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Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer savagely murdered and mutilated 17 males in a flurry of insatiable, ruthless bloodshed that shocked and appalled the world. He was sentenced to 16 life sentences and sent to Columbia Correctional Institution, only to later be murdered by a fellow inmate in 1994 (via Biography). In the wake of his chilling legacy, true crime aficionados and psychological experts alike have pondered over the ominous internal catalyst that drove Dahmer to carry out crimes that seemed equal parts impulse and calculation.
Prior to his grisly demise, Jeffrey Dahmer performed numerous interviews with inquirers who couldn't help but wonder why he did what he did. In a strange manner of humble composure, he delivered explanations that chilled people to their pallid bones. "The killing was just a means to an end," Dahmer shared with Stone Phillips on "Dateline NBC" shortly after his conviction (per Oxygen). According to the infamous killer, his primary goal's origins were of a far more sinister, sadistic nature.
Having total control
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During his interview with Stone Phillips on "Dateline NBC," Jeffrey Dahmer revealed his reasons for killing (via Oxygen). "I just wanted to have the person under my complete control," he said. "Not having to consider their wishes. Being able to keep them there as long as I wanted." Dahmer was driven by a primordial and sexual craving to keep his unfortunate subjects captive, satisfying his erotic pleasures whenever he wanted. Unfortunately, it rarely worked out for him — or them, for that matter. In one instance, he drilled a hole into the victim's skull and injected acid directly into their brain, inevitably resulting in their death (per Associated Press). In a sense, murder was merely an occupational hazard in his quest for total submission.
Dahmer admitted to consuming parts of his victims' bodies later on in his spree. By doing so, he claimed, "It made them feel that they were a part of me, and it gave a sexual satisfaction to do that. ... I ended up doing what I did as my way of feeling in complete control. ... Creating my own little world where I had the final say" (via Internet Archive).