When you hear the name Jeffery Dahmer a few things come to mind. For one, he is one of the most infamous serial killers of all time in American history. The second thought is about the manner in which he killed and consumed his victims. But the last and later thought that is often overlooked was his victim choice, the sexual orientation of both Dahmer and his victims and how the police had failed a community multiple times due to the fact that he looked like a well put together straight white male. Unassuming of any danger because of the privilege he was granted due to his looks and status. His victims were mostly young men and boys who were of Black, Latino, or Asian descent. The way Dahmer was able to engage in heinous and cruel acts walking free while his victims that were of a different race and with some being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, that were looked down on heavily at that time, were left unheard uncared for and ultimately failed by the United States justice system on multiple levels. This led to the loss of 17 beautiful lives from the years 1978-1991 when he was finally apprehended.

One of the more shocking parts you see when looking at this case is the case of Konerak Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old Laotian boy who managed to escape from Dahmer’s apartment after going through a rudimentary lobotomy where Dahmer drilled a hole into Konerak’s skull and injected hydrochloric acid into his brain to put him into a zombie like state. Dahmer had left the apartment to go to a local bar while Konerak walked outside naked, stumbling and barely able to speak. Glenda Cleveland, a woman of African American decent, and some of her family members found the boy wandering the streets and called the police about a bleeding and incoherent child. When the police responded and Dahmer returned, he was able to convince the officers that Konerak and himself were lovers and that he was of age to consent. Glenda begged the officers to investigate this further and find out the identity of the person sitting in front of them. “This could have all been prevented,” said Nicole Childress, 18, one of the women who called police about the boy. According to a report in the Telegram & Gazette (1991) “If they had listened that night, that little boy would still be alive, and all the others wouldn’t be dead”. Their efforts went unheard once again and were even reprimanded for speaking up over Dahmer and Konerak was brought back into the apartment and the officers went on their way. Not knowing what was lying in the other room. ‘”Despite the vigorous protestations of several African Americans on the scene, the officers and Dahmer led Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer’s apartment, where the body of one of Dahmer’s victims lay unnoticed in an adjoining room. Concluding that Dahmer and Sinthasomphone were adult homosexual lovers, the officers ultimately left Sinthasomphone with Dahmer,” the suit states.’ (Hogan, 2022). That body in the other room was Tony Hughes. An African American deaf-mute male who was murdered 3 days prior. And just 30 minutes later Konerak Sinthasomphone would become Dahmer’s 13th victim. After Dahmer’s crimes came to light, we would come to find that if the police listened to the concerned citizens and just searched Dahmer’s name in the system, they would find he was on probation for a case that he was charged for 3 years prior where he assaulted Somsack Sinthasomphone, Konerak’s older brother. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison for the similar assault but was granted early release based on good behavior by the court and only served 1 year out of the 8.

The case of Jeffery Dahmer has highlighted the clear injustices and inequality in race and sexual orientation in our world. With him being assumed to be just an everyday simple white male he was looked at with more trust and a higher thought caliber of character purely because of race and the clean-cut look that hid the monster within. In the case of Somsack Sinthasomphone he only had to serve 10 months on an 8-year sentence and within the time of his probation he was able to murder another member of his victim’s family, Konerak Sinthasomphone, and claim another life. This should be seen as a clear example of inequality. Because he was a mild-mannered white male; he was granted early release and was able to continue his reign of terror. If this was a person of color charged with the same crime, they would not be met with the same graces even in our time today. The legal system trusted the word of one white male over the voices of multiple voices of color showing concern for a fellow citizen that ultimately led to Dahmer claiming 13 more lives before he was ultimately arrested and charged for the 17 murders he had committed. Even after he was formally charged and was extremely cooperative with the police efforts to find out information for the victims there was one victim that he was still not charged with even though he gave a full confession. His second victim was named Steven Tuomi. Someone that Dahmer had a positive interaction with but after they became intoxicated Dahmer had gone into a blackout and woke up to Steven Tuomi. Dead and cold lying next to him while his hands were bruised and covered in blood. The courts did not recognize this confession to the crime purely on the basis that Dahmer was intoxicated and could not give an accurate recall. Even after confessing to 17 other murders with grave detail, they let this one slide and did not feel the need to charge him for yet another hideous crime.

