Childhood and Education Journey of Jeffrey Dahmer in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Jeffrey Dahmer. From birth to education, explore key events.

Jeffrey Dahmer, the Milwaukee Cannibal, was an American serial killer and sex offender. Between 1978 and 1991, he murdered and dismembered seventeen men and boys. His crimes often involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts, especially skeletons. Dahmer's horrific acts shocked the world and cemented his place as one of the most infamous criminals in American history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Challenges & Struggles

May 21, 1960: Jeffrey Dahmer's Birth

On May 21, 1960, Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, later known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, was born.

Others born on this day/year

October 1966: Family Moved to Doylestown, Ohio

In October 1966, the Dahmer family moved to Doylestown, Ohio.

May 1968: Family Moved to Bath Township, Ohio

In May 1968, the Dahmer family moved to Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio. At this location Jeffrey started collecting insects and small animal skeletons and preserving some in formaldehyde.

1975: Dahmer's Disturbing Actions and Family Issues

In 1975, Dahmer decapitated a dog carcass and impaled it on a stick. Also in 1975, Lionel taught his son to preserve animal bones, and Joyce increased her consumption of Equanil, laxatives and sleeping pills.

May 1978: Dahmer Graduates High School

In May 1978, Dahmer graduated from high school. He was observed drinking beer near the school parking lot before graduation.

July 24, 1978: Dahmer's Parents' Divorce Finalized

On July 24, 1978, the divorce of Dahmer's parents was finalized. Joyce was awarded custody of their younger son and alimony payments.

1978: Confession to Steven Hicks's Murder in Ohio

As part of his confession starting July 23, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer admitted to killing Steven Hicks in Ohio in 1978, in addition to murders committed since 1987.

1978: Additional Homicide Sentence

In 1978, Dahmer committed an additional homicide in Ohio, later leading to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment.

1978: Dahmer's First Murders

In 1978, Jeffrey Dahmer began his killing spree, which lasted until 1991. He would eventually murder seventeen men and boys.

March 24, 1981: Dahmer Sent to Fort Jackson and Travels to Miami

On March 24, 1981, Jeffrey Dahmer was sent to Fort Jackson for debriefing and given a plane ticket. He traveled to Miami Beach, Florida, opting not to return home.

December 1981: Dahmer Moves in with Grandmother

In December 1981, Jeffrey Dahmer was sent by his father and stepmother to live with his paternal grandmother, Catherine Dahmer, in West Allis, Wisconsin, in the hope that she could help him quit drinking and live responsibly.

1983: Last Seen by Mother Before Arrest

Jeffrey Dahmer's mother, Joyce, related that she and her son had not seen each other since Christmas 1983, prior to his arrest.

January 1985: Dahmer Hired at Ambrosia Chocolate Factory

In January 1985, Jeffrey Dahmer was hired as a mixer at the Milwaukee Ambrosia Chocolate Factory. During this time, he was propositioned by another man and began exploring Milwaukee's gay bars.

1985: Dahmer Frequents Bathhouses

By late 1985, Jeffrey Dahmer had begun to regularly frequent bathhouses and viewed people as objects of pleasure.

June 1986: Dahmer Begins Drugging Partners

Beginning in June 1986, Jeffrey Dahmer started administering sleeping pills to his partners, giving them liquor laced with sedatives, before performing various sexual acts. He obtained the pills by telling doctors he worked nights.

September 8, 1986: Dahmer Arrested for Lewd Behavior

On September 8, 1986, Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior for masturbating in the presence of two 12-year-old boys. The charge was changed to disorderly conduct.

March 10, 1987: Dahmer Sentenced to Probation

On March 10, 1987, Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to one year of probation for disorderly conduct and was instructed to undergo counseling.

November 20, 1987: Encounter with Steven Tuomi at Ambassador Hotel

On November 20, 1987, Jeffrey Dahmer met Steven Tuomi at a bar and persuaded him to return to the Ambassador Hotel in Milwaukee. Dahmer awoke the next morning to find Tuomi dead.

1987: Confession to Murders since 1987

As part of his confession starting July 23, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer admitted to having murdered sixteen young men in Wisconsin since 1987, in addition to one murder in Ohio in 1978.

