Inside The Horror Show Of Jeffrey Dahmer's Refrigerator
By REMY MILLISKY
History - Science
Content Warning
This story contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault and cannibalism.
The Awful Smell
Even before Jeffrey Dahmer was investigated by police, his neighbors knew something was amiss due to an awful rotting smell permeating the building, which Dahmer blamed on his faulty freezer. The smell, however, was a result of the serial killer’s violent experimentation on the bodies of his victims.
Human Heads
As police investigated Dahmer’s apartment, they found four human heads — one of which was recently decapitated — with one inside the refrigerator, and a human heart in the freezer. Then, they looked in a nearby closet, where they found genitals and decomposing human hands inside a large cooking pot.
Missed Opportunities
Although Dahmer's neighbors continued to complain about the rotting smell in his apartment and the serial killer seemed to be regularly cooking and eating his victims' bodies, he was set free by the police multiple times due to their poor response to Dahmer’s victims. In one instance, a 14-year-boy who had escaped the killer was handed back to him by the police.
The Remains
According to Dahmer, if the police had checked his apartment the day they’d handed the 14-year-old back to him, there was enough evidence in the form of human remains that could have gotten him arrested. While he would relegate most body parts into a large acid vat for easy disposal, Dahmer preserved others with formaldehyde or by boiling the flesh to preserve the bones.
Secret Disposal
After 17 murders, Dahmer was sentenced to multiple life sentences, however, the serial killer was beaten to death by an inmate two years into his sentence. His belongings, including his silverware and the fridge, were driven out of the state and destroyed at a waste management site in secret so that the grisly reminders of his crimes could never be recovered.