On May 27th, 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer killed Konerak Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old boy. His case is especially tragic, as he was famously returned to Dahmer by the police after escaping the apartment. He was drugged and naked, with a small hole drilled into his skull. 17-year-old local Nicole Childress and her 18-year-old cousin Sandra Smith, found Konerak stumbling in the streets and called 911. In the meanwhile, Dahmer had returned from his trip to the liquor store and tried to take Konerak back to his apartment. Because he was drugged, Konerak only managed to speak in his native tongue, Laotian, and not in English. When 911 arrived at the scene at 2:06 a.m., the two officers, Joe Gabrish and John Balcerzak decided that Dahmer's story was more believable. Jeffrey stated that the boy, whom he named John Hmung, was 19 years old and his lover. In the meanwhile, Childress left to fetch her aunt, who she hoped would, as an adult, have more authority. When they returned, the scene was clear. The two officers escorted Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer's apartment. Dahmer showed them polaroids of conscious Konerak in his underwear and pointed to his clothes folded neatly nearby. The two officers decided that that was enough proof for them, and left Dahmer's victim in the apartment. Not long after their departure, Dahmer injected another dose of the hydrochloric acid solution. This proved fatal immediately. Here you can view the polaroids Dahmer showed the police officers.
What the officers failed to notice, was the body of Tony Hughes lying in Dahmer's bedroom. They failed to conduct a basic background search on Dahmer, which would have shown his criminal record and sex offender status. They simply did not want to get involved in the homosexual drama. They decided to dismiss the two women trying to save Konerak's life, treating them as just two crazy black ladies. They decided to believe the mild-mannered white man, who later took Konerak's life. When Smith's mother, Glenda Cleveland, called the police station to inquire what happened, she was dismissed. The two officers were actually accompanied by a third, Rick Porubcan, who arrived later and avoided most of the media onslaught that followed.
When news of this gross police misconduct reached the public after Dahmer's arrest, the officers involved were fired but were reinstated in 1994. In 2005, Balcerzak was even elected as the president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
The 911 phone call made by Childress and Smith, followed by Dahmer's recollection of the event in his interview with Robert Ressler with the follow-up phone call by Cleveland and ending with the officers reporting back to the police station after returning Konerak to Dahmer. Source
Public outcry after the news of what happened broke
Rest in Peace, Konerak Sinthasomphone.
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