisonment without parole.
Raymond Smith
VICTIM
32-year-old man killed by Dahmer in May 1990, shortly after Dahmer moved to the Oxford Apartments.
Steven Hicks
VICTIM
18-year-old hitchhiker killed by Dahmer in Bath Township, Ohio, in June 1978.
Joseph Bradehoft
VICTIM
25-year-old killed by Dahmer in July 1991.
Ernest Miller
VICTIM
22-year-old man killed by Dahmer in September 1990.
Anthony Sears
VICTIM
24-year-old aspiring model killed by Dahmer in March 1989; the first victim whose remains Dahmer permanently preserved.
Joseph Gabrish
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Milwaukee police officer who responded to the May 1991 call involving Konerak Sinthasomphone and returned him to Dahmer's apartment.
David Thomas
VICTIM
22-year-old father of two killed by Dahmer in September 1990.
John Balcerzak
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Milwaukee police officer who responded to the May 1991 call involving Konerak Sinthasomphone and returned him to Dahmer's apartment.
Steven Tuomi
VICTIM
25-year-old man killed by Dahmer at the Ambassador Hotel in Milwaukee in November 1987.
Edward Smith
VICTIM
27-year-old acquaintance of Dahmer killed in June 1990.
Matt Turner
VICTIM
20-year-old killed by Dahmer in June 1991 after being lured from Chicago to Milwaukee.
Konerak Sinthasomphone
VICTIM
14-year-old killed by Dahmer in May 1991 after being returned to Dahmer's apartment by responding police officers.
Jeremiah Weinberger
VICTIM
23-year-old killed by Dahmer in July 1991 after being lured from Chicago.
Richard Guerrero
VICTIM
22-year-old man killed by Dahmer in March 1988 after being lured from outside a gay bar.
Richard Porubcan
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Milwaukee police officer who arrived at the scene and accompanied Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer's apartment in May 1991.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
archival location
Anthony Hughes 1977
Credit: Wisconsin School For The Deaf High School 1977 Yearbook · Public domain · Source
unclassified
Columbia Correctional Institution Wisconsin with guard tower
Jeffrey Dahmer, an American serial killer, murdered and dismembered seventeen men and boys in Ohio and Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991 before his 1991 arrest and 1992 conviction on 16 counts of murder.
Where did the crime happen?
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (with earlier offenses in Bath Township, Ohio).
Who was convicted?
Christopher Scarver (Fellow inmate who beat Dahmer to death on November 28, 1994, at Columbia Correctional Institution.) and Jeffrey Dahmer (Convicted in 1992 of 16 counts of murder (15 in Wisconsin, one in Ohio) and sentenced to 16 terms of life imprisonment without parole.).
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