Remembering Jeffrey Dahmer’s Victims

When people speak about serial killers, we always tend to speak about the killer. Why they kill, what they did, and how many victims they had, but we never ask about the victims. The victims are forgotten to the sands of time, but the killer is immortalized and placed on a pedestal. We study them, talk about them, and keep their memories alive throughout the ages.

So for this article, I have decided to do something different. Instead of discussing Dahmer, I will focus solely on his victims. You will learn their names and a bit about their life, age, and family members. Dahmer’s victims are the ones who should be remembered, and I am happy to share about them with my readers. If you want to learn more about Dahmer, check out our article about him here.

Now, let us begin!

Steven Hicks

Died on June 18, 1978, at the age of 18.

Steven Hicks was Dahmer’s first victim and was murdered shortly after Dahmer turned 18 and graduated from high school. He was hitchhiking on his way to a rock concert in Bath, Ohio, when Dahmer picked him up. He was lured into Dahmer’s home under the pretense of driving him to the concert. When Steven rebuffed Dahmer’s sexual advances, he was strangled with a dumbbell, and then his body was raped, chopped up, and buried in an unmarked grave.

However, shortly afterward, Dahmer exhumed the body parts, destroyed them in acid, crushed the bones, and then sprinkled his remains into the wind. Steven’s father, Richard, had stated that his son was a kind and caring person, even telling a story about when they went hunting. After shooting a rabbit, Steven “was as proud as he could be, and then he bawled his eyes out.”

Steven Tuomi

Died on November 20, 1987, at the age of 25.

Growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before moving to Milwaukee and becoming one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims, he worked as a short-order cook at a restaurant where Jeffrey Dahmer picked him up. Remembered as a quiet and artistic kid by his classmates, he is the only victim with that Jeffrey Dahmer was not charged due to lack of evidence. His father has said Milwaukee police did not do anything about his disappearance due to a lack of evidence of foul play.

Dahmer said he does not remember killing Tuomi and must have killed him in a drunken stupor at the Ambassador Hotel. Regardless of when Dahmer committed his terrible act, Steven Tuomi had potential, but his life was cut short. One of his classmates, Priscilla Marley Chynwoth, said, “I was in art class with him, and he made a beautiful lead stained-glass lamp that I can still remember. It was just beautiful. I remember he could do just about anything artistic.”

Jamie Doxtator

Died on January 16, 1988, at the age of 14.

One of Jeffrey Dahmer’s youngest victims, Jamie Doxtator, was nearly 6 feet tall. Jamie’s mother lived in Orlando, Florida with his three younger siblings. He enjoyed playing pool and riding his bike, as most young children like. His mother has said his favorite quote from the Bible was, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” She said she could never feel that way about Jeffrey Dahmer as he sat in the courtroom calmly talking about his murders.

Richard Guerrero

Died on March 24, 1988, at the age of 22.

Richard Guerrero was of Mexican descent, and after he went missing in March 1988, his sister was certain he was dead. Police did not take the family seriously because they were Hispanic, and a private investigator, the family, hired defrauded them. Richard’s father lost most of his savings from the fraud. At the trial, Janie Hagen, Richard Guerrero’s sister, called Dahmer “diablo, el puro diablo.” In English, that means “devil, the pure devil,” a fitting name for the Milwaukee Cannibal.

Anthony Sears

Died on March 25, 1989, at the age of 24.

Saving money to leave Milwaukee to become a model, Anthony Sears managed a Baker’s Square. He loved having his photo taken, and since he often ran off with friends for days on end, he was not reported missing till a month later. Jeffrey Dahmer drugged and strangled him, making the last of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims to be murdered at Dahmer’s grandmother’s home. His skull and genitals were kept and preserved for Dahmer’s perverted desires.

Ricky Beeks

Died on May 20, 1990, at the age of 32.

Ricky Beeks was also known under the alias Raymond Smith and often disappeared for long periods of time. He lived with his half-sister and had a 10-year-old daughter living in Rockford, Illinois. On May 20th, he become one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims.

Eddie Smith

Died on June 14, 1990, at the age of 27.

Often wearing a turban-like wrap around his head, Eddie Smith was nicknamed “the Sheikh.” Wanting to become a professional model, it is possible he was lured in by Dahmer for a photoshoot. To wrap up this terrible event, Dahmer called Eddie’s sister, Carolyn, in 1991, telling her that her brother was dead. No remains were ever found.

Ernest Miller

Died on September 2, 1990, at the age of 22.

