Dahmer Tapes

Dahmer Tapes: session 28

The Milwaukee Police Department released a transcript today that provides evidence that two officers may have missed an opportunity to prevent the death of 14-year-old boy, Konerak Simthasomphone.

Simthasomphone, a Laotian boy, was one of 17 deaths committed by Jeffrey L. Dahmer, who confessed the murders and pleaded he was insane. He was arrested after police found 11 mutilated bodies in his apartment a week ago.

The transcript released today was a 911 call that the police department received from Milwaukee resident, Glenda Cleveland, on May 27.

Initially one woman called the police to report a naked young man who was severely bruised and left at 25 and State streets. An ambulance was sent to the scene. An officer called in reporting that the “intoxicated Asian, naked male was returned to his sober boyfriend.” It was assumed by the officers that Simthasomphone lived with Dahmer as his boyfriend.

Cleveland and her niece had witnessed Simthasomphone being molested by another male adult, and left naked and bleeding. Cleveland had flagged down a police officer, but he had not taken down any of their information.

Cleveland called the police department out of concern. “The fact is a crime was being committed. I am sure you must need, you know, some kind of information based on that,” Cleveland told the dispatcher. Cleveland was transferred during her phone call three times before talking directly with the police man she had flagged down at the scene of the incident only 15 minutes prior.

Cleveland asked what was done about the situation, and the officer informed her that it was “an intoxicated boyfriend of another boyfriend.” Cleveland asked the age of the child she saw being molested and the officer said it was an adult, not a child.
The officer strove to convince Cleveland that the boy was an adult who was returned to “his boyfriend’s apartment.” He tried reassuring her that it was taken care of, “I can’t do anything about somebody’s sexual preferences in life.” Cleveland stated that her concern was that, “it appeared to have been a child.” However the officer insisted that it was not a child.

When Dahmer was interviewed following his arrest, he said that two officers had been at his apartment, and left the boy. After they left, Dahmer killed Simthasomphone. The Milwaukee Police Department now has the two officers suspended with pay, but their names will not be released.