1987: Schizoid Personality Disorder Diagnosis

In 1987, prior to court hearings, Dahmer underwent psychological evaluations that led to a diagnosis of schizoid personality disorder.

March 24, 1988: Murder of Richard Guerrero

On March 24, 1988, Jeffrey Dahmer met Richard Guerrero outside a gay bar, lured him to his grandmother's residence, drugged him, strangled him, and dismembered his body.

September 1988: Dahmer Moves Out and is Arrested

In September 1988, Jeffrey Dahmer's grandmother asked him to move out. He moved into an apartment on September 25. Two days later, he was arrested for drugging and sexually fondling a 13-year-old boy.

1988: Prior Molestation of Sinthasomphone's Brother

In 1988, prior to the May 26, 1991 incident, Dahmer had molested the older brother of Konerak Sinthasomphone, whom he encountered on Wisconsin Avenue.

January 30, 1989: Dahmer Pleads Guilty

On January 30, 1989, Jeffrey Dahmer pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree sexual assault and enticing a child for immoral purposes.

March 25, 1989: Murder of Anthony Sears

On March 25, 1989, Jeffrey Dahmer met Anthony Sears, a 24-year-old aspiring model, at a gay bar. Dahmer lured Sears back to his grandmother's home, where they engaged in oral sex. Dahmer then drugged and strangled Sears, marking him as Dahmer's fifth victim.

May 23, 1989: Sentenced to Probation

On May 23, 1989, Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to five years' probation and one year in the House of Correction. He was allowed work release to maintain his job and was required to register as a sex offender. Later, he was paroled from this regimen, and his five-year probation began as scheduled.

May 14, 1990: Moved to Apartment 213

On May 14, 1990, Jeffrey Dahmer moved into Apartment 213 at 924 North 25th Street, taking Sears's mummified head and genitals with him. The apartment was located in a high-crime area but was close to his workplace and economical, costing $300 per month including all bills except electricity.

June 1990: Murder of Edward Smith

In June 1990, Jeffrey Dahmer lured Edward Smith to his apartment, where he drugged and strangled him. Unlike previous victims, Dahmer placed Smith's skeleton in his freezer for several months. When this failed to remove moisture, he acidified the skeleton and accidentally destroyed the skull by placing it in the oven to dry. Dahmer later expressed feeling "rotten" about being unable to retain any body parts.

October 1990: Unsuccessful Luring Attempts and Mental Health Issues

In October 1990, Jeffrey Dahmer began experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression, which he regularly reported to his probation officer. He made frequent references to his sexuality, solitary lifestyle, and financial difficulties. During this time, he also unsuccessfully attempted to lure men to his apartment on multiple occasions.

1990: Ernest Miller's Murder

In 1990, one of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims, Ernest Miller, died of a combination of shock and blood loss due to his carotid artery being cut.

February 1991: Unsuccessful Luring Attempts and Mental Health Issues

In February 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer continued to experience feelings of anxiety and depression, which he regularly reported to his probation officer. He made frequent references to his sexuality, solitary lifestyle, and financial difficulties. During this time, he also unsuccessfully attempted to lure men to his apartment on multiple occasions.

February 1991: Murder of Curtis Straughter

In February 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer lured 17-year-old Curtis Straughter to his apartment with an offer of money for nude photos and sexual intercourse. He drugged and strangled Straughter, then dismembered his body, retaining the skull, hands, and genitals and photographing the dismemberment process.

May 24, 1991: Murder of Tony Hughes

On May 24, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer met Tony Hughes, a 31-year-old aspiring model, at a nightclub. He lured Hughes to his apartment with an offer of money to pose for photographs. Dahmer drugged Hughes and then injected hydrochloric acid into his skull, resulting in his death.

May 26, 1991: Encounter with Konerak Sinthasomphone

On May 26, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer encountered 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone on Wisconsin Avenue and offered him money to come to his apartment to pose for Polaroid pictures. Dahmer drugged Sinthasomphone and performed oral sex on him. The boy was led to the bedroom where the body of Tony Hughes was lying naked on the floor.

