The twisted story of the American serial killer who killed 17 men and boys

American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer raped, killed and dismembered at least 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. He mainly targeted gays and boys of color. His two youngest victims were 14 years old.

According to an ABC News report, Dahmer’s crimes came to light in 1991 when he tried to lure three men with money to pose for nude photographs. One of them agreed and followed Dahmer back to his apartment, where he handcuffed him and expressed his intention to eat his heart.

But in the end the man managed to escape and inform the police. After his arrest, Dahmer gave police detailed confessions. He died in prison at age 34 in 1994, killed by his cellmate Christopher Scarver, USA Today reported.

This week’s episode of Shocking Crimes on ABP Live focuses on the disturbing case of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Dahmer’s crimes

Jeffrey Dahmer is believed to have committed his first murder in 1978, just three weeks after graduating from high school. He picked up an 18-year-old hitchhiker named Stephen Hicks and lured him to his home. When Hicks tried to leave, Dahmer hit him with a 10-pound dumbbell and strangled him, according to Biography.com.

Reflecting on the crime years later, Dahmer told Inside Edition in 1993: “I always knew it was wrong. The first murder was not planned. I was coming back from the mall in ’78. I had fantasies about picking up a hitchhiker, taking him back to the house and having complete dominance and control over him.”

According to Biography.com, Dahmer drove Hicks to his parents’ home in Ohio, where he killed him, then dismembered his body and placed it in garbage bags. “Nobody had any idea what was going on for over a decade,” Dahmer said of his crimes.

Subsequently, Dahmer entered Ohio State University. However, he dropped out after one semester due to alcohol abuse. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he received an honorable discharge due to excessive drinking, The New York Times reported.

According to Biography.com, Dahmer committed his second murder nine years later. In September 1987, he took 24-year-old Stephen Twomey to a hotel room. Dahmer claimed that he only intended to drug Tuomey, but woke up the next morning to find him dead, with no memory of how he was killed. He stuffed the body into a suitcase and transported it to his grandmother’s house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he dismembered it and threw most of the remains in the trash. He kept the skull for a week before boiling and grinding it.

Two months later, Dahmer lured 14-year-old James Doxtator to his grandmother’s basement, offering him $50 to pose for nude photographs. He then drugged the boy and strangled him, disposing of the body in the same manner as Tuomi’s.

In March 1989, Dahmer met Anthony Sears, a 24-year-old aspiring model, at a bar. He took Sears to his grandmother’s basement, where he drugged and killed him. Sears was Dahmer’s first victim, from whom he kept “trophies” by storing his head and genitals in a wooden box that he kept for a time in his work locker.

The killing spree comes to an end

Dahmer’s last crime occurred on July 22, 1991, in Milwaukee, when two police officers were stopped by 32-year-old Tracy Edwards, who was handcuffed to one wrist.

According to Biography.com, Dahmer met Edwards earlier that day and convinced him to come to his apartment. Once inside, Edwards noticed a foul odor and containers of hydrochloric acid. Dahmer managed to handcuff one of Edwards’ wrists, pull out a knife and try to drag him into a bedroom where he said he wanted to take nude photos.

Edwards managed to escape by punching Dahmer and knocking him to the ground, allowing him to escape through the unlocked front door. He alerted two police officers and took them back to Dahmer’s apartment.

Upon entering, officers found an open box containing Polaroid photographs of dismembered bodies. When Dahmer saw that the officers had found the photographs, he tried to run away, but they quickly overpowered him and handcuffed him.

Neighbors later told police and reporters that they noticed a foul odor coming from Dahmer’s apartment, but he attributed it to spoiled meat, History.com reported.

After his arrest, Dahmer confessed to the murders in detail, admitting to “17 murders in total,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Trial and death

Following his confession, Dahmer was formally charged with multiple counts of first-degree premeditated murder. He was also accused of cannibalism and necrophilia.

According to A&E True Crime reports, in September 1991, Dahmer initially pleaded “guilty but not guilty by reason of mental illness,” but in January 1992, he changed his plea to “guilty but insane.” Psychologist Dr. Holly Schiff explained that by appealing to insanity, Dahmer had to prove to the jury (which 10 of 12 jurors had to agree with) that he was mentally ill at the time of the murder.

The network added that if Dahmer is found sane, he will be sent to prison, but if he is found insane, he will be placed in a state facility where he can later apply for release.

Dahmer’s trial began on January 30, 1992, with closing arguments delivered on February 14. The next day, the jury found Dahmer legally sane and not mentally ill at the time of the murder. He was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences.