Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
The late Jeffrey Dahmer is perhaps one of the most notorious serial killers in history. The Milwaukee Cannibal, as he was known, committed some of the most gruesome murders imaginable before being caught in 1991. He was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences for his crimes and was murdered in prison in 1994 by a fellow inmate.
Dahmer’s crimes were so horrific that they were made into a movie in 2002 called Dahmer. In this film, Jeremy Renner played the lead role, with a supporting cast including Anne Heche and Anthony Hopkins. The movie told the story of how Dahmer became a serial killer, but it left out some important details about why he did it.
Why did Jeffrey Dahmer kill?
The reason why Jeffrey Dahmer killed is not fully understood by mental health professionals to this day. While many theories have been put forward over the years, none are widely accepted or supported by evidence.
Early Life
Dahmer was born on May 21st 1960 in West Allis, Wisconsin to Joyce Annette (née Flint) and Lionel Herbert Dahmer Sr., who worked as an analytical chemist at a pharmaceutical company. He had two younger sisters: Lori and Shari.
From early childhood onward, he displayed signs of serious mental illness.
At the age of four he suffered from grand mal seizures.
He also suffered from sleep apnea.
He was known to have been highly active during his childhood.
His parents divorced when he was eight years old after his father had an affair with one of his mother’s friends.
This resulted in him having to live with his mother and grandmother until his father moved back into their home after they reconciled when Jeffrey turned 13 years old.