Jeffrey Dahmer's harrowing final statement in court before sentencing revealed
The last words of convicted criminals can either be absolutely chilling, or surprisingly mellow. In the case of America's most notorious sex offender, serial killer, and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, this is perhaps true both ways.
Having killed and dismembered at least 17 men and boys between the years 1978 and 1991, Dahmer's killing spree saw him eventually convicted. While he was not given the death penalty, his sentence was structured in such a way that he could never be free. Dahmer, who was to serve 16 consecutive life terms in prison, died in 1994 at the hands of another inmate. As a result, the last words he uttered as part of his final statement in court, broadcasted by CourtTV, are widely remembered.
RELATED ARTICLES
Jeffrey Dahmer tried to turn victims into zombies using ‘freeze-drying’ method for continuous sex
During his trial, Dahmer was given the opportunity to speak up. He famously began his statement by acknowledging that both society and the families of his victims "will never be able to forgive [him]" but hoped that God did. "I promise I will pray each day to ask for their forgiveness when the hurt goes away, if ever. I have seen their tears, and if I could give my life right now to bring their loved ones back, I would do it. I am so very sorry," he stated.
He then addressed the judge, saying that he "asks for no consideration" while adding that he had been treated professionally by all deputies. "Christ Jesus came to the world to save all sinners, of whom I am the worst," said the criminal, whose list of crimes saw him convicted of 16 counts of first-degree murder, adding, "I know my time in prison will be terrible, but I deserve whatever I get because of what I have done."
The murderer and necrophiliac appeared timid. In a video of the trial shared by the DailyMail, Dahmer can be heard acknowledging that he was "sick" and not in sound mind. "I knew I was sick or evil or both. Now I believe I was sick. I feel so bad for what I did to those poor families and I understand their rightful hate. No matter what I did, I could not undo the terrible harm I have caused," he said.
He was convicted on 16 counts of first-degree murder, drunk and disorderly conduct, disorderly conduct, second-degree sexual assault, and child molestation. Dahmer was sentenced to back-to-back terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which amounted to a total of 941 years in prison.