Twenty years ago T.E. escaped his own murder by the hands of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and was an valuable asset in leading police to Dahmer’s ultimate capture. Fast-forward twenty years and T.E. the victim now becomes T.E. a life-threatening criminal, and partially to blame was the alleged impact Dahmer made on T.E.’s life, as reported by The Associated Press for Yahoo News.
T.E.’s defense attorney has claimed that his client’s role in the death of a homeless man may have been due to post-traumatic stress disorder, which he likely suffered with since his frightening encounter with Dahmer.
T.E. was sentenced to one and one half years in prison for the drowning death of a homeless man, J.J.
Paul Ksicinski, the lawyer defending T.E., said that T.E. struggles with both drug and alcohol addiction. Now, T.E. also suffers with remorse in regards to the death of J.J. Ksicinski told Judge Rebecca Dallet that his client is “going to have another ghost to haunt him all his life.”
In the criminal complaint, T.E. was accused of aiding T.C. in throwing J.J. from a downtown Milwaukee bridge and into a river. The three men – all homeless – were allegedly engaged in an argument prior to the incident.
T.E. originally pleaded not guilty to first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in a plea agreement – of aiding a felon.
J.J. and T.C. allegedly had a volatile relationship, per Ksicinski, but after J.J. was flung into the river T.C. attempted to rescue him. T.C. was not a very strong swimmer. J.J. claimed that he was unsure as to why T.C. followed J.J. into the river on July 26. He thought it may have been to try and save J.J., but it also might have been a suicide attempt.
J.J. later drowned. T.C. admitted his part in the death of J.J.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams was unable to completely prove that T.E. was directly involved in physically helping T.C. lift J.J. up and off the bridge. The reduced charge was the best option, per Williams, as T.E. had admitted to lying to police to hide T.C.’s actions.
Both the district attorney and defense council requested that the judge give T.E. probation.
In 1991 T.E. was approached by Dahmer at a mall, the two went back to Dahmer’s apartment and watched a movie together. After some time, and drinking, Dahmer threatened T.E. with a knife and said, “...he was going to eat (his) heart.”
T.E. struck Dahmer and made his escape.
Dahmer had killed 17 young men and boys before being imprisoned – where he was later beaten to death by another inmate.
T.E. has been convicted on three drug-related charges to which Ksicinski said is probably due to suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder since his time with Dahmer. Dallet, however, was not swayed by the argument and said, “In your efforts to drown your sorrows, you have made other people victims.”
Along with the prison sentence, T.E. has two years of extended supervision, must pay funeral expenses of $2,520 to J.J.’s mother and submit to alcohol and drug assessment.
If you have been charged for one or more criminal acts contact a criminal defense attorney to best represent you. Keeping you out of prison would be of the utmost importance.
