A Case Study of a Serial Murderer: Jeffrey Dahmer
Voiceover
Presenter(s)
Rebecca Wicklin
Abstract or Description
Jeffery Dahmer, one of the United States' most notorious serial killers, was active between the years 1978 and 1991 and showed extreme violence in his strangulation, deconstruction, and ingestion of his victims. These combinations of violence are used to make up his signature and led to numerous studies on the Milwaukee Cannibal's life and theories on how he became the monster he did. The focus of this current research study compares the general literature on serial killers to a case study of Jeffery Dahmer. In this review of literature, the nature and the scope, similarities, and differences to literature, as well as, possible additions to the body of research on serial killers will be explored.
Mentor
Dr. Charisse T. M. Coston
Comments
Katherine Tyson4 years ago
It is so weird seeing how neat his apartment was when the picture was taken. Everything in your presentation was clear and I liked the images you included. I can't wait to see which serial killer you research next!
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Thank you so much! That means a lot!
Breanna Duquette4 years ago
This is so interesting, thank you for sharing! As you mentioned, there is typically not early enough engagement by the police when there are red flags that could lead to someone becoming a serial killer. It seems police systems are overwhelmed with responsibilities to the point they may not have the resources to prioritize issues with young children such as rough divorces and reckless behavior (drinking in school). Do you think developing programs outside of the police system could be more effective at addressing early issues, or is it more of a police task?
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Thank you, Breanna, for that comment! In most cases, especially Dahmer, these children just need someone to show them support and care. I think that the police are not trained to be specialized in tasks that do not currently put someone at risk. This is not the fault of the police officers or the police force as their jobs are first responders to physical altercations and emergencies that put people's lives at risk. I think that if society wants these issues that could lead to the life of crime to be taken control of by the police department, then they need to train and specialize the officers on mental health, reckless behavior, and the warning signs of a spiraling individual. I believe that this can be better contained and cared for by other systems such as guidance counselors and authority figures that these individuals might have a personal connection. I think that this would take some stress of police so they can do their job while also making it more impactful for these problem individuals as they are not just met with a uniform and badge but an emotional connection.
Nicole Delgado4 years ago
Hi Rebecca!
It's safe to say that I am very intrigued by your research topic as I listen to crime podcasts sometimes(crime junkie and last podcast on the left). I had heard of Jeffery Dahmer's name in passing, but I had never read about the crimes he committed. It's always interesting to see how people can become monsters and if there were any mechanisms in which to prevent them from becoming monsters. It's sad to observe that Dahmer had quite a devasting childhood, however, how was it that he ended up murdering people and indulging in paraphilias? Did he ever explain why began to kill people and was he always under the influence when carrying out these crimes? Did he begin with murder or gradually turned to murder? I also thoroughly enjoyed your poster, great work!
It's safe to say that I am very intrigued by your research topic as I listen to crime podcasts sometimes(crime junkie and last podcast on the left). I had heard of Jeffery Dahmer's name in passing, but I had never read about the crimes he committed. It's always interesting to see how people can become monsters and if there were any mechanisms in which to prevent them from becoming monsters. It's sad to observe that Dahmer had quite a devasting childhood, however, how was it that he ended up murdering people and indulging in paraphilias? Did he ever explain why began to kill people and was he always under the influence when carrying out these crimes? Did he begin with murder or gradually turned to murder? I also thoroughly enjoyed your poster, great work!
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Hi, Nicole! Thank you for your comment! The MacDonald Triad includes three behaviors that can "predict" a serial killer. In other words, these three behaviors as a child are consistent with serial killers but there is no proof that everyone who is a serial killer falls under the MacDonald Triad nor is there evidence that someone with all these behaviors will be a serial killer or even commit a crime. These behaviors are arson and obsessional fire setting, bedwetting at an age when this should no longer be a problem, and cruelty to animals. He was very big into cruelty to animals and seeing how animal skin and bones react to chemicals. He also said that he wanted to see what was on the inside and would cut them open due to pure curiosity. He also always did this post-mortem so this may have sparked his interest in necrophilia as he was comfortable with a dead "body". It is believed that cruelty to animals ruins people's views on humans and think of them as just animals to make it easy to remove personal ties and guilt from their actions. In the trial, he said how the murders were an impulse, some intense feeling that had to be acted upon. The consumption of alcohol pre-murder for Dahmer only has speculation as he died in prison but, because his interest was not in the killing of individuals but the acts he performed post-mortem, there is a possibility that he needed to be numb to the killing process. He also could have been just drinking as a social way to meet his victims in the club.
Kyleigh Payne4 years ago
Nice job! It is interesting that there are always red flags and hints that these people are developing into serial killers, yet they seem to be over looked. The similarities between serial killers and being white men makes me question the culture these people were brought up in. There does not seem to be many serial killers of different races or ethnicities, but a lot of white "christian" men.
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Hi, Kyleigh! Thank you for your comment! Yes, you are correct, most serial killers were white men during Dahmer's time and the majority of white men at that time in the United States of America were also Christian meaning that most white serial killers had the possibility of being Christian. The comment that you left was very interesting because, after the 2000s, the statistics for serial killers changed. While your comment about white Christian men being the majority during the 70s-90s was true, that is not the case during modern times. The percentage of African American serial killers in the United States has steadily increased to now African American serial killers making up more than half of the serial killer's statistics. If you are interested in reading more, you should check out the "Radford/FGCU Annual Report on Serial Killer Statistics: 2020" where there is a table where you can see the interesting changes of serial killers' race during each decade.
Cameron Mercer4 years ago
The poster and video are clear and easy to follow. I vaguely remember watching a documentary about him and I think two of the victims were related. Did anything surprise you during the research process? Great job.
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Hi, Cameron! Thank you for your comment! I was surprised to find that Konerak Sinthasomphone, his 13th victim, was brothers with the 13-year-old child he was convicted for molesting in 1988. It shocked me and he and Dahmer did not know they were related. This proves what he was saying that his crimes were not racially motivated and just based on who he felt attracted to as brothers would have similar characteristics to eachother.
Malin Pereira4 years ago
I am pretty familiar with this case, having lived in both Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, when his crimes were discovered. It's worth noting that the Milwaukee Police were a significant reason he was able to continue murdering young males. One particular victim actually escaped and ran into some police: the police did not take the young man seriously, probably due to him being a racial minority and their assumption it was a gay lovers' spat going on. Racism and homophobia are underlying systemic issues behind both the murders and the failure of his crimes being detected and stopped.
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Rebecca Wicklin4 years ago
Hi, Malin! Very good point! That is true and sadly Dahmer lived in an impoverished part of the city where racism was very prevalent. The situation you are talking about is Konerak Sinthasomphone, his 13th victim, who escaped and a neighbor called the police because he was naked and bleeding but the police lead Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer's apartment noting it as a domestic squabble. Sinthasomphone was murder later that night. If they had even done a background check on Dahmer they would have found that he was a sex offender for molesting Sinthasomphone's older brother a few years prior. Because homophobia and racism were very present at that time there was a lot of backlash leading to the suspension and firing of those officers due to neglect of duty.