Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer savagely murdered and mutilated 17 men in a flurry
of ruthless bloodshed that shocked and appalled the world.
He was sentenced to 16 life sentences and sent to Columbia Correctional Institution,
only to later be murdered by a fellow inmate in 1994.
In the wake of his chilling legacy, true crime fans and psychological experts alike have
pondered over the ominous catalyst that drove Dahmer to carry out his crimes.
Prior to his grisly demise, Jeffrey Dahmer gave numerous interviews.
In a strange manner of humble composure, he delivered explanations that chilled people
to the bone.
As Dahmer shared with "Dateline NBC" shortly after his conviction:
"The killing was just a means to an end.
It was the least satisfactory part.
I didn't enjoy doing that."
According to the infamous killer, the origins of his desire to kill were of a far more sinister,
sadistic nature.
Jeffrey Dahmer's slew of murders began in 1978 when he was a mere teenager.
Shortly after graduating high school, he was driving down a road near his house when he
noticed a young man hitchhiking.
"I had this recurring fantasy of meeting a hitchhiker on the road."
Steven Hicks was only 18 years old when he stepped into Dahmer's car and followed the
would-be killer into his house for a few drinks.
Upon entering, Hicks was struck over the head and strangled with a barbell.
Dahmer later admitted to dismembering the body and hiding the separate parts in the
woodland surrounding his home.
Nine years would pass before he took his second victim.
Perhaps the most infamous and shocking tale of Dahmer's insatiable killing spree took
place in September of 1991.
A naked 14-year-old boy, Konerak Sinthasomphone, managed to escape Dahmer's apartment, only
to be returned by police officers after the killer convinced them that the hysterical
individual was his intoxicated boyfriend.
He also told the authorities that the boy was 19 years old, which they accepted as truth.
The boy, who happened to be the brother of a teenager Dahmer had molested years earlier,
was killed upon his return to the residence.
Dahmer would go on to murder four more men before his arrest.
On July 22, 1991, Tracy Edwards miraculously escaped Dahmer's apartment and flagged down
police still wearing the handcuffs that the killer had applied to his wrists.
Exhilarated and terrified, he explained to the two officers that a "freak" had captured
him and that he'd spent the better part of five hours trying to escape.
According to Edwards, Dahmer overpowered him and put him in handcuffs while he was admiring
the host's fish tank.
He had a mind to jump from a nearby window or run to the front door as soon as the opportunity
presented itself, but his captor was vigilant not to allow such a chance.
He managed to appease Dahmer by repeatedly assuring him that he wasn't going to run away,
and after convincing him to let him use the bathroom, he struck the killer in the head
and bolted for the door.
Reluctantly, he followed the authorities back to Dahmer's apartment to retrieve the key
for the handcuffs.
When they arrived, they encountered a literal museum of horrors.
Boiled heads, dismembered body parts in the fridge, and the foul stench of decaying corpses
adorned the entire homestead.
Exhumation of the victims' bodies, and Polaroid photos that Dahmer had taken before and after
he'd killed them, led to his arrest and ultimate conviction.
As for what drove his twisted crimes, during his interview with "Dateline NBC," Dahmer
revealed:
"Killing was never the objective.
I just wanted to have the person under my complete control."
Dahmer was driven by a primordial and sexual craving to keep his unfortunate subjects captive,
satisfying his erotic pleasures whenever he wanted.
That said, it rarely worked out for him.
In several instances, including with the 14-year-old victim Sinthasomphone, he drilled a hole into
the victim's skull and injected acid directly into their brain, inevitably resulting in
their death.
"I tried to create living zombies."
Dahmer even admitted to consuming parts of his victims' bodies later on in his spree.
"It made me feel like they were a permanent part of me."
Ultimately, Dahmer revealed that he was attempting to gain control over his victims, so that
he could do what he wanted without consequence.
As he told "Dateline,"
"There was a big element of wanting complete control over someone."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN ["rain"]'s National
Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).