Charles Montaldo

Profile of Jeffrey Dahmer; Profile of Andrea Yates

Following are profiles of two killers, written by Charles Montaldo, a private detective, and published by About.com. The first profile focuses on Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer responsible for seventeen known murders, mostly committed in a span of four years. The profile gives a brief background on Dahmer’s upbringing and then provides a summary of some of Dahmer’s killings along with a description of how he disposed of the corpse. Unlike Jeffrey Dahmer, Andrea Yates, the focus of the second profile, did not kill a series of strangers; she murdered her five children, drowning them all in the bathtub. The second profile gives a summary of her background, including her marriage and struggles with mental illness, and then details the murderous act. WARNING: This material is grisly and, though we’ve edited out the worst parts, it may be disturbing for some readers. (Text courtesy credit to come.) Text: Used with permission of About Inc., which can be found online at www.about.com. All rights reserved. Photo of Jeffrey Dahmer: Courtesy of the Milwaukee Police Department. Photo of Andrea Yates: Courtesy of the Houston Police Department.

Jeffrey Dahmer was responsible for a series of gruesome murders of seventeen young men from 1988 until he was caught on July 22, 1991, in Milwaukee.

Dahmer’s Childhood Years

Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. From all accounts Dahmer was a happy child who enjoyed typical toddler activities. It was not until the age of six, after undergoing hernia surgery, that his personality began to change from a jubilant social child to a loner who was uncommunicative and withdrawn. His facial expressions transformed from childhood smiles to a motionless blank stare, a look that remained with him throughout his life.

Preteen Years

In 1966, the Dahmers moved to Bath, Ohio. Dahmer’s insecurities grew after the move and his shyness kept him from having many friends. While his peers were busy listening to the latest songs, Dahmer was busy collecting roadkill and stripping the animal carcasses and saving the bones.

Other idle time was spent alone, buried deep inside his fantasies. His nonconfrontational attitude with his parents was considered an attribute, yet in reality it was his apathy toward the real world that made him appear obedient.

Disturbing High School Years

Dahmer continued being a loner during his years at Revere High School. He had average grades, worked on the school newspaper, and developed a bad drinking problem. His parents, possibly distracted from their own struggles, divorced when Jeff was almost eighteen. He remained living with his father, who traveled a lot and was busy nurturing a relationship with his new wife.

After high school Dahmer enrolled at the Ohio State University and spent most of his time skipping classes and getting drunk. After two semesters he dropped out and returned home. His father issued him an ultimatum—get a job or join the army. In 1979 he enlisted for six years into the army, but his drinking continued and in 1981, after serving only two years, he was discharged because of his drunken behavior.

First Kill

Unknown to anyone, Jeffery Dahmer was mentally disintegrating. In June of 1988, he was struggling with his own homosexual desires, mixed with his need to act out his sadistic fantasies. Perhaps this struggle is what pushed him to pick up a hitchhiker, nineteen-year-old Steven Hicks. He invited Hicks to his father’s home and the two drank and engaged in sex, but when Hicks was ready to leave Dahmer bashed him in the head with a barbell and killed him.

He then cut up the body, placing the parts in garbage bags, which he buried in the woods surrounding his father’s property. Years later he returned and dug up the bags and crushed the bones and disbursed the remains around the woods. As insane as he had become, he had not lost sight of the need to cover his murderous tracks. Later his explanation for killing Hicks was simply, he didn’t want him to leave.

Prison Time

Dahmer spent the next six years living with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. He continued drinking heavily and stayed in trouble with the police. In August 1982, he was arrested after exposing himself at a state fair. In September 1986, he was arrested and charged with public exposure after masturbating in public. He served ten months in jail, but was arrested soon after his release after sexually fondling a thirteen-year-old boy in Milwaukee. He was given five years’ probation after convincing the judge that he needed therapy.

His father, unable to understand what was happening to his son, continued to stand by him, making certain he had good legal counsel. He also began to accept that there was little he could do to help the demons that seemed to rule Dahmer’s behavior. He realized that his son was missing a most basic human element—a conscience.

Murder Spree

In September 1987, while on probation on the molestation charges, Dahmer met twenty-six-year-old Steven Tuomi and the two spent the night drinking heavily and cruising gay bars, then went to a hotel room. When Dahmer awoke from his drunken stupor he found Tuomi dead.

Dahmer put Tuomi’s body into a suitcase, which he took to his grandmother’s basement. There he discarded the body in the garbage after dismembering it, but not before gratifying his sexual necrophilia desires.

Passive Sex

Unlike most serial killers, who kill then move on to find another victim, Dahmer’s fantasies included a series of crimes against the corpse of his victims, or what he referred to as passive sex. This became part of his regular pattern and possibly the one obsession that pushed him to kill.

On His Own

Killing his victims in his grandmother’s basement was becoming increasingly difficult to hide. He was working as a mixer at Ambrosia Chocolate Factory and could afford a small apartment, so in September 1988, he got a one-bedroom apartment on North Twenty-Fourth Street in Milwaukee.

