Konerak Sinthasomphone and his family left Laos in search of a better life in America in 1979. They settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they lived with eight children and their parents in the Laotian community. Unfortunately, their dreams of a happy future were shattered by one of the world’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer.
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Dahmer sexually assaulted Konerak’s older brother Somsack in 1988 and was briefly incarcerated for the crime. But tragedy struck again in May 1991 when the cannibalistic killer murdered 14-year-old Konerak.
What makes Konerak’s story even more heartbreaking is that he came close to escaping. In 1991, he managed to flee Dahmer’s lair and was discovered wandering naked and disoriented on the streets of Milwaukee. But when police arrived, they unwittingly handed him back to Dahmer, sealing Konerak’s gruesome fate. This is the tragic story of Jeffrey Dahmer’s youngest victim.
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Sinthasomphone Was Last Seen Leaving to Play Soccer
In May 1991, Konerak Sinthasomphone disappeared after leaving to play soccer at a downtown park, according to a 1991 article in the La Crosse Tribune. Anoukone Sinthasomphone, Konerak’s older brother, expressed his shock and dismay at the situation, calling it “crazy” and “terrible.”
Nicole Childress, 18 at the time, recounted to the AP that she had tried to save Konerak from Dahmer, who had wrestled him away from her. Konerak was naked, bleeding from his buttocks, and appeared to be drinking. Childress and Sandra Smith, who was also present, attempted to provide their names to the police but were told to “butt out.”
The Sinthasomphone Family Immigrates To America
According to The New York Times, Sounthone Sinthasomphone, Konerak Sinthasomphone’s father, was a rice farmer in Laos when Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in the 1970s. When the government attempted to seize his land, he decided to flee with his family to ensure their safety.
In March 1979, Sounthone put his family on a canoe and sent them across the Mekong River to Thailand under the cover of night. At around two years old, Konerak and his siblings were drugged with sleeping pills to prevent them from crying and attracting the attention of soldiers. Sounthone swam across the river himself several days later.
After arriving in Thailand, the Sinthasomphone family spent a year in a refugee camp before being assisted by an American-based Catholic program to relocate to Milwaukee in 1980.
Life in the United States presented challenges for the Sinthasomphone family, but they persevered and gradually assimilated into American culture by learning English and adapting to their new surroundings. However, their lives took a tragic turn in 1988 when Somsack Sinthasomphone encountered Jeffrey Dahmer.
Dahmer Was Previously Convicted of Molesting Konerak’s Brother
The Associated Press reported in a 1991 article published in the Appleton Post-Crescent that Konerak’s family had fled Laos ten years prior to the tragedy. Sadly, two years before Konerak’s murder, his older brother, who was thirteen at the time, was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Dahmer.
Dahmer expressed remorse for the assault, and according to the article, the family was experiencing a range of emotions, including anger. Reverend Peter Burns was quoted as saying, “They hope and pray no one else will ever have to endure such a tragedy again.”
Konerak’s dismembered remains were later found in Dahmer’s apartment. In the earlier assault, Dahmer was convicted of second-degree sexual assault for “fondling Sinthasomphone’s brother” and offering him $50 to pose for nude photos. Dahmer served only 10 months in jail and received five years probation. After promising not to commit more crimes, he was granted early release in May 1990 by a judge.
The article notes that some people in the Laotian community believed that Dahmer had targeted Konerak in retaliation for his prior sexual assault conviction, but this theory was never substantiated.
Konerak Sinthasomphone Almost Escapes Dahmer’s Clutches
In May 1991, Glenda Cleveland called the Milwaukee police to report a young man in distress on the street outside Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment. Konerak Sinthasomphone was naked and bleeding, having already been tortured by Dahmer. Cleveland didn’t know this but the killer had drilled a hole into Konerak’s skull and injected him with hydrochloric acid. This had induced a “zombie-like state” according to the Associated Press.
The officers who arrived at the scene thought that Konerak was drunk and didn’t pay much attention to Cleveland’s concerns. Fortunately, Konerak managed to escape Dahmer when he left to buy alcohol. But as the police were trying to question him, Dahmer returned and claimed that Konerak was his adult homosexual lover who had drunk too much.
The officers believed him and took Konerak back to Dahmer’s apartment, where he was eventually killed. Despite the objections of some African-American bystanders, the officers ignored their warnings and took Konerak back to his death. He became Dahmer’s 13th and final victim.
The Aftermath Of Konerak Sinthasomphone’s Murder
Following Jeffrey Dahmer’s arrest on July 22, 1991, and the discovery of Konerak Sinthasomphone’s remains in his apartment, questions arose about how Dahmer’s crimes went unnoticed for so long despite evidence and reports of suspicious activity.
Milwaukee Police Chief Philip Arreola fired officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish, who responded to Glenda Cleveland’s call about Konerak on May 27, for failing to identify Konerak properly, listen to witnesses, or seek advice from their superiors. Recordings also revealed that one of the officers joked about needing to be “deloused” after leaving Dahmer’s apartment and that they refused to listen to Cleveland, who called six times insisting that Konerak was in danger after they left. However, a court order later reinstated the men.
Gabrish later stated that they didn’t look into Dahmer’s background because he seemed “cooperative” during the incident. If they had, they would have found that he was on probation for child molestation.
Dahmer was ultimately sentenced to 957 years in prison but was killed by a fellow inmate just two years into his sentence.
The Sinthasomphone family sued the City of Milwaukee and the police department, alleging that their failure to protect Konerak was due to racism. The city settled the suit for $850,000 in 1995.
The New York Times reported that the Sinthasomphone family struggled greatly with their son’s death. Sounthone questioned why he had come to America at all, saying, “I escaped the communists, and now this happens. Why?”
