Although notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer has managed to evade authorities for decades, this is an escaped victim and a shocking discovery of more than 80 polaroids that finally ends his horror fanaticism.
Police could never imagine the horrors they would encounter, but it brought serious (and much-needed) scrutiny of law enforcement and the criminal justice system to the dismay of Dahmer’s victims and the local community. Here’s everything you need to know about why Dahmer took these photos and how they led to his arrest.
Not only was Dahmer happy to demean the victim’s body, but he also made sure to document his disgusting process through Polaroid photos to further satisfy his attention. According to The Sun, “He regularly photographed victims at various stages of the murder process so that he could later recall each act and relive the experience.”
As the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology wrote in 1994, Dahmer, who often expresses feelings of loneliness and isolation, also explained that he wanted the mementos to “accompany him.” During the ensuing investigation, police also found a children’s drawing depicting Dahmer’s plans to build an altar in his home. Painted skeletons stand on either side of a back table decorated with painted skeletons.
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In July 1991, when Dahmer’s target victim, Tracy Edwards, escaped from his home and police stopped him, it would be the undoing of a serial killer. After two Milwaukee police officers escorted Edwards back to Dahmer’s apartment, they walked in in an extremely foul stench and asked to look around.
After inspecting the apartment, an officer opened Dahmer’s bedside table drawer and found 84 disturbing Polaroid photos documenting the fear he inflicted on his victims. The photos reportedly included the bodies of his victims in suggestive arched back poses, documenting the dismemberment process and the necrophilia Dahmer was involved in.
Officer Mueller was reportedly shocked by the harrowing discovery and told his partner: “These are true.”
Police arrested him on the spot, and Dahmer was eventually taken into custody, mumbling, “I should die for what I did.”
He pleaded guilty to 16 counts of murder and was sentenced to 16 life sentences, the equivalent of more than 900 years in prison.
Hayu’s series on Dahmer Dahmer: A Serial Killer Speaks takes a more in-depth look at Jeffery Dahmer’s life and the heinous crimes he committed. Now live here.
