How tall was Jeffrey Dahmer? Almost all victims of notorious serial killer were of same height as him
| Real Name | Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer |
| Date of Birth | May 21, 1960 |
| Died | November 28, 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Height | 5ft 9 inches (175.26 cm) approx. |
| Weight | 82 kg (180lbs) |
| Parents | Lionel Dahmer, Joyce Dahmer |
| Sibling | David Dahmer |
| Criminal Penalty | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (x16; total of 941 years in prison) |
| Eye Color | Gray |
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most infamous serial killers in US history, reportedly stood at a height of 6ft 0.5 inches (184. 15 cm), but some sources say he was 5ft 9 inches (175.26 cm).
Dahmer's apartment harbored the remains of 11 young men, with the majority being of Black, Hispanic, or Asian descent. Most of their heights were above 5ft 9 inches (175.26 cm).
While Dahmer was not the tallest serial killer in the US, he was only a few inches taller than his biological brother, David Dahmer, who stoof 5ft 7 inches tall (170.18 cm).
Who were Jeffrey Dahmer's victims?
According to The Sun, Jeffrey Dahmer's victims were all young men, ranging in age from 14 to 32.
They were identified as Steven Hicks (18), Steven Tuomi (25), James Doxtator (14), Richard Guerrero (22), Anthony Sears (24), Raymond Smith (32), Edward Smith (27), Ernest Miller and David Thomas (22), Curtis Straughter (17), Errol Lindsey (19), Anthony Hughes and Konerak Sinthasomphone (31), Matthew Turner (20), Jeremiah Weinberger (23), Oliver Lacy (24), and Joseph Bradehoft (25).
Reportedly, most of his victims where almost as tall as him, and Jamie Doxtator, despite his age of 14, was almost 6ft tall.
Another of his young victims was Konerak Sinthasomphone, who was only 14 years old and managed to escape from Dahmer's lair in 1991 but unwitting police officers handed him right back over to Dahmer, sending him to his brutal death.
As reported by The Tampa Bay Times, the teenager had fled from home to seek refuge from an abusive stepfather just two days before encountering Jeffrey Dahmer.
Jeffrey Dahmer may have appeared around the 6ft mark in his police and prison mug shots, but his blonde hair could have given the illusion of him being slightly taller.
However, compared to other notorious serial killers, he wasn't exceptionally tall.
Was Jeffrey Dahmer the tallest serial killer?
Jeffrey Dahmer surely wasn't the tallest serial killer. Ed Kemper, for instance, stood 6ft 9 inches (206 cm) tall - which led to his nickname "Big Ed', making him taller than Jeffrey Dahmer.
When compared to other notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer's height of 5ft 9 inches (175.26 cm) was considerably shorter than Edmund Kempner, who stood 6ft 9 inches (205.74 cm) tall, and Ted Bundy's height of 5ft 10 inches (178 cm).
However, Dahmer was taller than another infamous serial killer Charles Manson, who stood 5 foot 2 inches (157 cm) tall.
Early life and upbringing
Jeffrey Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 21, 1960, to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. His early life was marked by a traumatic event at the age of 4, following surgery to correct a double hernia, which seemed to have a profound effect on him.
He became increasingly withdrawn after the birth of his younger brother and the family's relocation to Ohio.
From a young age, Dahmer developed a fascination with animal bones and began collecting large insects and the skulls of small animals. By his early teens, he was disengaged, tense, and largely friendless.
Dahmer claimed that his compulsions toward necrophilia and murder began around the age of 14. His parents' divorce and the subsequent neglect he experienced added to the stressors in his life.
Despite not being physically or emotionally abused, Dahmer was neglected by his parents, which, along with other factors, likely contributed to his dysfunctional behavior, as per Newsweek.
Crimes and arrest
Jeffrey Dahmer committed heinous crimes against 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
He sought out his victims, mostly Black men, at gay bars, malls, and bus stops, lured them home with promises of money or sex, and gave them alcohol laced with drugs before strangling them to death, according to Biography.
He engaged in sex acts with the corpses before dismembering them and disposing of them, often keeping body parts as souvenirs.
He frequently took photos of his victims at various stages of the murder process so he could recollect each act afterward and relive the experience.
