In May of 1988, Jeffrey Dahmer moved out of his grandmother’s West Allis home and into a one-bedroom apartment at 924 North 25th Street, Milwaukee. Dahmer would reside here until his arrest three years later – murdering eleven young men at the site of the, now long-demolished, Oxford Apartments.
The items retrieved from Dahmer’s apartment in July ’91 ranged from the morbid to the mundane. From human remains to soft furnishings; noxious chemicals to VHS tapes. There were the tools used to sedate and take apart men – and the condiments used to flavour their flesh. There were things Dahmer intended to incorporate into a temple; and the aquatic life he’d nurtured. Other innocuous-seeming objects were later revealed to have borne a connection to madness – like the yellow contact lenses Dahmer had worn in a bid to emulate the powerful Sith lord, Emperor Palpatine.
A number of Dahmer’s posessions were retained by law enforcement and later destroyed in ’96, while others were released back to Lionel Dahmer and donated to charity, passed onto friends and family, disposed of by those close to Lionel, or (from 2022 – 2025) sold online. What remained of the victims loved ones were released for burial shortly after the decedents had been identified.
Some of the items found in Apartment 213 are listed below.
Remains
Note: Clinically inventoried here for educational purposes. No intent is to reductively reduce these individuals down to the type of ‘object’ Dahmer coveted
(l-r: A. Sears, R. Smith, E. Miller, T. Hughes, K. Sinthasomphone, J. Weinberger, J. Bradehoft, M. Turner, E. Lindsey, C. Straughter, O. Lacy)
1.) The painted skull of 24-year-old Anthony Sears
2.) The painted skull of 32-year-old Raymond Smith
3.) The painted skull of 22-year-old Ernest Miller
4.) The skull of 17-year-old Curtis Straughter
5.) The skull of 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, bearing power drill holes
6.) The skull of 31-year-old Tony Hughes, bearing power drill holes
7.) The skull of 19-year-old Errol Lindsey, bearing power drill holes
8.) The head of 24-year-old Oliver Lacy
9.) The head of 25-year-old Joseph Bradehoft
10.) The head of 20-year-old Matt Turner
11.) The head of 23-year-old Jeremiah Weinberger, with drill hole bored into skull
12.) The skeleton of Ernest Miller
13.) The body of Oliver Lacy
14.) The torso of Jeremiah Weinberger
15.) The torso of Joseph Bradehoft
16.) The torso of Matt Turner
Torsos contained within (17.) a 57-gallon blue plastic drum
(r) The same drum shortly before its destruction in Ilinois. June ’96
18.) A paper bag containing the dried scalp of Anthony Sears
19.) A paper bag containing the mummified genitals of Anthony Sears
20.) The severed hands of Curtis Straughter
21.) The severed genitals of Curtis Straughter
22.) Oliver Lacy’s heart, in a plastic bag in the freezer
23.) Ernest Miller’s heart, in a plastic bag in the freezer
24.) 3480 grams of human tissue
“I used to hear him over there, talking to himself, cussing to himself, talking real loud,” Bass said. “And I knew he didn’t have anyone over there.”
Art Work
25.) Fighting Forms by Franz Marc (1914)
26.) Fred with Tires by Herb Ritts (1984)
27.) Archeological Reminiscence of Millet’s Angelus by Salvador Dali (1935)
28.) Jean Marais by Raymond Voinquel (1938)
29.) L.A. USA. by Victor Skrebneski (1984)
Examples of the prints found in Dahmer’s apartment
30.) Various framed photos depicting naked male models
Food & Drink
31.) Cans of Budweiser
32.) Cans of Miller High Life
33.) Cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon
– Dr. Park Dietz
34.) McCormick Pure Ground black pepper
35.) Baked beans
36.) Crisco Butter Flavor
37.) Bottle of Paramount rum
38.) Potatoes
39.) Onions
40.) Sugar
41.) Salt
42.) Ruffles potato chips
43.) Cool Ranch Doritos
44.) French’s Bold ‘n Spicy deli mustard
45.) Hunt’s ‘Western Style’ thick and rich BBQ sauce
46.) Best Foods mayonnaise
47.) Arm and Hammer baking soda
48.) Pickles
80s ads for some of the food found in Dahmer’s apartment
Decor
49.) Lava lamp
50.) Artificial ‘painted-leaf begonia’ plant
51.) Artificial peacock feathers
52.) Plague of Dionysus (Greek god of wine, vegetation, ecstasy and madness)
“Dionysus shows what human character may do when left to itself, unbridled, unrestrained, spontaneous and free… Wild, instinctive and dangerous.” – author Brian Masters
53.) Incense burner and sandalwood-scented Gonesh sticks
54.) New black and grey rug rolled in plastic
55.) Two chrome table lamps with beige shades
56.) Two free-standing black lamps with gold trim
The black table had been used to posthumously pose victims on, though was hosting Dahmer’s fish tank at the time of his arrest
57.) Plastic gargoyle with the name ‘Leon’ written on it
58.) Plastic gargoyle with the name ‘Apal’ written on it
Clothing
59.) Black bikini briefs
60.) Red Wing boots
61.) Jeans and T-shirts
62.) Tan bomber-style jacket
(l) Some of the clothes in Dahmer’s wardobe – (r) Dahmer wearing the outlined jacket on Thanksgiving 1990
63.) Shower sandals
64.) Black nylon mesh shirt
65.) Pair of black nylon men’s shorts
Chemical Components
66.) Halcion 0.25mg tablets
67.) Prescription for Halcion (dated June 12th, 1991, and signed by Dr. Hong)
“He related that the main reason he had [the sleeping tablets] was to use on the people he brought to his apartment or the ones he met in the bathhouses… [He] used as many as seven pills on some of them.”
