Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May 1960, Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was welcomed by his parents — a chemistry student and a machine instructor — with “hope and excitement.” In his early years, he was “cheerful and curious,” a child full of imagination.

Around age four, after a minor surgery, everything changed. His parents noticed he became “quiet, withdrawn, and distant.” With a father often away for work and a mother struggling with health issues, Dahmer’s childhood lacked stability.

Teachers described him as bright but “unusually reserved.” He struggled to connect with others, spending most of his time alone. As the isolation deepened, emotional turmoil began shaping his darker tendencies.

After finishing high school in 1978, his parents’ separation left him alone in the family home. What followed were years of loneliness and confusion that spiraled into violence and crime.

In 1991, police discovered the horrifying extent of his actions after one victim escaped and alerted authorities. “What they found revealed years of hidden violence and psychological turmoil.” The boy once full of life had become the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” Jeffrey Dahmer died in prison in 1994, leaving behind one of the most disturbing legacies in criminal history.