Dahmer was captured in 1991 and sentenced to 16 life terms. He was killed by fellow prison inmate Christopher Scarver in 1994. His crimes were particularly gruesome, involving cannibalism and necrophilia.
Jeffrey Dahmer was caught on July 22, 1991, after he offered three men $100 at a bar to come with him back to his apartment to pose for nude photographs. One of the three men, Tracy Edwards, agreed to the offer.
People reports claim that Dahmer handcuffed him and held a knife to his chest, telling Edwards he intended to eat him. Edwards was eventually able to escape by punching Dahmer and knocking him to the ground, allowing him to run through the unlocked front door.
He flagged down two Milwaukee police officers, whom he led back to Dahmer's apartment. When they arrived, the officers noticed an open drawer that contained Polaroid pictures of human bodies in various stages.
Once Dahmer saw the Polaroid pictures, he tried to flee, but they overpowered him and cuffed him. Following his arrest on July 22, Dahmer gave a detailed confession to police, confessing to "a total of 17 slayings."
As per reports, he was charged with four counts of first-degree murder on July 25, 1991, and charged with another eleven counts of first-degree murder on August 22, 1991, for crimes he committed in Wisconsin. Dahmer was sentenced to 16 life terms and was killed by fellow prison inmate Christopher Scarver in 1994.
Historical records and official documents
There exists several records, researches, and official records on Jeffrey Dahmer. Some of them are the FBI's records, Denver Law Review via Digital Commons; report on Dahmer and the Insanity Defense by Marquette University; report by the Historic Newspapaer; and a research paper by the title Micro Disasters: The Case of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Facts about serial killers
Serial killers are a disturbing and fascinating subject for many people. Here are some interesting facts about serial killers:
Some people are romantically drawn to serial killers.
In 1987, there were 128 convicted serial killers operating in the United States.
The majority of serial killers are white males.
Most serial killers have deeply disturbing personality traits.
In the John Wayne Gacy case, there were so many bodies crammed underneath the house that the bodies melted together, and the bones had to be sorted for more than two years to put together the full skeletons.
Jeffrey Dahmer had so many bodies in his apartment that he ran out of room and stored one victim in a bathtub. He proceeded to shower over him every day for a month.
Ted Bundy once worked at a suicide hotline, where his job was to talk people out of killing themselves.
Very few serial killers turn themselves in. Only Ed Kemper, “The Co-Ed Killer”, called the police to confess. He then waited at a telephone booth to be picked up.
Arthur Shawcross, perhaps better known as the “Gennessee River Killer”, was serving five years for arson and burglary. He was released after only 22 months for saving a prison guard during a riot. He then went on to kill at least 14 people, and some of his murders included cannibalism.
Venezuelan serial killer and cannibal, Dorangel Vargas, confessed to killing and eating at least 10 men over a period of 10 years. He claimed that human flesh tasted like tuna.
Serial killers have become a huge inspiration for TV series and films in the last few years because their stories are now an entertainment medium for the curious public.
Psychological analysis of Dahmer's mindset
Jeffrey Dahmer's psychological profile reveals a complex and disturbing individual. He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder.
Reportedly, these conditions contributed to his abnormal thinking, perceptions, and a lack of empathy toward others. Dahmer's childhood and early life were marked by signs of distress, including a toxic family environment, a lack of emotional support, and a history of childhood trauma.
Accoring to Psychology Today, his fixation on the dead and his disturbing methods of killing and dismembering his victims, including cannibalism, were linked to his deep-seated psychological issues, intense feelings of loneliness, and an unrelieved sense of death's presence.
His psychological makeup, combined with alcohol and drug abuse, led to his heinous crimes. Understanding the psychological factors behind Dahmer's behavior is crucial to preventing similar tragedies and shedding light on the signs of psychopathy.
Dahmer's case serves as a chilling example of the profound impact of psychological disturbances on an individual's actions and the devastating consequences that can result from untreated mental health issues.
How old was Jeffrey Dahmer when he died?
Jeffrey Dahmer died on November 28, 1994, at the age of 34.
How did Jeffrey Dahmer die?
Jeffrey Dahmer was beaten to death by a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver, at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. Dahmer was serving 16 life terms for his heinous crimes, including murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism.
Scarver revealed that he killed Dahmer because he was unrepentant and had crossed the line with some people in prison. Dahmer's death marked the end of a gruesome chapter in American criminal history.