February 17
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Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in Wisconsin for murdering and dismembering 15 young men and boys. Dahmer, 31, was unable to convince the jury that his cannibalism andnecrophiliawere the result of madness. He was given 15 consecutive life sentences and will never be eligible for parole. Dahmer's trial, which ended in Milwaukee on Saturday night (15 February), included some of the most gruesome evidence ever heard in a US courtroom. It also became a test case of the insanity defence seldom used in America. He has escaped the death sentence because Wisconsin is one of the few states which does not have capital punishment. After sentence was passed, Dahmer read a statement to the court. In a calm voice he said: "I never wanted freedom. Frankly, I wanted death for myself. I knew I was sick or evil or both. "Doctors have told me about my sickness and now I have some peace. I know how much harm I have caused. I feel so bad for what I did to those poor families." Victims' families were in court and some lashed out at the bullet-proof screen, which was all that separated them from the man described by his own lawyer as "a steamrolling, killing machine". Rita Isbell, sister of victim Errol Lindsey, lunged at Dahmer screaming: "You are Satan. I want to kill you." Tears rolled down the face of Donald Bradehof, brother of another victim, as he said: "We lost the baby of our family - I hope you go to hell." Dahmer tended to prey on young gay black men. The court was told how he drugged them with sleeping pills and practised crude lobotomies on the brains of three of them. Various body parts were found in his flat. His lawyers argued he suffered from necrophilia, a compulsive desire to have sex with corpses. But the prosecution claimed Dahmer had chosen his victims carefully and had not intended to kill them all. There has been criticism of the Milwaukee police for failing to realise there was a serial killer operating in the city. Only 10 of the 22 passengers and crew on board the Turkish Government aircraft survived and two were critically injured. An official from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said it was the worst crash he had seen. Turkish press secretary Sefik Penmen told an impromptu conference at London Clinic: "The Prime Minister's condition is quite satisfactory and a bulletin will be issued at 1000 tomorrow. He is feeling quite alright, though he is very sorry about what has happened to his friends." The plane - from Istanbul - was diverted from Gatwick Airport because of fog and was due to arrive at London Airport at 1600 GMT when it went missing off the radar. Local resident Margaret Bailey, a trained nurse, was one of the first on the scene - three miles along the flight path from Gatwick - shortly after 1700 GMT. At about that time the plane carrying Greek Prime Minister Constantin Karamanlis landed at Gatwick without incident. The Turkish jet lost its wings and had its engines torn off as it ploughed 300 yards through the wood and landed upside down with trees embedded in the mangled fuselage and burst into flames. Three divisions from Surrey Fire Brigade put out the resulting fires although their efforts were hampered by thick fog. After receiving first aid at Mrs Bailey's farmhouse, 200 yards away, Mr Menderes was taken to hospital in London 90 minutes later. Other casualties are being treated at hospitals in East Grinstead, Redhill and Dorking. The Queen and Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus have sent messages of sympathy. |
