The Case of Anthony Sears

Anthony Sears, 24, was murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer on March 25, 1989. Dahmer met Sears at a Milwaukee nightclub and took him to his grandmother's home, where he drugged and strangled him. Sears was Dahmer's fifth known victim and the first whose remains were later preserved by Dahmer.

Anthony Sears was 24 years old and lived in Milwaukee. He was working as a hairdresser and was known to friends and family as Tony. On March 25, 1989, Sears met Dahmer at the La Cage nightclub in Milwaukee. Dahmer offered him money to accompany him home and pose for photographs. Sears went with Dahmer to his grandmother's house in West Allis, where Dahmer drugged and strangled him.

The murder occurred at Dahmer's grandmother's residence in West Allis. After killing Sears, Dahmer dismembered his body and disposed of most of the remains. Unlike several of his earlier victims, however, Dahmer retained Sears' head and preserved it. The remains were eventually recovered from Dahmer's Milwaukee apartment following his arrest in 1991.

Anthony Sears disappeared after leaving the nightclub with Dahmer. His disappearance was not connected to Dahmer at the time. Following Dahmer's arrest in July 1991, investigators searched his apartment and discovered photographs and human remains. Evidence recovered from the apartment eventually established that the preserved remains belonged to Anthony Sears. Dahmer confessed to Sears' murder and described the circumstances surrounding his death.

Jeffrey Dahmer was never separately tried for Anthony Sears' murder. He confessed to killing Sears as part of his wider confession to 17 murders. Sears' remains were recovered from Dahmer's apartment in 1991 and identified through forensic investigation.

Anthony Sears was Dahmer's fifth known victim and the last person he murdered before a lengthy period without a known killing. His murder was followed by a gap of more than a year before Dahmer killed again. Sears was also the first victim whose remains Dahmer retained and preserved, an important development in the progression of his offending.