Dahmer Pleads Innocent in Deaths, Will Claim Insanity if Convicted

Jeffrey L. Dahmer, who admitted to police that he has killed and dismembered 17 people since 1978, pleaded innocent Tuesday to 15 murder charges and said he would claim insanity if convicted.

The plea means that Dahmer would first be tried on charges that he committed the crimes. If he were found guilty, a jury or judge would then determine whether he was insane. If judged insane, he could not be held responsible for his acts.

Defense lawyer Gerald P. Boyle said there is “a strong likelihood,” however, that Dahmer will change his plea later. He might plead guilty to committing the crimes but ask the court to rule that he could not be held responsible because mental disease or defect prevented him from realizing that his actions were wrong.

“I always found it somewhat inconsistent for a person to stand up in front of the court and tell a jury: ‘My client did not commit this offense,’ and then say later: ‘Come to think of it, even if he did he was insane at the time,’ ” Boyle said.

If found sane, Dahmer would have to serve Wisconsin’s mandatory life-in-prison term for each murder. If ruled insane, he would be sent to a mental hospital and could petition for his release every six months after one year of treatment.

To gain release, he would have to convince the trial judge that he was no longer mentally ill and no longer posed a threat.

Dist. Atty. E. Michael McCann said he was not surprised by the insanity defense but would vigorously fight it because of the possibility that Dahmer could be freed.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Laurence C. Gram Jr. scheduled the trial to begin Jan. 27.

Boyle said he does not plan to request a change of venue for the trial, saying that police and prosecutors had thus far acted correctly to limit pretrial publicity.

Dahmer, 31, a former candy factory worker and Army veteran, was arrested after a partially handcuffed man flagged down police on July 22 and took them to Dahmer’s apartment, where they found 11 dismembered bodies.