July 22, 1991: Tracy Edwards Escapes

On July 22, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer lured Tracy Edwards to his apartment with an offer of $100 to pose for nude photographs and drink beer. Once inside, Edwards noticed a foul odor and boxes of hydrochloric acid. Dahmer attempted to handcuff Edwards, who managed to escape.

July 23, 1991: Confession to Murders

Beginning in the early hours of July 23, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was questioned by Detective Patrick Kennedy regarding the murders he had committed. Dahmer waived his right to a lawyer and confessed to sixteen murders in Wisconsin since 1987 and one in Ohio in 1978.

July 25, 1991: Charged with Four Counts of First-Degree Murder

On July 25, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

August 5, 1991: Candlelight Vigil

On August 5, 1991, over 400 people, including community leaders, gay rights activists, and family members of Dahmer's victims, attended a candlelight vigil in Milwaukee to celebrate and heal the community following the exposure of Dahmer's crimes.

August 1991: Racial Tensions

In August 1991, the Dahmer murders occurred during a time of heightened racial tension in Milwaukee. Walter Farrell, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, stated that race relations were already strained and the murders, along with the conduct of police officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish, exacerbated these tensions.

November 18, 1991: Altar Confession

In a November 18, 1991 interview, Dahmer described his intended altar as a "place for meditation", from where he believed he could draw a sense of power, adding: "If this [his arrest] had happened six months later, that's what they would have found."

1991: Murders Concluded

In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer concluded a killing spree, having murdered seventeen young men between 1978 and 1991. Twelve were killed in his North 25th Street apartment. Three victims were murdered and dismembered at his grandmother's West Allis residence. His first and second victims were murdered at his parents' home in Ohio and at the Ambassador Hotel in Milwaukee, respectively.

1991: Skull Drilling and Acid/Water Injection

In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer drilled holes into the skulls of four victims and injected hydrochloric acid or boiling water into their frontal lobes, in an attempt to induce a submissive state. This proved fatal, though unintentionally.

1991: End of Dahmer's Murders

In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer's killing spree came to an end. He murdered seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991.

1991: Requested a Bible

In 1991, after his lengthy confessions, Jeffrey Dahmer requested a copy of the Bible from Detective Murphy. This request was granted, and Dahmer began to devote himself to Christianity and became a born-again Christian.

1991: Complaints Regarding Apartment Odors and Sounds

In 1991, residents of the Oxford Apartments repeatedly complained to the building's manager, Sopa Princewill, about foul smells and strange sounds emanating from Jeffrey Dahmer's Apartment 213. Dahmer attributed the odors to a broken freezer and dead tropical fish.

January 13, 1992: Guilty Plea to 15 Counts of Murder

On January 13, 1992, at a preliminary hearing, Jeffrey Dahmer pleaded guilty but insane to 15 counts of murder.

January 30, 1992: Dahmer's Trial Begins

On January 30, 1992, Jeffrey Dahmer's trial began in Milwaukee for 15 counts of first-degree murder. The trial focused on whether Dahmer suffered from a mental or personality disorder, with the prosecution arguing that any disorders did not impair his ability to understand the criminality of his actions.

February 17, 1992: Dahmer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

On February 17, 1992, Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted of fifteen homicides in Wisconsin and sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment.

May 1, 1992: Sentenced to 16th Term of Life Imprisonment

On May 1, 1992, Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to a 16th term of life imprisonment for the murder of Steven Hicks.

November 1992: Demolition of Oxford Apartments

In November 1992, the Oxford Apartments at 924 North 25th Street, where Dahmer killed twelve of his victims, were demolished. Plans to convert the site into a memorial garden, playground, or new housing did not materialize.

May 1994: Baptism in Prison

In May 1994, Jeffrey Dahmer was baptized by Roy Ratcliff, a minister in the Church of Christ, in the prison whirlpool.

July 3, 1994: Inmate Attack

On July 3, 1994, a fellow inmate, Osvaldo Durruthy, attempted to slash Jeffrey Dahmer's throat with a razor embedded in a toothbrush in the prison chapel. Dahmer received superficial wounds and was not seriously hurt.

1994: Dateline NBC Interview

In a 1994 interview with Stone Phillips on Dateline NBC, Jeffrey Dahmer discussed his accountability to God and the impact of his beliefs on his behavior.