American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer raped, murdered and dismembered at least 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. He mostly targeted gay men and black boys. His two youngest victims were 14 years old.

According to an ABC News report, Dahmer’s crimes came to light in 1991 when he tried to lure three men with money to pose for nude photos. One of them agreed and followed Dahmer back to his apartment, where the latter handcuffed him and expressed his intention to eat his heart.

But the man eventually managed to escape and informed the police. After his arrest, Dahmer made a detailed confession to the police. He died in prison at the age of 34 in 1994, killed by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver, according to USA Today.

This week’s Shocking Crimes series on ABP Live examines the disturbing case of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Dahmer’s murders

Jeffrey Dahmer is believed to have committed his first murder in 1978, just three weeks after graduating from high school. He picked up an 18-year-old hitchhiker named Steven Hicks and lured him to his home. When Hicks tried to leave, Dahmer hit him with a 10-pound dumbbell and strangled him to death, according to Biography.com.

Reflecting on the murder years later, Dahmer told Inside Edition in 1993, “I always knew it was wrong. The first kill was not planned. I was coming back from the mall in ’78. I had fantasized about picking up a hitchhiker, taking him back to the house, and having complete dominance and control over him.”

According to the Biography.com report, Dahmer took Hicks to his parents’ home in Ohio, where he killed him before dismembering his body and placing it in garbage bags. “Nobody had a clue of what was going on for over a decade,” Dahmer said of his murders.

Dahmer later enrolled at Ohio State University. However, he quit after one term due to alcohol abuse. He later enlisted in the United States Army, where he received an honorable discharge due to excessive drinking, according to The New York Times.

According to the Biography.com report, Dahmer committed his second murder nine years later. In September 1987, he took 24-year-old Steven Tuomi to a hotel room. Dahmer claimed he only intended to drug Tuomi, but woke up the next morning to find him dead, with no memory of killing him. He stuffed the body into a suitcase and transported it to his grandmother’s house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he dismembered it and threw most of the remains in the trash. He kept the skull for a week before boiling and pulverizing it.

Two months later, Dahmer lured 14-year-old James Doxtator to his grandmother’s basement, offering him $50 to pose for nude photos. He then drugged and strangled the boy, disposing of the body in the same manner as Tuomi’s.

In March 1989, Dahmer met Anthony Sears, a 24-year-old aspiring model, at a bar. He brought Sears to his grandmother’s basement, where he drugged and killed him. Sears was Dahmer’s first victim from whom he kept “trophies”, keeping the head and genitals in a wooden box, which he stored for some time in his work closet.

The killing spree ends

Dahmer’s last murder occurred on July 22, 1991, in Milwaukee, when two police officers were flagged down by 32-year-old Tracey Edwards, who had a handcuff attached to one wrist.

According to Biography.com, Dahmer met Edwards earlier that day and convinced him to come to his apartment. Once inside, Edwards noticed a foul smell and doused containers with hydrochloric acid. Dahmer managed to handcuff one of Edwards’ wrists, pulled out a knife and tried to drag him into the bedroom, where he said he wanted to take his nude photos.

Edwards managed to escape, punching Dahmer and knocking him down, allowing him to escape through the unlocked front door. He alerted two police officers and led them back to Dahmer’s apartment.

Upon entering, officers discovered an open drawer containing Polaroid photographs of dismembered bodies. When Dahmer saw that the officers had found the photos, he tried to run, but they quickly overpowered him and handcuffed him.

Neighbors later told police and reporters they noticed a foul smell coming from Dahmer’s apartment, but he explained it was spoiled meat, according to History.com.

After his arrest, Dahmer confessed in detail to the murders, admitting to “a total of 17 murders,” as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Trial and Death

After his confession, Dahmer was formally charged with multiple counts of first-degree intentional homicide. He was also charged with cannibalism and necrophilia.

According to A&E True Crime reports, in September 1991, Dahmer initially pleaded “not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental illness,” but in January 1992, he changed his plea to “guilty but insane.” Psychologist Dr. Holly Schiff explained that by pleading insanity, Dahmer had the burden of proving to the jury — where 10 out of 12 jurors had to agree — that he was mentally ill at the time of the murders.

The network added that if found sane, Dahmer would be sent to prison, but if declared insane, he would be placed in a state institution, where he could later apply for release.

Dahmer’s trial began on January 30, 1992, with closing arguments presented on February 14. The next day, the jury found Dahmer legally sane and not suffering from a mental illness at the time of the murders. He was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences.