The Canadian Encyclopedia — neutral, cited, updated
July 26, 2026Sources cited
Canadianwire.
Canada’s encyclopedia & explainer
Home›Crime & Justice›Serial Killer›Jeffrey Dahmer
Crime & Justice • Serial Killer

Jeffrey Dahmer

Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 boys and young men between 1978 and 1991.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 boys and young men between 1978 and 1991. He was convicted in Wisconsin and later extradited to Ohio for an additional murder conviction. Dahmer was beaten to death by a fellow inmate in prison in 1994.

Early life

Jeffrey Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1960. Public accounts describe an increasingly troubled adolescence that preceded his later crimes.

Crimes and arrests

Dahmer committed a series of murders in Wisconsin and Ohio from 1978 to 1991. He was arrested in July 1991 after one intended victim escaped and led police to evidence in Dahmer’s apartment.

Trial and imprisonment

In 1992, Dahmer was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison. He was later convicted of an additional murder in Ohio and remained incarcerated in Wisconsin.

Death

Dahmer was killed on November 28, 1994, when another inmate beat him to death at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.

Key facts

  • Dahmer killed 17 boys and young men between 1978 and 1991.
  • He was arrested in 1991 after police discovered evidence in his Milwaukee apartment.
  • He was convicted in Wisconsin and later convicted of an additional murder in Ohio.
  • His crimes included murder, dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism.
  • He was beaten to death in prison in 1994 by a fellow inmate.
🍁
Canadian context

Jeffrey Dahmer is widely studied in Canadian media and criminology as one of the most notorious serial killers of the late 20th century, often discussed in relation to criminal justice failures and serial-murder profiling.

Frequently asked questions

How many people did Jeffrey Dahmer kill?
Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 known victims.
What did Jeffrey Dahmer do?
He was a serial killer and sex offender who murdered, dismembered, and abused the bodies of his victims.
Jeffrey Dahmer victims
Dahmer’s victims were 17 boys and young men, mostly killed in Wisconsin; one victim, Steven Hicks, was killed in Ohio.
Where is Jeffrey Dahmer buried?
He was cremated; no public burial site is commonly listed.
What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer?
He was convicted and imprisoned, then beaten to death by another inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution in 1994.

References

  1. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeffrey-Dahmer
    Supports: Biographical details, victim count, death date and place, crimes
  2. FBI — https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/serial-killers-part-7-jeffrey-dahmer
    Supports: Victim count, arrest context, prison death, discovery of remains
  3. A&E — https://www.aetv.com/articles/jeffrey-dahmer
    Supports: Victim count, crimes, conviction, life sentences, Wisconsin and Ohio murders
  4. History — https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-28/jeffrey-dahmer-murdered-in-prison
    Supports: Prison death, arrest and conviction summary, nature of crimes
  5. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer
    Supports: Victim count and prison death details; used only as supplementary confirmation