This article is about Konerak Sinthasomphone Family. Konerak is a victim of one of the most famous serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer.
In Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix, the horrific crimes committed by the serial killer are brought to life, including the tragic tale of victim Konerak Sinthasomphone.
Jeffrey Dahmer, the Milwaukee Monster or Milwaukee Cannibal, killed and dismembered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. He’s still one of the most prolific US serial killers.
When you read that the young victim Konerak Sinthasomphone almost escaped his clutches, the terrible nature of his atrocities becomes even more apparent.
The authorities handled the case so poorly that when one of the suspect’s victims managed to get away, the police gave him back to the person who had murdered him. Keep reading to know what happened to Konerak Sinthasomphone, his family, and where his family is now.
Who was Konerak Sinthasomphone?
Konerak Sinthasmophone was a Wisconsin-born 14-year-old boy. He is the first generation of his family to be born in the United States; his parents and grandparents came from Laos.
According to many news sources, Konerak’s family faced several financial difficulties. As a result, Konerak and his brother, Somsack, tried to assist their family.
Jeffrey Dahmer came into contact with Konerak Sinthasomphone, who was then enticed into Dahmer’s flat for a few drinks by the promise of financial compensation in exchange for images.
When Konerak escaped from Dahmer’s flat, the Chicago Tribune reports that he did so while naked, bruised, bleeding, and under the influence of many drugs.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the newest documentary that can be found on Netflix and directed by Ryan Murphy, reveals that Jeffrey Dahmer even went to the extent of cutting a hole into the victim’s skull, which he then filled with acid.
Following his successful escape, neighbours discovered him, who then alerted the authorities. Officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gaberish answered.
Still, in the end, they let Konerak return to Dahmer’s apartment after Dahmer convinced them that Konerak was his 19-year-old lover. Dahmer convinced Konerak that he was his sweetheart.
What Happened to Konerak Sinthasomphone?
Konerak was drawn into Jeffrey Dahmer’s residence by the promise of payment for naked photos.
Dahmer drugged Konerak by adding poison to his drink, as he frequently did with his victims. Dahmer typically killed and raped his victims after knocking them out.
In contrast, Dahmer’s odd attempt to mummify Konerak involved drilling a hole in his head and injecting diluted acid into Konerak’s brain. To create a “zombie-like state,” Dahmer claimed to have injected Sinthasomphone’s brain with acid.
Dahmer left the flat to buy more alcohol, and Konerak escaped. Although he was too dazed to talk, Sinthasomphone’s grief was evident.
Konerak was not Dahmer’s first Sinthasomphone victim. Konerak’s brother Somsack was persuaded to enter Dahmer’s flat by the promise of money. The Laotian immigrants, known as the Sinthasomphones, encountered numerous financial difficulties.
So the weak brothers took Dahmer up on his offer. Somsack was drugged by Dahmer and subjected to sexual abuse; he managed to flee and notify Dahmer.
A judge gave Dahmer a one-year prison term with work release and five years of probation.
According to Jeffrey, Konerak was a lover who frequently got wasted. One of the officers who escorted Konerak to Dahmer’s flat recognised the stench of decaying flesh. The police didn’t look any further, though.
Dahmer testified that he told the court that the victim was a houseguest, a “friend who often drinks too much and runs out in the street naked.”
Dahmer said he gave Konerak another diluted acid injection after the cops departed, killing him. Jeffrey said, “I heard no pulse after dosing him.” “I did not murder him, but it occurred.”
According to court documents, the officers ultimately decided that Dahmer and Sinthasomphone were adult homosexual lovers and left Sinthasomphone with Dahmer. He was Dahmer’s thirteenth victim within thirty minutes.
What Happened to His Brother Somsack Sinthasomphone Before?
Somsack Sinthasomphone and his brother Konerack were born in Laos and moved to the US as children.
They grew up in a caring and encouraging environment. Despite their poor socioeconomic backgrounds, Somsack and Konerack were conscientious teens who wanted to make a name for themselves.
Despite this, they were both driven to establish their reputations. Somsack met Jeffrey Dahmer when he was 13 in September 1988.
Jeffrey had lately moved into his apartment, leaving his grandmother’s house.
He tried to force Somsack to pose for nude photos at his flat after deciding she was readily swayed.
Jeffrey paid Somsack to escort the serial killer back to his apartment.
