Why Didn't Jeffrey Dahmer Wear His Infamous Glasses During His Trial? - Grunge (2024)

Crime

Why Didn't Jeffrey Dahmer Wear His Infamous Glasses During His Trial? - Grunge (1)

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History writes that on July 22, 1991, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested after one of his would-be victims, Tracy Edwards, escaped from Dahmer's apartment. Per Biography, the Milwaukee-based murderer began killing back in 1978. Although Dahmer often got into legal trouble for sexual crimes, he managed to keep his murders secret for years. Eventually, he killed 17 men within a 13-year span. However, as Crime Museum points out, Dahmer became infamous not because of the number of people he killed, but for how he mutilated his victims' corpses. Crime + Investigation UK states that Dahmer engaged in necrophilia and cannibalism. He also attempted to make his victims into zombies by pouring acid into their skulls.

Upon his arrest, as another article from Biography explains, officers found Polaroid snapshots of dismembered bodies and various body parts stored in Dahmer's apartment. Britannica states that Dahmer's victims were primarily gay men of racial minorities. For this reason, there has been controversy regarding Dahmer's case, as many believe that he got away with his crimes for so long due to systematic racism (via AP News). Moreover, Dahmer's looks only added to this theory; he was a clean-cut, unassuming white man living in a Black neighborhood. Many believe this enabled police to turn a blind eye to the victims and Dahmer for years.

Nevertheless, asA&Ereports, in September 1991, Dahmer pled not guilty to 15 charges of murder. By 1992, he had changed his plea to guilty by reason of insanity. In January of that year, Dahmer's trial began. However, one thing was missing when Dahmer arrived in court: his glasses (per Deseret News).

He wanted to avoid the jury

A&E explains that by changing his plea to guilty by reason of insanity, this changed the course of Dahmer's trial. Now, it had to be proved that Dahmer was in fact not insane while he committed his horrific crimes. Per Crime + Investigation UK, his defense claimed that only someone who was out of their mind could do what Dahmer did. His lawyer, Gerald Boyle, stated that Dahmer was "not an evil man, (he) was a sick man" (per The Washington post). Nevertheless, he admitted that his client had performed necrophilia and gruesome science experiments. The prosecution, on the other hand, alleged that Dahmer knew exactly what he was doing.

As The Guardian points out, Dahmer was known for wearing large metal-rimmed aviator-style glasses. However, he is pictured without them in mugshots, and Deseret News writes that he did not wear them during his trial. His stepmother, Shari Dahmer, explained why to "Inside Edition." She stated (via Deseret News), "He's not wearing glasses so that he can't see people. He panics." Crime + Investigation UK reports that Shari and Dahmer's father, Lionel, were present for his trial. In February 1992, Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms in prison (per Biography).

A&E reports that 10 out of 12 jurors concluded that Jeffrey Dahmer was not suffering from any mental illness and was, therefore, sane. According to Deseret News, the only time he wore his glasses was during his sentencing. He was later sent to the Columbia Correctional Institute, where he was murdered by another inmate, Christopher Scarver, in November 1994 (via History).

Other serial killers have worn similar glasses

According to The Guardian, Dahmer's aviator glasses have become popular in media, pop culture, and fashion. In the 2017 film "My Friend Dahmer" (via IMDb), actor Ross Lynch portrays the killer in his high school years. Dahmer's high school friend, John "Derf" Backderf, wrote a graphic novel the movie is based on (per the Phoenix New Times). In an interview, Backderf noted that while the film was shooting, he found Lynch dressed as Dahmer in glasses unnerving. He told the Phoenix New Times, "One time in particular, I was chatting with Ross between scenes when he was in his full Dahmer get-up, and it freaked me out. I said, 'Dude, you HAVE to take off those glasses or I can't talk to you.'"

The Guardian reports that Dahmer is far from the only serial killer who has donned distinctive glasses. Dennis Rader and Ed Kemper had distinctive aviator-style eyewear. However, this has been attributed to the time period. Many killers, including Dahmer, were active in the 1970s and '80s. The Guardian points out that aviator glasses were especially fashionable during those particular years.