Dahmer’s Ritual

Dahmer’s killing spree continued and for most of his victims the scene was the same. He would meet them at a gay bar or mall and entice them with free alcohol and money if they agreed to pose for photographs. Once alone, he would drug them, sometimes torture them, and then kill them, usually by strangulation. . . . [Edited]

Known Victims

Name - Age - Date Murdered

A Near Escape

His murdering activity continued uninterrupted until an incident on May 27, 1991. His thirteenth victim was fourteen-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, who was also the younger brother of the boy Dahmer was convicted of molesting in 1989.

Early in the morning the young Sinthasomphone was seen wandering the street nude and disoriented. When police arrived on the scene there were paramedics, two women who were standing close to the confused Sinthasomphone, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer told police that Sinthasomphone was his nineteen-year-old lover who had become drunk and the two had quarreled.

The police escorted Dahmer and the boy back to Dahmer’s apartment, much against the protest of the women who had witnessed Sinthasomphone fighting off Dahmer before the police had arrived.

The police found Dahmer’s apartment neat and other than noticing an unpleasant smell nothing seemed amiss. They left Sinthasomphone under Dahmer’s care.

Later the police, John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish, joked with their dispatcher about reuniting the lovers. Within hours Dahmer killed Sinthasomphone and performed his usual ritual on the body.

The Killing Escalates

In June and July 1991, Dahmer’s killing had escalated to one a week until July 22, when Dahmer was unable to hold captive his eighteenth victim, Tracy Edwards.

According to Edwards, Dahmer tried to handcuff him and the two struggled. Edwards escaped and was spotted at around midnight by police, with the handcuff dangling from his wrist. Assuming he had somehow escaped from the authorities, the police stopped him. Edwards immediately told them about his encounter with Dahmer and led them to his apartment.

Dahmer opened his door to the officers and answered their questions calmly. He agreed to turn over the key to unlock Edwards’s handcuffs and moved to the bedroom to get it. One of the officers went with him and as he glanced around the room he noticed photographs of what appeared to be parts of bodies and a refrigerator full of human skulls.

They decided to place Dahmer under arrest and attempted to handcuff him, but his calm demeanor changed and he began to fight and struggle unsuccessfully to get away. With Dahmer under control, the police then began their initial search of the apartment and soon discovered skulls and other various body parts along with an extensive photo collection Dahmer had taken documenting his crimes.

The Crime Scene

The details of what was found in Dahmer’s apartment were horrific, matching only to his confessions as to what he did to his victims. . . . [Edited]

The Trial

Jeffrey Dahmer was indicted on seventeen murder charges, which were later reduced to fifteen. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Much of the testimony was based on Dahmer’s 160-page confession and was from various witnesses who testified that Dahmer’s necrophilia urges were so strong that he was not in control of his actions. The defense sought to prove that he was in control and capable of planning, manipulating, then covering up his crimes.

The jury deliberated for five hours and returned a verdict of guilty on fifteen counts of murder. Dahmer was sentenced to fifteen life terms, a total of 937 years in prison. At his sentencing Dahmer calmly read his four-page statement to the court. He apologized for his crimes and ended with, “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. I know how much harm I have caused. . . . Thank God there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins. . . . I ask for no consideration.”

Life Sentence

Dahmer was sent to the Columbia Correctional Institute in Portage, Wisconsin. At first he was separated from the general prison population for his own safety. But by all reports he was considered a model prisoner who had adjusted well to prison life and was a self-proclaimed born-again Christian. Gradually he was permitted to have some contact with other inmates.

Murdered

On November 28, 1994, Dahmer and inmate Jesse Anderson were beaten to death by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver while on work detail in the prison gym. Anderson was in prison for killing his wife and Scarver was a schizophrenic convicted of first-degree murder. The guards for unknown reasons left the three alone only to return twenty minutes later to find Anderson dead and Dahmer dying from severe head trauma. Dahmer died in the ambulance before reaching the hospital.

Fighting over Dahmer’s Brain

In Dahmer’s will he had requested upon his death that his body be cremated as soon as possible, but some medical researchers wanted his brain preserved so it could be studied. Lionel Dahmer wanted to respect his son’s wishes and cremate all remains of his son. His mother felt his brain should go to research. The two parents went to court and a judge sided with Lionel. After over a year Dahmer’s body was released from being held as evidence and he was cremated as he had wished.

Profile Sources:

Education and Achievements

Andrea (Kennedy) Yates was born on July 2, 1964, in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Milby High School in Houston in 1982. She was the class valedictorian, captain of the swim team, and an officer in the National Honor Society. She completed a two-year prenursing program at the University of Houston and then graduated in 1986 from the University of Texas School of Nursing in Houston. She worked as a registered nurse at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1986 until 1994.

Andrea Meets Rusty Yates

Andrea and Rusty Yates, both twenty-five, met at their apartment complex in Houston. Andrea, who was usually reserved, initiated the conversation. Andrea had never dated anyone until she turned twenty-three and prior to meeting Rusty she was healing from a broken relationship. They eventually moved in together and spent much of their time involved in religious study and prayer. They were married on April 17, 1993. They shared with their guests that they planned on having as many children as nature provided.