Surprisingly, Jeffrey never attempted to end Somsack’s life or cause him physical harm. On the other hand, he drugged and sexually molested the child until the young girl, only 13 years old then, could break free from Jeffrey’s grasp and flee the apartment.
Afterwards, officials from the law enforcement agency discovered the occurrence, and on September 27, 1988, they arrested Jeffrey.
In the end, Jeffrey pled guilty to the charges of sexual assault in the second degree and tempting a kid for immoral motives in January of 1989.
As a result of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to one year in prison with work release and five years of probation in May of the same year.
Jeffrey left prison in May 1989. The judge also ordered Jeffrey to register as a sexual offender. Jeffrey’s probation for groping Somsack during Konerack’s murder is intriguing.
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Where Is His Brother Now?
After enduring such a frightening incident, Somsack returned to his family and resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when the police apprehended Jeffrey Dahmer. Konerack was identified as one of Dahmer’s victims.
Furthermore, the Estate of Sinthasomphone and the family of Konerak filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department and the City of Milwaukee, accusing both of failing to safeguard their constitutional rights.
The complaint was filed against the Milwaukee Police Department and the City of Milwaukee.
Somsack Sinthasomphone has kept a modest profile and has valued his privacy since then.
On the other hand, it would appear that Somsack Sinthasomphone is now married and that he and his wife are still residing in Wisconsin.
Konerak Sinthasomphone, Where is Konerak now?
Jeffrey was able to get away with murdering Konerak Sinthasomphone because of the incompetence of the police.
The loss of their 14-year-old son devastated his family, and they sought answers.
Konerak’s 27-year-old brother, Anouke Sinthasomphone, told the New York Times that their lives have changed since the kid’s death.
He stated that we do not have the energy to engage in any activity. We can’t sleep. We are unable to eat.
Because his mother was in such a state of grief, she had all of the images of her son that were shown in their home removed, except for the photograph displayed on a little shrine in the living room.
Were Police Officers Involved Get Fired?
The first officers to respond were John Balcerzak and Joseph T. Gabriel, who Richard Porubcan soon joined. The three men sent Konerak back to Dahmer’s flat. When the police arrived, Konerak was exposed, wounded, battered, and clearly under the influence of drugs.
They left Konerack with Dahmer after documenting the incident as a home dispute between gays. One hour after the officers left, he was killed.
The police would have discovered Dahmer was a sex offender if they had verified his identity.
They also would have discovered Tony Hughes’ body in Dahmer’s flat, which they investigated because it smelled funny. Dahmer had murdered Hughes three days before.
Balcerzak and Gabrish were fired when the officers’ unintentional involvement in the murder was discovered, but all three were ultimately reinstated. Gabrish and Balcerzak received $55,000 apiece in back wages.
In 2005, Balcerzak won the presidency of the Milwaukee Police Association, serving in that capacity until 2009. Then In 2017, he decided to leave the police, and today he runs a Milwaukee pub. In the 2010s, Gabrish left the police department as well.
Amount Milwaukee Paid for Settlement?
According to Konerak’s family’s case against Milwaukee and the police force, the officers discriminated against him because of his race and sexuality. The decision of the Chief Justice to send the case to trial is as follows:
They claim, among other things, that the officers intentionally barred private citizens from assisting Sinthasomphone and instead handed the youngster over to Dahmer’s custody rather than his parents.
In addition to police inaction, it is also claimed that police behaviour violated Konerak Sinthasomphone’s fundamental due process rights.
The trial began in March 1995, and a settlement of $850,000 was agreed between the city and the Sinthasomphones a month later.
Konerak Sinthasomphone Family Moves to the US
According to The New York Times, Konerak Sinthasomphone’s father, Sounthone, was a rice farmer in Laos when communist forces deposed the country’s monarchy in the 1970s. He decided to depart for his family’s safety when the government attempted to seize his farm.
Sounthone put his family on a canoe and sent them over the Mekong River to Thailand late one night in March 1979.
When Konerak was about two years old, his parents poisoned him and his brothers with sleeping drugs to prevent their cries from being heard by soldiers. A few days later, Sounthone swam over the river by himself.
The Sinthasomphone family spent a year in a camp for refugees in Thailand. They were then assisted in moving to Milwaukee, where they settled with the aid of a Catholic program with American roots.
The Sinthasomphones’ life in the United States was sometimes complicated, but most of the family acquired English and adapted to American culture over the coming years. Until Somsack Sinthasomphone met Jeffrey Dahmer in 1988, everything was going according to plan.
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