Ernest Miller was getting ready to begin classes in art school when his life was cut short. After graduating from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, he was in Milwaukee visiting family when Jeffrey Dahmer murdered him. He wanted to become a professional dancer, and his aunt said, “He was a talented dancer.”After g

David Thomas

Died on September 24, 1990, at the age of 22.

A father to a 2-year-old, it was not unusual for David Thomas to be gone for weeks, leading to his disappearance not being reported for weeks. At the trial, his mother said, “You took away his 2-year-old child’s father. She sits at the window asking, ‘Where is Dada? When is Dada coming?’ And I think that is a sad thing for a child to see, to go through all of her life not to know her father. I want to thank the jury for seeing this man for what he is, a sneaky, conniving person.”

Curtis Straughter

Died on February 18, 1991, at the age of 17.

A high school dropout, Curtis Straughter was a member of Gay Youth Milwaukee and worked as a nursing assistant until he disappeared in February of 1991. He planned on getting his High School Equivalency Certificate and then applying to modeling school. Straughter lived with his grandmother at the time, and his mother, Dorothy, spoke at the trial. “You took my 17-year-old son away from me. You took my daughter’s only brother away from her. She’ll never have a chance to sing and dance with him again. You took my mother’s oldest grandchild from her, and for that I can never forgive you. You almost destroyed me, but I refuse to let you destroy me. I will carry on.”

Errol Lindsey

Died on April 7, 1991, at the age of 19.

The youngest of six children, Errol Lindsey, worked as a plaster figure maker and had left to get a key made when Jeffrey Dahmer picked him up in April. He left behind a daughter named Tatiana Banks, who is 31 years old. His sister spoke at the Dahmer trial and is one of the most remembered family members. She has spoken about Netflix’s recent show saying, “I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it.”

Anthony Hughes

Died on May 24, 1991, at the age of 31.

Returning to Milwaukee from Madison to visit family, Anthony Hughes was deaf and could read lips and communicate through sign language and written notes. His mother taught a Bible class at a local college and quoted a poem written by one of Hughes’ friends at the trial.

“Mom, I’m gone, my hope, my breath, my want to live have been taken away from me unwillingly. But yet, I’m not far away. When you get cold, I wrap my arms around you to warm you. If you get sad, I softly grab your heart and cheer you up. If you smile, I’ll smile right along with you. When you cry, take one teardrop and place it outside your window ledge, and when I pass by I’ll exchange it for one of mine. Two fingers and one thumb, Mom.” She then held up two fingers and one thumb, the symbol for “I love you.”

Konerak Sinthasomphone

Died on May 27, 1991, at the age of 14.

Konerak Sinthasomphone is well-known in the Jeffrey Dahmer case because when he escaped and ran to the police, they gave him back to Dahmer. After lying to the police that Konerak was his gay lover, Dahmer took him back to his apartment, where Konerak was promptly murdered. Not only did Dahmer murder Konerak, but he also sexually molested Konerak’s brother in 1988, which is sad to think that Dahmer left such a terrible scar on the entire family twice.

Matt Turner

Died on June 30, 1991, at the age of 20.

Matt Turner was initially from Flint, Michigan but was living in Chicago, hoping to become a model. He was in Chicago because he had run away from home in 1990 and lived at a halfway house. He met Dahmer on a bus after a Pride parade and returned to Milwaukee with him.

Jeremiah Weinberger

Died on July 5, 1991, at the age of 23.

Jeremiah Weinberger was from Puerto Rico and worked as a video customer service representative in Chicago. “He loved art and was very meticulous,” Tim Gideon, Jeremiah’s roommate, said in a statement. After taking a Greyhound bus back to Milwaukee with Dahmer, he was decapitated and left in a bathtub.

Oliver Lacy

Died on July 15. 1991, at the age of 24.

The youngest of three sons, Oliver Lacy, left behind a 2-year-old child named Emmanuel. He was engaged to be married and was originally from Oak Park, Illinois, where he ran track at River Forest High School. Catherine Lacy, his mother, said he was outspoken. He wore a cross around his neck and moved to Milwaukee from Chicago several months after his father’s death.

Joseph Bradehoft

Died on July 19, 1991, at the age of 25.

Joseph Bradehoft moved to Milwaukee in search of work and stayed at an apartment rented by his brother Donald. He left behind three children and a wife. On the day he went missing, he was on his way to a job interview and was Jeffrey Dahmer’s final victim. At Dahmer’s trial, Donald said, “We lost the baby of the family. And I hope you go to hell.”

Additional Sources

USAToday News Story Covering Jeffrey Dahmer’s Victims
Jeffrey Dahmer Wikipedia Article
Men’s Health Dahmer Article

_{Source: USA Today}