"It Is Over Now": Jeffrey Dahmer Addresses the Court, 1992

Before he was sentenced for fifteen murders, Jeffrey Dahmer stood at a lectern in Milwaukee and read a statement saying he had never wanted freedom and that his crimes were not acts of hate.

Subject

Jeffrey Dahmer

Recorded

February 17, 1992

Runtime

1:29

The Statement

On February 17, 1992, before Judge Laurence Gram Jr. passed sentence in Milwaukee, Jeffrey Dahmer's attorney told the court that his client wished to speak. Dahmer stood at a lectern and read a prepared statement. This clip contains roughly the first half of it. He tells the court that "it is over now", that he "didn't ever want freedom", that he "hated no one", and that he now believed he had been sick.

Historical Context

Dahmer was arrested in Milwaukee on July 22, 1991, after a man escaped from his apartment and led police to it. He confessed to killing seventeen young men and boys between 1978 and 1991. In January 1992 he pleaded guilty but insane to fifteen counts of murder in Milwaukee County, and a trial was held to decide only whether he was legally insane. On February 15, 1992, the jury found that he was not.

Circumstances of the Statement

The statement was read at the sentencing hearing two days after the verdict; relatives of his victims were reported to be in the courtroom. Wisconsin has no death penalty, and Judge Gram sentenced him to fifteen terms of life imprisonment.

What the Statement Covers

In this part of the statement Dahmer says the case was never about trying to get free and that he wanted death for himself. He says he did not kill out of hate, that he "knew I was sick, or evil, or both", and that doctors had told him about his sickness. He says he feels "so bad for what I did to those poor families" and understands "their rightful hate". He says he went through the trial so that the truth would be known, and so that people with "these disorders" might get help before hurting someone.

What Makes the Recording Significant

It was Dahmer's statement to the court at his Milwaukee sentencing, and its words have been quoted ever since. The recording preserves his own delivery of them.

Archival Importance

The text of the statement is published separately here. This recording allows the text to be checked against Dahmer's own voice.

Important Caveats

That he was sick, and that his crimes were not hate crimes, are Dahmer's own characterisations; the jury rejected his insanity defence. The clip ends partway through the statement; its closing passage is not included.

Jeffrey Dahmer: Your Honor, it is over now. This has never been a case of trying to get free. I didn't ever want freedom. Frankly, I wanted death for myself. This was a case to tell the world that I did what I did not for reasons of hate. I hated no one. I knew I was sick, or evil, or both. Now I believe I was sick. The doctors have told me about my sickness, and now I have some peace.

Jeffrey Dahmer: I know how much harm I have caused. I tried to do the best I could after the arrest to make amends, but no matter what I did, I could not undo the terrible harm I have caused. I feel so bad for what I did to those poor families, and I understand their rightful hate.

Jeffrey Dahmer: I decided to go through this trial for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was to let the world know that these were not hate crimes. I wanted the world [unclear: "in" / "and"] Milwaukee, which I deeply hurt, to know the truth of what I did. I didn't want unanswered questions. All the questions have now been answered. I wanted to find out just what it was that caused me to be so bad and evil.

Jeffrey Dahmer: But most of all, Mr. Boyle and I decided that maybe there was a way for us to tell the world that if there are people out there with these disorders, maybe they can get some help before they end up being hurt or hurting someone. I think the trial did that. ---