Letters from Mr. Dahmer

During his relatively brief time in prison, Dahmer recieved thousands of letters from people all over the world.

Some sought to spread the word of Jesus Christ to inmate 177252, while others made more amorous advances or believed they’d found a kindred spirit in the Milwaukee Cannibal. Dahmer was a figure who elicited empathy as much as he did revulsion, and his father and step-mother would regularly remove the bagfuls of mail steadily accumulating in his prison cell.

Across his 2 years and 9 months at Columbia Correctional Institution, Dahmer wrote back to quite a few people. Some became regular penpals of his, while others recieved only a courtesy response after sending him money. Many more were ignored altogether, regardless of their charity.

Money was important to Dahmer in prison as it helped pay off his families outstanding and ongoing legal fees, allowed him maintain his pack-a-day smoking habit and enabled him to purchase items which would make what he called “a living death” a little more bearable. Such purchases would include a typewriter, a tape of humpback whale sounds and a Casio cassette player with a pair of Koss headphones. The warden would, however, dismiss Dahmer’s request for a second penny whistle on the grounds of it being a “frivilous” purchase.

In order to make as much as he could on top of his menial prison cleaning job, Dahmer would often attempt to solicit strangers via his letters. Whether these were regular recipients of his or just anyone who gave him their mailing address made no difference, and Dahmer sometimes presented his pleas for money as beneficial to the addresse if their donations incentivised him to write back more.

Drawn from a cache of rarer letters not usually circulated, below are three examples of Dahmer’s tried-and-tested (and repetitive) importune correspondance.

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Letter to Bradlee

4.24.93

Dear Bradlee,

I hope that this letter finds you in good health and spirits. Thanks for writting¹ to me. I just hope that you can read my writting, my penmanship isn’t the greatest.

Up here in Portage it feels like Spring. The birds sing during the day and the frogs sing all night. I hope the weather is nice in your area.

Most of the people on that “Day One”² show I haven’t seen or talked to for over 10 years! Most of them didn’t care if what they said was true or not, they just wanted to be on T.V. I had nothing to do with the show, I didn’t even know about it until 3 days before it aired.

anyway Bradlee, the prison does not allow books, stamps, paper, or envelope to be sent in. I earn $20.00 a month here, and after I buy ciggarets I have almost no money left in my account. I’d like to continue writting to you. Would you be willing to help me continue writting to you by sending in a $25.00 check or money order? I hate to ask this of you, but I really can’t afford to write to anyone as it is now.

Sincerely,
Jeff

P.S. Could you also send a photo of yourself so that I know who I’m writting to?

Thanks Brad.

“The reason I wrote to him,” Bradlee later said, “was because I thought he could be saved.” Dahmer wrote back twice in total. His second letter (dated a month after the above) was a brief note thanking Bradlee for a generous gift.

“Now all I have to do is try and save up $25.00 more, so that I can buy a typewriter soon,” wrote Dahmer.

Letter to Tom

4.24.93

Dear Tom,

Hi, how are you? I hope that his letter finds you in good health. Thanks alot for the $10.00 check, it did come in handy.

Well I think Spring is finally come to Wisconsin. The snow is gone, and the birds sing all day, and the frogs croak all night. How is the weather in your area?

Columbia prison will not accept stamps, paper, envelopes, or books from anyone. I have a small job here, it pays $25.00 per month, so after I buy ciggaretts (sp?), I don’t have much money left to get writting materials.

Tom, I’d be glad to write to you, but I can’t afford to. Would you be willing to send a $25.00 check or money order, so that I can get the material needed? also, could you send a photo of yourself, so that I can see who I’m writting to.

Sincerely,
Jeff

Letter to Todd

5-10-93

Dear Todd,

Hi, how are you? I hope that this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I used to live in Miami fl. It was nice, but too expensive.

The weather in Portage is very unpredictable. Afew days ago, it was cloudy and in the low 40’s. Today its sunny and in the high 80’s! The birds sing all day, and the frogs croak all night.³

I’d be glad to write to you if you want. I just have to try and save up enough money to buy a typewriter, because my handwriting is bad. If you write again, could you send a picture of yourself so I can see who I’m writtting to?

Todd, I have a job cleaning the gym. I earn $20.00 per month. after I buy cigaretts, I have almost no money left in my account.

The prison does not allow people to send envelopes, paper, stamps or books.

Would you be willing to send a $25.00 check or money order to help me get writting materials? Well I hope that you stay well and have a great summer.

Sincerely,
Jeff

Todd did infact send a $25 check and a photograph of himself to Dahmer – only to never hear from him again.

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Special thanks to GG 🤘🖤

Additional sources:

• Documents from CCI
• T., B. and Cult Collectibles
• A Father’s Story by Lionel Dahmer (1994)
• The Orlando Sentinel

Footnotes:

1. All spelling and grammatical errors are Dahmer’s own ↩︎
2. On the 18th April, 1993, an hour-long segment on ABC’s Day One show had detailed Dahmer’s life and crimes. Guests had included former high school acquaintances (including Dahmer’s prom date) and soldiers who’d served with him during the military ↩︎
3. Dahmer would share his same exact observations about the weather (and the cachophony of critters in Portage) with at least three other penpals ↩︎