Jeffrey Dahmer is a name that remains etched in the annals of true-crime history. Known as the "Milwaukee Cannibal" or the "Milwaukee Monster," Dahmer's saga captured the nation's attention as a serial murderer. Briefly, in the 1970s, Dahmer lived in Chicago, and after returning to the city in 1991, he picked up his 15th victim: Jeremiah Weinberger.
Who was Jeffrey Dahmer?
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was born May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, WI, and raised in Ohio from the age of six. During adolescence, Dahmer struggled with alcoholism. After attending Revere H.S. in Akron, OH, he enrolled at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. He dropped out after 3 months due to excessive drinking. In 1978, he enlisted in the United States Army, and was subsequently discharged on March 26, 1981 due to his off-duty drinking. The military stated that Private First-Class Jeffrey Dahmer had no desire to rehabilitate, had been involved in numerous incidents, and was unwilling to control his alcohol intake, including intoxication before starting duty, alcohol in the barracks and drinking and disorderly conduct. His commander recommended that he be declared a failure at that time, and he was furnished an Honorable Discharge Certificate upon separation. He was then sent to live with his grandmother in Milwaukee before finally renting an apartment on his own.
Dahmer admitted that his first homicide was in June of 1979 involving a hitchhiker who he met in Summit County, OH. Most of his victims were black and Hispanic males, but also included three white males and one Asian male. He did not have a racial preference; rather, his victims were victims of opportunity.
What was Dahmer doing in Chicago?
Milwaukee is only 90 miles north of Chicago by bus. Chicago’s thriving gay bar scene was where Jeffrey Dahmer found the majority of his 17 victims. Dahmer would lure his victims from a bar and travel by bus from Chicago to his home in Milwaukee. He would promise money for photos of his victims. Dahmer would lure these unsuspecting men to his apartment, then drug and kill them when they tried to leave.
Carol’s Speakeasy was located at 1355 N. Wells Street and was one of the bars in Chicago where Jeffrey Dahmer would target and find his victims (pictured below is the dilapidated Carol’s Speakeasy just a few years before the building was torn down). This gay bar was in the Old Town neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, just a few doors down from where Jeremiah Weinberger, one of Dahmer’s victims, worked.
What happened to Jeremiah Weinberger?
Jeremiah worked as a customer service representative at the Images of the World, the video sales department of Bijou, located at 1349 N Wells, an adult theater. Jeremiah was last seen at Carol’s Speakeasy in July of 1991. Jeffery Dahmer invited Jeremiah to Dahmer’s apartment in Milwaukee. Jeffrey and Jeremiah stayed at the apartment for 2 days. When Jeremiah tried to leave, Dahmer drugged and murdered Weinberger. Jeremiah was Jeffrey Dahmer’s 15th victim. These photos below show what the building at 1349 N Wells building looks like now.
Dahmer’s Infamous Legacy
Most of Dahmer’s victims, people who were susceptible and on the “fringe of society,” were lured from Chicago. He was a routine traveler to the Windy City. Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 people between 1978-1991. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences for 16 murders in Milwaukee and 1 murder in Ohio. While serving time in prison, Dahmer was beaten to death in 1994 by a fellow inmate who was also a convicted murderer.
Currently, the lot at 1355 N. Wells is a gated parking lot. The history of what Jeffery Dahmer did in that space still haunts the stories told by neighbors, true crime enthusiasts and inspired a series on Netflix called “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”.
Jeffery Dahmer casts a dark shadow over Chicago’s crime history. Learn about other historic criminals in a family-friendly version of the tales on a Chicago Crime Tour or Night Crimes Tour. The tours do not include the story of Dahmer, but they do cover other world-famous Chicago criminals. From sunlit bridges to dark alleys, there are many stories to tell. Have fun and learn a lot on an upcoming tour in the Windy City.
This blog was orginally published in 2013, and was updated with new photos and additional content on March 7th, 2024.
If you have memorabilia, a story, photograph or a relic related to Jeffrey Dahmer, Carol’s Speakeasy or the Bijou Theater, please share the details here.