Jeffrey Dahmer Research Paper

Jeffrey Dahmer, a famous serial killer who killed over seventeen people, died in prison while waiting out fifteen consecutive life sentences. Dahmer, one of America’s most notorious serial killers, had a difficult childhood that spiraled out of control and began an unhealthy obsession with killing animals as a young child that led to him becoming a murderous necrophiliac.

Dahmer, who was born on May 21, 1960 had a relatively normal life until he was four. “He was described as an energetic and happy child until the age of four, when surgery to correct a double hernia seemed to effect a change in the boy” (Biography.com Editors). After the surgery he had little emotion and was an unhappy child most of the time. Dahmer had a sick obsession with

Dahmer picked up a hitchhiker named Steven Hicks, he brought him to his parents’ house where he began to make the man drink, again stealing from his parent’s liquor stash, when Steven tried to leave Dahmer then struck him on the head with a dumbbell weight that killed him. After he killed Steven he dismembered his body, packing his body parts in a garbage bag that he later buried in his parents back yard. He took the bones and crushed them with a sledge hammer dusting his wooded backyard with the remains. No one ever knew about the killing until his police confession later in his

Most of his victims were Black that he would pick up in gay bars then drug and kill. There was only one black man on the court jury for the trial which made it seem like the O.J Simpson trial with race. Dahmer would be placed in the courtroom with 8 foot bullet proof glass surrounding him in the gallery, this only set the tension higher. Jeffrey pleaded not guilty at first in front of the jury despite confessing his crimes to the police during interrogation. He later plead guilty towards the end of the trial on “insanity” plea, this meant that with the insanity plea says that he was not at fault for the murders, that he wasn’t responsible for his actions and they can’t be held against him in the court of law. The court ruled that even with his plea he knew what his actions were and ruled against the plea. “If he had been found insane he would have been hospitalized in the state mental institution and would be eligible to petition for release every six months”(The New York Times Company). “Even with an insanity plea Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences on counts of murder. He was denied parole “If he were to gain parole in one sentence, the next sentence would automatically take effect, making him ineligible for parole for 936 years, prosecutors said”(The New York Times Company). Wisconsin the state where the trial was held does not hold a death penalty, but Dahmer requested it to