– Dahmer’s confession to Milwaukee Police
68.) Formaldehyde
69.) Ether
70.) Chloroform
71.) Rooto muriatic acid (4 boxes, aprox 16 gallons)
72.) Acetone
73.) Clorox bleach (one-gallon jug)
Dahmer painted 3 human skulls to make them appear artificial
74.) Soilax (6 boxes)
75.) Bottle of Odor-sorb
76.) Heavy-duty chemical resistant gloves
77.) One large hypodermic needle
78.) Plastikote ‘Gotham Grey’ spray paint
79.) Woolworth Pine Cleaner
80.) Lysol ‘Fresh Scent’ disinfectant spray
Identification
81.) PPG Industries business card for Lionel Dahmer, Ph.D
82.) Library card bearing the name of Jeff Dahmer
83.) Identity card in the name of Oliver Lacy
84) Wisconsin driver’s licence in the name of Tony Hughes
85.) Illinois driver’s licence in the name of Joseph Bradehoft
Appliances
86.) General Electric fridge (containing a severed head in a cardboard box)
87.) General Electric 4 burner gas oven with 2 wire racks
88.) Floor-standing freezer (containing various body parts)
89.) Kenmore air purifier
90.) Goldstar Viewmax KMV- 9002 T.V
91.) Myoda LT 3500 laptop (serial no. 35002853)
92.) Realistic Chronosette 256 cassette player / clock radio
93.) Sunbeam rechargeable automatic toothbrush
94.) Vornado table fan
95.) Mighty Mini shop-vac
96.) 80-quart aluminium kettle (containing two human hands and male genitals)
Aquatic
97.) 30-gallon fish tank
98.) African cichlids and Tiger barbs
99.) Box of fish food
100.) Ornamental driftwood
– Dahmer on his interest in fish
Misc. Evidence
101.) 1 blood-stained white pillow with light blue floral pattern
102.) 1 blood-stained pillow with black case
103.) 1 blood-stained black fitted sheet
104.) 1 blood-stained white mattress cover
105.) 1 blood-stained black pillow case
106.) 1 blood-stained mattress (both sides) with blue floral pattern
Photography
107.) 74 Polaroid photos (showing several victims in various states of undress and dismemberment)
108.) Polaroid Spectra Onyx camera
109) Black photo album
Reading Material
110.) Numerology and the Divine Triangle by Dusty Bunker and Faith Javane
111.) A King James Version Bible
112.) Four books on the care of fish and aquarium maintenance
113.) In-Step (gay community zine)
- Tucked away in the issues billboard section is a message to ‘Jeremy’ at Bijou Theatre (a gay VHS production / distribution company) from his ‘Chicago Friends’ – imploring that he get in touch after going missing on July 5th. That same day, Dahmer had met 23-year-old video clerk Jeremiah Weinberger in Chicago, where the two headed back to Milwaukee to spend the weekend together. Jeremy’s remains were later found in Apartment 213.
