Why wasn't Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and dismembered at least 17 males, given the death penalty?
Jeffrey Dahmer was easily one of the most notorious serial killers in US history. Nonetheless, he was never given the death penalty.
Dahmer is said to have killed and dismembered at least 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, earning the grisly nickname 'The Milwaukee Cannibal' after his spree of twisted murders saw him eat some of his victims. The serial killer murdered and dismembered 17 males over a 13-year period before he was finally apprehended by the authorities, who later found that he kept body parts as souvenirs, including skulls and genitals.
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According to his profile on Biography.com, Dahmer "frequently took photos of his victims at various stages of the murder process, so he could recollect each act afterward and relive the experience." Following his ghastly reign of terror that spanned over a decade, he was arrested by Milwaukee police in 1991. The following year, Dahmer was convicted and sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms in prison.
Why didn't Jeffrey Dahmer get the death penalty?
The world was shocked when Dahmer did not receive the death penalty despite the diabolical nature of his crimes. It was simply because he was tried in the state of Wisconsin, which prohibits capital punishment. The Badger State abolished the death penalty way back in 1853.
Dahmer was arrested four times and convicted for sexual offenses including masturbating in front of families at a fun fair in 1982, and again in 1986 for masturbating in front of two 12-year-olds. In 1989, he was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and enticing a child, 13-year-old Somsack Sinthasomphone. However, he barely spent a week behind bars and was released on bail.
Dahmer was finally arrested for his gruesome slayings on July 22, 1991. Three years later, he would meet his own violent death at the hands of a fellow inmate at Wisconsin's Columbia Correctional Institution. Dahmer was bludgeoned to death by Christopher Scarver, a convicted murderer himself, on November 28, 1994. Scarver said he had become "fiercely disgusted" by Dahmer's crimes and kept a newspaper article in his pocket about how he killed, dismembered, and even ate his victims.
Guards left Scarver alone with Dahmer and another convicted murderer Jesse Anderson for some 20 minutes so they could clean the prison gymnasium. An argument ensued before Scarver beat the pair to death with a 20-inch, 5-lb metal bar he had taken from the gym. Scarver pleaded no contest to the murders and is currently serving three life sentences at the Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado. However, he believes it wasn't an accident that he had been left alone with Dahmer, saying prison officials wanted him dead.
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The Netflix series 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' sparked a grassroots campaign for a physical memorial site to honor the victims of the Milwaukee Cannibal. Mayor Cavalier Johnson's communication director, Jeff Fleming, told TMZ that the mayor wants to do something to honor the victims' families, but Milwaukee wants to avoid creating a "ghoulish destination for troubled fans" looking for any reason to celebrate Dahmer.
In a statement shared with TMJ4 News on September 27, Mayor Johnson said, "It is entirely appropriate to remember the victims of this horrific episode in Milwaukee’s history. They deserve our respect. I am cautious, however, about a physical memorial. That would have an unfortunate potential to attract people who have a morbid fascination with the killer. That is something I would prefer to avoid." The building, which comprised 49 units, was demolished in 1992, shortly after Dahmer's arrest in1992 and now sits vacant near 25th and State.