The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (22 page)

“MONSTER OF FLORENCE.” On July 30, 2004, police in going on, practices and rites, which nobody wants to Milan jailed eight Satanists on charges of killing five admit are taking place.” That judgment was confirmed victims since 1998.

in March 2002, when “a nameless sect” of occult trea-58

D

DAGLIS, Andonis

graduation from high school, Dahmer crossed the line Dubbed the “Athens Ripper,” this Greek serial slayer from morbid “experimentation” to murder. He was liv-raped and strangled three prostitutes between 1993 and ing alone at the time, his parents having separated and 1995, afterward cutting their bodies up with a chain-fled, neither one thinking to take Jeff along. His victim saw and scattering the bloody pieces along outlying was hitchhiker Steven Hicks, whom Dahmer took

highways. A rather inefficient killer, he also attempted home for a drink and some laughs. When Hicks tried to murder six other women during the same period, but to leave, Dahmer crushed his skull with a barbell, they managed to escape his clutches. One, British strangled him to death, then dismembered and buried national Ann Hamson, talked her way out of danger by his corpse.

persuading Daglis she was not, in fact, a prostitute. Por-That first slaying shocked Jeffrey back to a semblance tions of his trial were televised in 1996, including the of normality. He took a brief shot at college, then signed Ripper’s public confession to various crimes charged up for a six-year term of military service, but the army against him. On January 23, 1997, Daglis was con-discharged him after barely two years, fed up with his victed on multiple counts, including three rape-slayings and six attempted murders. He was sentenced to 13

terms of life imprisonment, presumably enough to keep him off the street for the remainder of his life.

DAHMER, Jeffrey Lionel

Milwaukee born in 1960, Jeffrey Dahmer moved to Ohio with his family at age six. In 1968 he was sexually molested by a neighbor boy in rural Bath Township.

Unreported at the time, the childhood incident may play a pivotal role in understanding Dahmer’s subsequent crimes; likewise, the ferocious arguments between his parents (later divorced) clearly demonstrated to Dahmer that home was no safe haven for a child.

By age 10, Dahmer was “experimenting” with dead animals: decapitating rodents, bleaching chicken bones with acid, nailing a dog’s carcass to a tree and mounting its head on a stake. In June 1978, days after his Jeffrey Dahmer in court (Author’s collection)

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DAHMER, Jeffrey Lionel

Forensics experts search for remains of Dahmer victims. (Wide World API) heavy drinking. (Later speculation on his possible link to Meanwhile, on March 25, Dahmer slaughtered victim several unsolved murders in Germany, committed while Anthony Sears.

Dahmer was stationed there, produced no concrete evi-Sentenced to one year in jail, Dahmer was released dence.) In 1982, he moved into his grandmother’s house after serving 10 months. The death parade resumed in West Allis, Wisconsin. That August, Dahmer logged with Edward Smith in June 1990. July’s victim was an arrest for indecent exposure at the state fair. Identical Raymond Smith (no relation to Edward). Ernest Miller charges were filed in September 1986 when two boys and David Thomas were butchered in September. Dah-accused Dahmer of masturbating in public. Convicted of mer bagged Curtis Straughter in February 1991. Errol disorderly conduct in that case, he received a one-year Lindsey joined the list in April, followed by Anthony suspended sentence with orders for counseling.

Hughes in May.

On September 15, 1987, Steven Tuomi vanished in By that time, Dahmer had conceived the bizarre Milwaukee, the mystery unsolved until Dahmer con-notion of creating “zombies” who would be his live-in fessed to his murder in 1991. James Doxtator was the sex toys, obedient to his every whim. Instead of using next to die, in January 1988, followed by Richard voodoo, Jeffrey opted for a more direct approach, Guerrero on March 24. By September 1988, Jeffrey’s drilling holes in the selected victim’s skull, then dribbling odd hours and the stench of his “experiments” had caustic liquids into the wounds in an effort to destroy become too much for his grandmother, and he was the subject’s conscious will. Needless to say, the weird asked to move out. On September 25 he found an approach to neurosurgery had a 100 percent failure apartment on Milwaukee’s North 25th Street.

rate, and none of Dahmer’s favored “patients” survived.

The next day, Dahmer lured a Laotian boy to his flat, One almost got away, however. Konerak Sinthasom-fondled him, and offered cash for a nude modeling ses-phone was a brother of the youth Dahmer molested in sion. Police were called, and Dahmer was charged with 1988. Missing from home on May 16, 1991, he was sexual assault. Convicted in January 1989, he remained next seen the following day—naked, dazed, and bleed-free pending a formal sentencing scheduled for May.

ing from head wounds—when neighbors reported his
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“DISORGANIZED” Killers

plight to Milwaukee police. Officers questioned Dah-hometown between 1918 and 1924. His tenants affec-mer, who described Konerak as his adult homosexual tionately called him “Papa,” and Denke was also well lover, and since Konerak spoke no English, they liked in the community at large, serving as the organ returned the youth to Dahmer’s custody . . . and to his blower for his local church. On the side, in three death. (When news of the blunder broke, following years’ time, he also murdered and devoured a mini-Dahmer’s arrest on murder charges, the two patrolmen mum of 30 victims.

were briefly suspended from duty, then reinstated when On December 21, 1924, one of Denke’s tenants, a they threatened civil suits against the city.) coachman named Gabriel, heard cries for help that The juggernaut rolled on: Matt Turner killed on June seemed to emanate from Denke’s downstairs flat.