Steven Hicks, 18, last seen in June of 1978. The remains were eventually recovered in 1991 after Dahmer confessed. Steven Tuomi, 28, last seen in September 1987. Jamie Doxtator, 14, last seen in January 1988. Richard Guerrero, 25, last seen March 1988. Anthony Sears, 24, last seen March 1989. Ricky Beeks, 33, last seen May 1990. Eddie Smith, 28, last seen June 1990. Ernest Miller, 24, last seen September 1990. David Thomas, 23, last seen September 1990. Curtis Straughter, 18, last seen March 1991. Errol Lindsey, 19, April 1991. Anthony ‘Tony’ Hughes, 31, last seen May 1991. Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14, last seen with police record May 1991. Matt Turner, 20, last seen June 1991. Jeremiah Weinberger, 23, last seen July 1991. Oliver Lacy, 23, last seen July 1991. Joseph Bradehoft, 25, last seen July 1991. Many of us these days are fascinated with true crime, serial killers and anything of a macabre variety because it’s so far from the normal everyday life that we live. We get to see a different perspective, even if it might be on the darker side. But I feel most documentaries, articles and books don’t focus enough on the lives that were lost and the community and families affected. We look more into the mind and the person who felt compelled to act on their addiction to be in control and have someone fully submit to him, no matter the cost. “Findings suggest that Dahmer’s actions were consistent with a strong behavioral addiction, and that their escalation in frequency and severity over time—despite growing risks to the ‘user’’ (Lankford & Hayes, 2022). Dahmer preyed on his victims who were predominantly people of color from a lower social background and in marginalized communities. He intentionally placed himself in low-income housing in an African American neighborhood to avoid police detection because they avoided the area due to high crime rates.

The case of Jeffrey Dahmer and his victims is a clear illustration of how power, privilege, and inequality played a significant role in allowing him to commit his crimes and for his reign of terror to continue for so long. Dahmer’s ability to avoid being caught was not just because he was a clever criminal, but also because he benefited from the privileges given to him at birth being that came with being a white man in a society filled with built-in biases. The lives of his victims, many of whom were young men of color from communities that were often scrutinized, were also devalued by a society that didn’t see them as worthy of protection or care. There were efforts to resist these forces, but they weren’t strong enough to stop Dahmer’s compulsion to go on with his killing spree. This lack of response reflects a troubling pattern where the issues raised by marginalized communities or individuals are often not given the serious attention they warrant. The innate failures in Dahmer’s case are not isolated incidents but part of a much bigger pattern of institutional neglect and preconception of others. This historical case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of confronting and addressing inequalities and social bias in society. Only by doing so can we prevent future tragedies and create a more just and equitable society.

Honoring and Remembering the Lives Lost

Steven Hicks, 18 [June 18, 1978]

Steven Toumi, 24 [November 20, 1987]

James Doxtator, 14 [January 18, 1987]

Richard Guerrero, 25 [March 24, 1988]

Anthony Sears, 26 [March 25, 1989]

Raymond Smith (aka Ricky Beeks) [May 20, 1990]

Eddie Smith, 28 [June 1990]

Ernest Miller, 22 [September 1990]

David C. Thomas, 23 [September 24, 1990]

Curtis Straughter, 17 [February 18, 1991]

Errol Lindsey, 19 [April 7, 1991]

Anthony “Tony” Hughes, 31 [May 24, 1991]

Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14 [May 27, 1991]

Matt Turner, 20 [June 30, 1991]

Jeremiah Weinberger, 23 [July 5, 1991]

Oliver Lacy, 23 [July 15, 1991]

Joseph Bradehoft, 25 [July 19, 1991]

References

Hogan, K. (2022, October 7). The tragic story of Jeffrey Dahmer’s 14-year-old victim who the police returned to the killer’s home. People. https://people.com/crime/jeffre-dahmer-victim-konerak-sinthasomphone-police-returned-boy-home-killer/

Lankford, A., & Hayes, J. K. (2022). Could Serial Killing Actually Be Addictive? A Close Examination of Compulsion and Escalation in the Jeffrey Dahmer Case. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.1080/26929953.2022.2126416

Bloody, naked boy said left with Dahmer: [ALL edition]. (1991, Jul 27). Telegram & Gazette Retrieved from http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/bloody-naked-boy-said-left-with-dahmer/docview/268432033/se-2

AOL. (n.d.). Photos of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims. AOL. https://www.aol.com/complete-timeline-jeffrey-dahmers-victims-230000909.html