Andrea Called Herself “Fertile Myrtle”

In their eight years of marriage, the Yateses had five children: four boys and one girl. Andrea stopped jogging and swimming when she became pregnant with her second child. Friends say that she became reclusive. The decision to homeschool the children seemed to feed her isolation.

The Yates Children

Feb. 26, 1994—Noah Yates; Dec. 12, 1995—John Yates; Sept. 13, 1997—Paul Yates; Feb. 15, 1999—Luke Yates; and on Nov. 30, 2000—Mary Yates was the last child to be born.

Their Living Conditions

Rusty accepted work in Florida in 1996 and the family moved into a thirty-eight-foot travel trailer in Seminole, Florida. While in Florida, Andrea got pregnant, but miscarried. In 1997 they returned to Houston and lived in their trailer because Rusty wanted to “live light.” The next year, Rusty decided to purchase a 350-square-foot renovated bus, which became their permanent home. Luke was born, bringing the number of children to four. Living conditions were cramped and Andrea’s insanity began to surface.

Michael Woroniecki

Michael Woroniecki was a traveling minister from whom Rusty purchased their bus and whose religious views had influenced both Rusty and Andrea. Rusty only agreed with some of Woroniecki’s ideas, but Andrea embraced the extremist sermons. He preached, “The role of women is derived from the sin of Eve and bad mothers who are going to hell create bad children who will go to hell.” Andrea was so totally captivated by Woroniecki that Rusty and Andrea’s family grew concerned.

Andrea’s First Suicide Attempt

On June 16, 1999, Andrea called Rusty and begged him to come home. He found her shaking involuntarily and chewing on her fingers. The next day, she was hospitalized after she tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills. She was transferred to the Methodist Hospital psychiatric unit and diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. The medical staff described Andrea as evasive in discussing her problems. However, on June 24 she was prescribed an antidepressant and released.

Spiraling Downward

Once home, Andrea did not take the medication and as a result she began to self-mutilate and refused to feed her children because she felt they were eating too much. She thought there were video cameras in the ceilings and said that the characters on television were talking to her and the children. She told Rusty about the hallucinations, yet neither of them informed Andrea’s psychiatrist, Dr. Starbranch. On July 20, Andrea put a knife to her neck and begged her husband to let her die.

Warned about the Risks of Having More Babies

Andrea was again hospitalized and stayed in a catatonic state for ten days. After being treated with an injection of different drugs that included Haldol, an antipsychotic drug, her condition immediately improved. Rusty was optimistic about the drug therapy because Andrea appeared more like the person he first met. Dr. Starbranch warned the Yateses that having another baby might bring on more episodes of psychotic behavior. Andrea was placed on outpatient care and prescribed Haldol.

New Hopes for the Future

Andrea’s family urged Rusty to buy a home instead of returning Andrea to the cramped space of the bus. He purchased a nice home in a peaceful neighborhood. Once Andrea was in her new home, her condition improved to the point that she returned to past activities like swimming, cooking, and some socializing. She was also interacting well with her children. She expressed to Rusty that she had strong hopes for the future but still viewed her life on the bus as her failure.

The Tragic End

In March of 2000, Andrea, on Rusty’s urging, became pregnant and stopped taking the Haldol. On November 30, 2000, Mary was born. Andrea was coping, but on March 12 her father died and immediately her mental state digressed. She stopped talking, refused liquids, mutilated herself, and would not feed Mary. She also frantically read the Bible.

By the end of March Andrea returned to a different hospital. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Mohammed Saeed, treated her briefly with Haldol but discontinued it, saying that she did not seem psychotic. Andrea was released only to return again in May. She was released in ten days and in her last follow-up visit with Saeed, she was told to think positive thoughts and to see a psychologist.

Two days later, Rusty left for work and before his mother arrived to help, Andrea began to put into action the thoughts that had consumed her for two years.

Andrea filled the tub with water and beginning with Paul, she systematically drowned the three youngest boys, then placed them on her bed and covered them. Mary was left floating in the tub. The last child alive was the first born, seven-year-old Noah. He asked his mother what was wrong with Mary, then turned and ran away. Andrea caught up with him and as he screamed, she dragged him and forced him into the tub next to Mary’s floating body. He fought desperately, coming up for air twice, but Andrea held him down until he was dead. Leaving Noah in the tub, she brought Mary to the bed and laid her in the arms of her brothers.

During Andrea’s confession she explained her actions by saying that she wasn’t a good mother and that the children were “not developing correctly” and she needed to be punished.

Her controversial trial lasted three weeks. The jury found Andrea guilty of capital murder, but rather than recommending the death penalty, they voted for life in prison. At the age of seventy-seven, in the year 2041, Andrea will be eligible for parole.

Update

In July 2006, a Houston jury of six men and six women found Andrea Yates not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

Profile Sources