One of the most brutal serial killers in American history, Jeffrey Dahmer’s polaroids are proof of how deep his depravity went. The serial murderer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, is responsible for the deaths of 17 male victims, whose remains were stored in his refrigerator apartment. While it is rumored that Dahmer’s collection includes 83 Polaroids of his victims, only six have ever been leaked online.
Where Did Jeffrey Dahmer's Polaroids First Appear?
Jeffrey Dahmer's Polaroids were like urban legends for the longest time. People talked about them, referencing testimonies, interviews, and police accounts, but hardly anyone had actually laid eyes on them.
However, these mysterious Polaroids, believed to have been taken by Dahmer himself of his victims, have now surfaced on the internet. They initially appeared in a Reddit post showcasing body parts wrapped in cloth and stashed in a refrigerator. This aligns with what Detective Patrick Kennedy described when he examined the crime scenes.
"When I saw it, I can state that I had been a police officer for many years and seen some horrifying things. It was a black male with his eyes and lips wide with a look that was almost one of joy or astonishment."
According to actual reports, there were three human heads as well as hearts stored in the refrigerator. On August 12, 1991, police chief Philip Arreola confirmed this to the FBI in his report: "The remains of eleven beheaded, dismembered victims were recovered in Jeffrey Dahmer's residence."
The Dahmer Polaroids Depict His Twisted Mind
Back in July of 1991, police officer Mueller stumbled upon a shocking find: a trove of more than 80 authentic polaroids captured by Jeffrey Dahmer himself. These chilling photographs depicted either nude corpses arranged in suggestive poses or in post-mutilation states. (Warning: the link leads to two of Jeffrey Dahmer's actual polaroids of his victims.)
In a feature within True Crime Magazine, specialists delved into Dahmer's twisted modus operandi. They revealed that the killer orchestrated his victims' bodies into specific positions, fulfilling his disturbing desire for a "sexually significant" form of murder and satiating his unsettling fantasies and necrophilia.
"He frequently took photos of his victims at various stages of the murder process, so he could recollect each act afterward and relive the experience," experts disclosed. The worst of Dahmer's disturbing fantasies, which involved transforming his victims into compliant, almost brain-dead creatures by pouring acid into their skulls through the drilled holes. His aim was to keep them as obedient, docile pets within the confines of his residence.
The Rest Of Jeffrey Dahmer's Polaroids Have Never Been Leaked…
… but it isn’t difficult to predict their content. Likely, they were photos of his remaining victims. Dahmer murdered and dismembered 17 boys and men between 1978 and 1991, unnoticed by cops. Dahmer photographed his victims as he "wanted to keep them as mementos to keep him company", according to The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, in 1994. The known victims of Dahmer are as follows, listed according to the time of their murders:
- June 18, 1978: Steven Hicks, 18
- November 20, 1987: Steven Tuomi, 24 (not present in the photo)
- January 16, 1988: Jamie Doxtator, 14
- March 24, 1988: Richard Guerrero, 25
- March 25, 1989: Anthony Sears, 26
- May 20, 1990: Raymond Smith (also went by "Ricky Beeks"), 33
- June 1990: Edward W. Smith, 28
- September 1990: Ernest Miller, 22
- September 24, 1990: David C. Thomas, 23
- February 18, 1991: Curtis Straughter, 18
- April 7, 1991: Errol Lindsey, 19
- May 24, 1991: Anthony "Tony" Hughes, 31
- May 27, 1991: Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14
- June 30, 1991: Matt Turner, 20
- July 5, 1991: Jeremiah Weinberger, 23
- July 15, 1991: Oliver Lacy, 23
- July 19, 1991: Joseph Bradehoft, 25
From 1978 to 1991, the notorious and depraved serial killer targeted men of various ethnicities in public areas, subsequently ending their lives in his Milwaukee apartment. The polaroids that Jeffrey took are mementos of his heinous crime.
Dahmer was a deeply troubled and lonely individual, who suffered from mental disorders, alcoholism, and sexual deviance. According to reports, Jeffrey Dahmer took great pleasure in conducting experiments on the bodies of his victims while they were still alive. He would drill holes in their skulls and pump hydrochloric acid into their brains. He was eventually caught in 1991, when one of his intended victims escaped and alerted the police. He was sentenced to 16 life terms in prison, but was killed by another inmate in 1994.