Jeffrey Dahmer Research Paper

America is infamously known for its notorious serial killers in the country’s history. The country has seen some of the most gruesome crimes, more specifically serial killing, and these infamous killers remain a strong impact on criminal studies and psychological research. Curiosity and interest continue to grow among psychologists, criminologists, and crime enthusiasts. In other words, people are intrigued by the psychology of serial killers; we want to know why serial killers kill. True crime has become a hot topic in pop culture, and there is no doubt that most of us may be familiar with Jeffrey Dahmer, widely known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster. Dahmer was a serial killer, who was responsible for the killings and cannibalization

During his high school years, he was somewhat of an outcast, but an average student who never failed to make his class laugh through harmless pranks. He exhibited more of his humorous personality in school, earning himself the title of a class clown. However, high school was no short of a turning point in his life, but not in a manner of any positive accomplishments. Three weeks after his high school graduation documents his very first murder. Steven Hicks, a hitchhiker that Dahmer picked up on his way home, fell victim to Dahmer through a physical altercation with a barbell, strangulation, and dismemberment. Dahmer dismembers Hick’s body and disposed of the body in trash bags. Though this event documents his very first killing, Dahmer’s urges to kill were suspended as he enlists in the military a year after, from 1979 to 1981. As he was dishonorably discharged from the military due to alcohol abuse after two short years of serving the military stationed in Germany, he returns home. Upon his return, he was sent to live with his grandmother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with hopes from his parents that living with his grandmother would deter him from his drinking problems. As Dahmer resides in Wisconsin, he found himself in a couple of instances of legal trouble: indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, and most significantly, Wisconsin became the home to his notorious

His spree began in 1987 with Steven Tuomi, but Dahmer claimed he had no recollection of killing Tuomi as he had only planned to drug Tuomi. James Doxtator and Richard Guererro would eventually fall victim in close months after Tuomi. Dahmer would lure his victims to his current residence, his grandmother’s house to drink and eventually kill them in the basement. His grandmother grew displeased with his routine of bringing men home and complained of the foul smell from the basement eventually and kicked him out of the home. Shortly after his move, in September of 1988, Dahmer was detained and arrested after being reported of sexual assault of 13-year-old, Keison Sinthasomphone, and was charged with second-degree assault. He spent a week in jail for his crime and was released on bond. This arrest was a turning point in his identity, as he was required to register as a sex offender. His way of killing also changed, as he began to collect trophies of his victims through their body parts and skulls and kept them in his apartment and fridge for preservation. He also utilized a Polaroid camera to take pictures of his victims and the dismemberment of their body parts as keepsakes. Dahmer’s methods of killing and preservation were questioned by many, as he had an interest in creating a “zombie human”, by drilling into his victims’ skulls and pouring acid and