30; Jeremiah Weinberger on July 7; Oliver Lacy on July Afraid the landlord might be injured, Gabriel rushed 15; Joseph Brandehoft four days later. In addition to down to help . . . and found a young man staggering raping, murdering, and dismembering his victims, Dah-along the corridor, blood streaming from his lacerated mer also sampled CANNIBALISM with at least one scalp. Before he fell unconscious on the floor, the corpse, though he denied it was his common practice.

stranger blurted out that “Papa” Denke had attacked Tracy Edwards was lucky, escaping from Dahmer’s him with an ax.

apartment on July 22 with handcuffs still dangling from Police were summoned and arrested Denke, scouring one wrist. He flagged a squad car down and led police his flat for evidence. They turned up identification back to Dahmer’s flat at the Oxford Apartments, where papers for twelve traveling journeymen, plus assorted the dissected remains of 11 victims were found in acid items of male clothing. In the kitchen, two large tubs vats and the refrigerator. In a touch reminiscent of held meat pickled in brine; together with the assorted another Wisconsin necrophile, EDWARD GEIN, Dahmer bones and pots of fat they also found, detectives reck-had built a makeshift altar in his bedroom, decorated oned that it added up to 31 victims, more or less. In with candles and human skulls.

Denke’s ledger, they found listed names and dates, with By August 22, 1991, Dahmer had been charged with the respective weights of bodies he had pickled dating 15 counts of murder. At his trial, beginning on January back to 1921. According to that record, Denke seemed 30, 1992, Dahmer filed a plea of guilty but insane. Two to specialize in slaying beggars, tramps, and journey-weeks later, on February 15, jurors found him sane and men who seemed unlikely to be missed around the responsible for his actions. The court imposed 15 con-neighborhood.

secutive life sentences, thus requiring Dahmer to serve a No evidence of sexual assault was ever publicized in minimum of 936 years. (He was subsequently charged Denke’s case, and homicide investigators were unable with the Hicks murder, in Ohio, but was never brought to explain his actions. Shortly after his arrest, the canni-to trial.)

bal killer hanged himself with his suspenders, in his cell, In prison, Dahmer refused offers of protective cus-leaving generations of historians to speculate in vain tody despite the many threats against his life. On July 3, about his motives.

1994, another convict tried to slash his throat in the prison chapel, but Dahmer emerged from the incident with only minor scratches and refused to press charges.

“DISORGANIZED” Killers

Five months later, on November 28, he was cleaning a The polar opposite of so-called ORGANIZED KILLERS in bathroom adjacent to the prison gym when another the FBI scheme of psychological PROFILING, these member of the work detail, 25-year-old Christopher offenders appear to have three strikes against them Scarver, grabbed an iron bar from a nearby exercise before they begin. They do everything wrong, from the machine and smashed Dahmer’s skull, killing him first impulsive act to their desertion of a chaotic, clue-instantly. A second inmate, 37-year-old Jesse Anderson, ridden crime scene . . . and yet, some of them still go on was mortally wounded in the same attack, dying two to kill and kill again for years on end, if they are ever days later. A racial motive was initially suspected in the caught at all.

murder since Scarver, like many of Dahmer’s victims, The “normal” disorganized killer is possessed of aver-was black, but a closer look determined that the killer age intelligence at best, sometimes mentally retarded, was deranged, believing himself to be the “son of God,”

nearly always socially immature. The offender mirrors acting out his “father’s” command.

his father’s unstable work record by quitting or losing one job after another, rarely qualifying for a skilled occupation. His (or her) social life is equally barren: the
DENKE, Karl

offender typically lives alone and is sexually incompe-A native of Munsterberg, Silesia—now Ziebice,

tent, sometimes virginal. (Strangler Harvey Glatman Poland—Denke operated a rooming house in his

experienced sex for the first time at age 29 when he
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DOUGLAS, John Edward

raped his first murder victim). The disorganized killer Crimes Unit that investigated kidnappings, bank rob-rarely drinks to bolster his courage, since his crimes are beries, and similar federal crimes. A year later, trans-impulsive and largely unplanned. No serious precipitat-ferred to Milwaukee, he filled a similar position, ing stress is seen; rather, the killer strikes at random, doubling as a member of the FBI’s SWAT team.

almost whimsically, without thinking through his Recalled to the FBI Academy in 1975 for training in actions. He frequently lives and/or works near the crime hostage negotiation, Douglas met instructor and fellow scene, perhaps attacking a neighbor, and displays little agent ROBERT RESSLER, assigned to the Behavioral Sci-interest in media coverage of the case. Too distracted or ence Unit. They hit it off, and Ressler recommended dim-witted to recognize danger, he seldom makes any Douglas for a job with BSU in June 1977. Together and dramatic changes in lifestyle to avoid detection.

separately, they conducted many prison interviews with A disorganized crime scene reeks of spontaneity. The convicted killers over the next six years as part of the victim is often known to his attacker, and perhaps for BSU’s Criminal Personality Research Project, leading to that reason, the slayer often depersonalizes his prey (as creation of VICAP, the Violent Criminal Apprehension in disfiguring or covering the face). The kill itself is fre-Program, in 1985. Ressler retired five years later, and quently a “blitz” attack with little or no conversation, Douglas replaced him as the chief of BSU—renamed worlds apart from the “organized” slayer’s technique of Investigative Support Services—and held that post until scripted seduction. Because they are normally killed or his own retirement in 1995.