Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1993

Abstract

On February 17, 1992, Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive terms of life imprisonment for killing and dismembering 15 young men and boys (Associated Press 1992a). Dahmer had been arrested six months earlier, on July 22, 1991. On January 13 he pled guilty to the fifteen murder counts against him, leaving open only the issue of his sanity. Jury selection began two weeks later, and the trial proper started on January 30. The jury heard two weeks of testimony about murder, mutilation and necrophilia; they deliberated for 5 hours before finding that Dahmer was sane when he committed these crimes. After the verdict, a minister who had counselled members of the victims' families said "I think this will be the beginning of a healing" (Worthington 1992). At his sentencing two days later, Dahmer said "I take all the blame for what I did .... Your honor, it is over now. This has never been a case of trying to get free. I never wanted freedom" (Associated Press 1992b ). His lawyer told the press that no appeal was planned (Associated Press 1992a).

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