Forensic psychologist who interviewed Jeffrey Dahmer’s mom recalls the chilling way she described his murders
Joyce Dahmer gave an unexpected explanation for her son Jeffrey Dahmer's murderous streak in an interview with a forensic psychologist.
Jeffrey killed 17 men between 1978 and 1991. His crimes were extremely gruesome and involved cannibalism and necrophilia.
He was arrested in 1991 and went on to be handed 16 life sentences following two separate trials.
Jeffrey had first pleaded not guilty to the charges he was facing, but later changed his plea to guilty by reason of insanity. The jury deemed him sane, however.
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Two years after his sentencing, Jeffrey was murdered by a fellow inmate in a Wisconsin prison in 1994.
The same year, his mom, Joyce Dahmer, was interviewed by Dr. Eric Hickey, a forensic psychologist.
Joyce left Jeffrey's father when he was young. She left him to be raised by his dad, while she took her other son, David, with her.
According to Dr. Hickey, Joyce carried guilt about Jeffrey's childhood that preceded his crimes. Dr. Hickey interviewed Joyce over the course of a week, during which she gave some chilling insight into Jeffrey's murders.
She said (according to Walden University): "My son never tried to hurt anybody. He killed them, but he never tried to hurt them."
Dr. Hickey said he 'completely understood' what Joyce meant by that. "He wasn’t interested in their suffering," said the forensic psychologist. "He just needed them, he needed to have their bodies."
Dr. Hickey continued, per Mail Online: "He wanted to be with people, but he knew he wasn't comfortable being with them while they're alive because of the rejection he felt.
"The idea of being with someone who might reject him was just overwhelming to him. He just couldn't do that. So he was more comfortable with them being deceased."
Elsewhere in the interview, Joyce remembered her late son as being 'very sad', 'always kind of depressed', and 'kind of a downer kind of guy'.
Dr. Hickey secured the interview with Joyce after running into Jeffrey's brother. He had been browsing in a store in Fresno, California, when he thought he recognized him.
He proceeded to strike up a conversation with David, and said: "You're Jeffrey Dahmer's brother, aren't you?"
Dr. Hickey wasn't actually 100 percent sure that it was him, but David confirmed that he was. David asked how he knew, to which Dr. Hickey replied: "I didn't. But I had a feeling."
Before revealing who he was, David had explained to Dr. Hickey that he was from Chicago and had come to California to care for his mom, who had attempted to take her own life.
Dr. Hickey first interviewed David over the course of several days, then spoke with Joyce. She passed away in November 2000 from breast cancer at the age of 64.
Topics: Jeffrey Dahmer, True crime
Niamh Shackleton