As found inside a gay-issues zine from Dahmer’s apartment
Security
114.) Safe House door alarm and entry chime
115.) Alarm siren speaker
116.) Black and Decker security system
117.) Dummy security cameras (x2)
“He stated that this [security] was all done in order to keep people from entering his apartment and discovering the evidence.” – MPD
Toiletries
118.) Crest toothpaste
119.) Shaving kit
120.) Pert Plus shampoo
121.) Box of tissues
122.) Soap
123.) Sponge
VHS Tapes
124.) The Exorcist III
– Dahmer on why he sometimes wore yellow contact lenses
(Picture: Emperor Palpatine)
125.) Blade Runner
126.) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
127.) Hellbound: Hellraiser II
128.) Tropical Heatwave (XXX)
129) Peep Show (XXX)
130.) Be My Baby (XXX)
131.) Rock Hard (XXX)
132.) Hardmen II (XXX)
133.) Hardmen III (XXX)
134.) Chippendales Tall, Dark and Handsome
135.) Tape recording of The Cosby Show
136.) Tape recording of a lecture on evolution
Examples of some of the videos found in Dahmer’s apartment
Cutlery & Utensils
137.) Black handled knives and forks
138.) Black ceramic coffee cup
139.) Metal tongs
140.) Thermos flask
141.) Ice cube tray
142.) Egg timer
143.) Oven gloves
144.) Red plastic beakers and blue plastic cups
145.) 27” wooden spoon
146.) Scraper
147.) Butcher knives (x2)
148.) Frying pan
Furniture
149.) Large cedar chest
150) 39 ½” wooden three-tier plant pedestal
151.) Black cloth swivel desk chair
152.) Three cushioned light brown fabric couch and matching light brown fabric chair
153.) Small black folding chair
154.) Round mirror with grey wooden frame
155.) Brown wood grain Formica kitchen-style table
156.) Filing cabinet
- Top draw, labelled ‘Computer Program Storage’, contained 3 painted skulls
- Bottom draw contained a complete human skeleton
157.) Black plastic lamp table with swivel top
158.) Black wooden table
Tools
159.) 6″ Bushwacker 21-166 knife
(l) Knife found under Dahmer’s bed – (r) The same style Bushwacker hunting knife
160.) 3″ parry knife with white plastic handle
161.) Ekco knife with 4 ⅛” blade
162.) Sheffield knife with 3” blade
163.) Disston handsaw with 6 ½” blade
164) Handsaw with black plastic handle and 12” blade
165.) 12 ¼”, 13 ¼” and 15 ¾“ saw blades
166.) 12 pack screwdriver set
167.) ¹⁄₁₆” drill bits
168.) ⅜” Sears Craftsman electric drill
“I asked him about attempting to turn people into zombies by drilling holes in his victims’ heads – with a power drill – and injecting mild acid into their brain cavities… His intent was to kill the intellect of the victim and to keep their bodies alive and compliant.” – Robert Ressler
Supplements
169.) Anabolic Fuel
170) Yerba Prima
171.) Vita
Cassette Tapes
172.) The Genesis Flood and The Bible
173.) Science and the Age of the Earth
174.) Other audio cassettes on creation science and the Bible
175.) Hysteria by Def Leppard
176.) Mötley Crüe tape
Receipts
177.) Bill for 57-gallon drum
178.) Receipt from SOS Electronics
179.) Receipt for acid
180.) Cleaning receipts
Miscellaneous
181.) Multiple ashtrays with cigarette butts
182.) Newport cigarettes (multiple packs)
183.) Porno mags
184) Nickel-plated handcuffs (x2)
185.) Box for handcuffs
186.) Hefty steel-sak trash bags
187.) Pack of ball point pens
188.) 50 envelopes from Woolworths (inc. one addressed to a Donna Hall) and a number of greetings cards
189.) Dawn washing up liquid
190.) Black vinyl suitcase
191.) Pack of Ace instant cold compresses
192.) Orasone tablets
193.) Curity Curad all-purpose plastic strips [plasters]
194.) Bus schedule (Lincoln Avenue to West Allis)
195.) Lease form for the rental of Apartment 213
196.) Central Point software kit and Microsoft Learning DOS computer guide
197.) Mop and bucket
198.) Black hand towel
199.) Napkins
200.) Wire
201.) Ameritech Pages Plus phonebook (x2)
202.) Pack of Adams Mini Suction Cups
203.) Batteries
204.) DAK catalog
205.) Plastikote booklet
206.) Contact lense cases and cleaning kit
207.) Plastic bags from Builders Square, Woolworths, et al.
208.) Blank RCA video cassettes
209.) Grey storage bin
210.) Black shower curtain
211.) Wastepaper basket
212.) Leather knife sheath
213.) Backpack belonging to Tracy Edwards
Sources:
Various books about Dahmer (inc. The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer and A Father’s Story); Cult Collectibles; Case documents; r/Project213; Micro Disasters: The Case of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Jeffrey Jentzen, 2017); Wisconsin State Journal
Great post! i knew he had the Doritoes but did not know the flavor 😻😻😋😋
Very well researched and interesting to read. I’m curious about the Dali artwork. Never seen or read anything about this before. Do you know where in 213 Dahmer kept it or was it stored somewhere?
Did he not use any underwear or socks?
This goes so harrrddd. That ‘turn your oven into a bbq’ ad is diabolical lmao
I love this blog. It’s such a mix of random topics about the case. I also like how you show empathy for the victims (your little note about not wanting to present them as “objects” was very kind and I don’t think many people would think to do that). But you also show empathy for the Dahmer’s, including Jeffrey. Could you please also do some more trial transcripts? They’re very helpful. Thank you!
Sophia, do you know if Jeff chose the big painting himself? Or did it come with the oxford apartment? Do you have any more information about it? thank you!