Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 21, 1960. His family moved to Iowa while his father, Lionel, worked on his Ph.D. in chemistry. When Jeffrey was six, his family moved again to Bath, Ohio, near Akron. After the move, his parents noticed a change in young Jeffrey's personality. He lost his outgoing demeanor and developed a strange fear of others and of unfamiliar situations. Over his teenage years, Dahmer became increasingly withdrawn and isolated. He began to drink heavily in high school. Although intelligent, he did not perform well at academics, and his grades were inconsistent. He spent more and more time alone in his room or in solitary pursuits.

After high school, Jeffrey's parents went through a bitter divorce and custody battle over his 11-year-old brother. Jeffrey was left on his own in his parents' home for a time. It was at this time...