Unraveling the Truth: The Stories of Oliver Lacy and Joseph Arthur Bradehoft

For years, media reports have identified Joseph Bradehoft and Oliver Lacy as victims of Jeff Dahmer, with Lacy as the 16th victim and Bradehoft as the 17th. However, we know that the narrative surrounding the ''Milwaukee Cannibal'' is entirely fictional, and Jeff Dahmer is innocent.

This raises the question: what really happened to these two men?

The popular narrative reveals that Oliver Lacy was twenty-three years old. He lived in Milwaukee, having moved in with his girlfriend and infant son shortly before his death, and had been planning to marry her. We are told that around July 15, 1991, he was wandering around the Grand Avenue mall when he was approached by Jeff Dahmer, who invited him back to his flat and Oliver died at his hands later that night.

The following is an excerpt from the confession regarding the alleged incident. It specifies his date of birth as June 23, 1967 (06/23/67):

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The following article, published in July 1991 by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and available in the FBI vault, details the story of Oliver Lacy, who is said to have relocated from Chicago to Milwaukee. In this account of events, it is noted that he was last seen on July 12, 1991. His mother's name is Catherine Lacy:

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 1991

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia that describes Oliver Lacy:

''On July 15, Dahmer encountered 24-year-old[207] Oliver Lacy at the corner of 27th and Kilbourn.[208] Lacy agreed to Dahmer's ruse of posing nude for photographs and accompanied him to his apartment, where the pair engaged in tentative sexual activity before Dahmer drugged Lacy. On this occasion, Dahmer intended to prolong the time he spent with Lacy while alive. After unsuccessfully attempting to render Lacy unconscious with chloroform,[209] he phoned his workplace to request a day's absence; this was granted, although the next day, he was suspended.[207]

July 15: Oliver Joseph Lacy, 24. A bodybuilding enthusiast whom Dahmer enticed to his apartment with the promise of money for posing for photographs. Lacy was drugged and strangled with a leather strap before being decapitated, with his head and heart being placed in the refrigerator.[354] His skeleton was retained to adorn one side of the private shrine of skulls and skeletons Dahmer was in the process of creating when arrested one week later.''

We are also told that Joseph Bradehoft became an alleged victim of Jeff Dahmer around July 19, 1991. Originally from Illinois, Joseph had traveled to Milwaukee to visit his brother and seek employment to support his family. Although he was married, he had separated from his wife and had three children.

On that fateful day, Joseph encountered Jeff Dahmer at a bus stop. Jeff Dahmer invited him to his home, offering fifty dollars for companionship. Mr. Bradehoft accepted the offer and went with him, where he was subsequently given a drugged drink. According to the fictional account.

Here is a passage from the confession regarding the alleged incident:

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The following article, published in July 1991 by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and available in the FBI vault, details the story of Joseph Bradehoft. The report states that Joseph, a Minnesota resident, was visiting Donald Bradehoft in Milwaukee while searching for employment.

It notes that Joseph was last seen on July 16, 1991, which is one day after his official passing, as will be detailed later in this post.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 1991

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 1991

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia that describes Joseph Arthur Bradehoft:

''After strangling Lacy, Dahmer had sex with the corpse before dismembering him.[207] He placed Lacy's head and heart in the refrigerator and his skeleton in the freezer.[207] Four days later, on July 19, Dahmer received word that he was dismissed.[210] Upon receipt of this news, Dahmer lured 25-year-old Joseph Bradehoft to his apartment. Bradehoft was strangled and left lying on Dahmer's bed covered with a sheet for two days. On July 21, Dahmer removed the sheet to find the head covered in maggots. He decapitated the body, cleaned the head and placed it in the refrigerator.[211] He later acidified Bradehoft's torso, along with those of two other victims killed within the previous month.[212][213]

July 19: Joseph Arthur Bradehoft, 25. Dahmer's last victim. Bradehoft was a father of three children from Minnesota who was looking for work in Milwaukee at the time of his murder.[355][356] Dahmer left Bradehoft's body on his bed for two days before, on July 21, decapitating it. Dahmer placed Bradehoft's head in the refrigerator, and his torso in the 57-gallon drum.''

As usual, these stories lack credible sources and substantiation, rendering them sensationalist and untrue. Considering all the findings within a broader context, we can conclude that the so-called ''Milwaukee Cannibal'' is merely a fabricated narrative that never occurred in reality.

What State Records Reveal

However, unlike the other 15 alleged victims, Oliver Lacy and Joseph Bradehoft are listed in the US Social Security Death Index.

Here is the entry for Oliver Lacy from the publicly accessible records of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration:

Source: NARA – AAD – Series Description – Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), created, 1936 – 2007, documenting the period 1936 – 2007 (archives.gov)

Additionally, it confirms that his mother's name is indeed Catherine Lacy, consistent with the information presented in the news article above. The entry confirms that his name is Oliver Lacy and that he was born in Chicago on June 23, 1968. This is the only record that fits this description. However, the confession lists his date of birth as June 23, 1967 (06/23/1967).

Source: NARA – AAD – Series Description – Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), created, 1936 – 2007, documenting the period 1936 – 2007 (archives.gov)

Like other alleged victims, his identification does not align with what is presented in the confession. However, since we know the confession lacks credibility, it is prudent to verify that it is not incriminating in any way.

This entry from the genealogy site MyHeritage shows that Oliver passed away on July 15, 1991.

Source: US Social Security Death Index (MyHeritage.com)

We are left to ponder: what truly happened to Oliver Lacy? His story is shrouded in mystery and controversy, leaving many questions unanswered. We may never know for sure the truth behind the events that unfolded. The circumstances of his life and the fateful moments leading to his demise continue to intrigue and perplex those who seek to understand his story.

Similarly, we are left in the dark regarding the truth about what happened to Joseph Arthur Bradehoft. Below is his entry from the Social Security Death Index sourced from MyHeritage:

Source: US Social Security Death Index (MyHeritage.com)

It is worth noting that, like Oliver Lacy, Joseph Bradehoft also passed away on July 15, 1991. Furthermore, the confession states that Joseph encountered Jeff "on or about July 19, 1991.''

Oliver Lacy and Joseph Bradehoft both passed away on the same day.

In conclusion, Oliver and Joseph were undeniably real individuals—young men with promising futures—who met an untimely end on the same date, July 15, 1991.

It is evident, however, that they were not victims of Jeff Dahmer; that narrative is entirely fabricated. The circumstances surrounding their fate remain a mystery. As time goes by, we can only hope that their stories will be uncovered and brought to light, revealing the truth behind their experiences and offering closure to those who seek to understand what happened.

Joseph Arthur Bradehoft (Source: Find a Grave)

Oliver Lacy (Source: Find a Grave)

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