According to Slate, the glasses may have even allowed Dahmer to appear as a normal and honest man. The magazine20/20reported in 2013 that Dahmer's influence had made aviator glasses especially trendy. Despite their association with Dahmer and his crimes, people still want to wear and buy them. With the release of Netflix's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," rapper Rick Ross tweeted, "Locate me a pair of Dahmer shades" (per XXL Magazine). Some agreed with this sentiment, while others criticized the tweet.

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Why Didn't Jeffrey Dahmer Wear His Infamous Glasses During His Trial? - Grunge (2024)

FAQs

What style of glasses did Jeffrey Dahmer wear? ›

The style of aviator glasses was made infamous by the Milwaukee serial killer, who killed and dismembered 17 men between 1978 and 1991. He wore the specs in his mugshot after he was apprehended by police. What do you think?

What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer's glasses? ›

James acquired the glasses and other Dahmer memorabilia a few years ago, after a former housekeeper of Dahmer's father, Lionel Dahmer, contacted him, according to reports. The collector agreed to manage and sell the collection through Cult Collectibles for a portion of the profit.

What infamous serial killers wear glasses? ›

The two most famous goggle wearers in the criminal world are undoubtedly Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, who wore a black hoodie and black aviation goggles.

Why didn't Jeffrey Dahmer wear glasses in court? ›

Yes, but only for a very specific reason. Dahmer, despite having worn his glasses for a significant portion of his life, removed his glasses in the courtroom. His stepmom Shari Dahmer told Inside Edition in 1992, "He's not wearing glasses so that he can't see people. He panics."

Who is the most famous serial killer? ›

7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers
  • Jack the Ripper. We call him “Jack the Ripper,” but we don't really know who the person behind one of the older and most notorious murder sprees was. ...
  • Jeffrey Dahmer. ...
  • Harold Shipman. ...
  • John Wayne Gacy. ...
  • H.H. Holmes. ...
  • Pedro Lopez. ...
  • Ted Bundy.
Aug 2, 2024

Why do Dahmers' eyes change color? ›

If you have ever wondered why Dahmer (and therefore Evan Peters, cast in the role of Dahmer) has such creepy, unsettling eyes, it might be because of the colored contacts that he wore. Originally blue-eyed, Dahmer would often wear bright yellow contacts before going to scope out gay bars for men to attack.

How much were Jeffrey Dahmer glasses sold for? ›

A pair of Jeffrey Dahmer's glasses worn by the murderer in prison is going up for sale for $150,000 (£132,625). In the wake of Netflix's newest revival of gory true-crime mysteries, the latest of which is Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, sales of cult memorabilia have shot through the roof.

Who is the serial killer with glasses on Netflix? ›

Across more than a decade, 17 teen boys and young men were murdered by convicted killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

Who was the serial killer that took eyes? ›

Charles Albright

What is the serial killer stare? ›

The traits that make up the "serial killer stare" could be linked to psychological disorders common among serial killers, such as psychopathy and sociopathy. These conditions involve impaired empathy, a lack of remorse, and manipulative behaviors, potentially manifesting as a cold, emotionless gaze.

What serial killers did it for attention? ›

Dennis Rader and Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, they all wanted to hide the fact that they were serial killers, but they liked the attention that they were getting.

What glasses did Evan Peters wear in Dahmer? ›

Did Jeffrey Dahmer always wear his glasses? Throughout most of the Netflix show, we see Evan Peters' Dahmer wearing signature aviator-style glasses.

How much are Jeffrey Dahmer glasses? ›

A pair of aviator eye glasses reported to be worn by Dahmer in prison are currently for sale for $150,000 by Taylor James, owner of the Canadian true crime media marketplace Cult Collectibles.

What kind of camera did Jeffrey Dahmer use? ›

Inside the apartment, he gave Smith a drink laced with seven sleeping pills, then manually strangled him. The following day, Dahmer purchased a Polaroid camera, with which he took several pictures of Smith's body in suggestive positions before dismembering him in the bathroom.

What glasses does Gwyneth Paltrow wear? ›

Paltrow is a huge fan of the brand Caddis, which makes really stylish reading glasses, progressive reading glasses, and sunglasses. She has worn multiple pairs, including a fabulous pair of aviators during her trial in March 2023.

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