Jeffrey Dahmer should have been caught a number of times before he actually was, and one of the most heartbreaking near misses was the shocking incident surrounding 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone. Sinthasomphone managed to escape Dahmer, but — reeling from horrific, unimaginable injuries — ran into police officers who believed Dahmer’s claim that they were consensual lovers just going through something of a rough patch. At the time, Sinthasomphone hadn’t been able to respond to inquiries — because Dahmer had already drilled a hole through his skull and administered a dose of acid.
That acid was muriatic (hydrochloric) acid, a highly reactive, highly corrosive acid that’s widely available, has a slew of practical uses as a heavy-duty cleaner, and is so strong that it can dissolve iron. Sinthasomphone wasn’t the only one of Dahmer’s victims who was subjected to this gruesome experiment, but … to what end?
Dahmer later explained his motivations to the FBI, saying that more than killing, he wanted to create a perfectly willing, unconditionally compliant sex zombie who would do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, without question, argument, or hesitation. He claimed that drilling into skulls and pouring acid in “worked at first, but after a while the victims would die.”
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
