In the summer of 1990, a 27-year-old man named Male Edward Warren Smith vanished from the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, leaving behind a void of information and a family grasping for answers. Known to his friends as Eddie, and called "Sheik" in his neighborhood for the turban-like head covering he often wore, he was a familiar face in the community. On the evening of June 14, 1990, Eddie was last seen leaving The Phoenix Bar in Milwaukee.
That night, it is believed he crossed paths with Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, a man who would later become infamous as one of America's most notorious serial killers. It is thought that Eddie went with Dahmer to his residence in West Allis, Wisconsin, and was never heard from again.
Standing at six feet tall and weighing around 165 pounds, Eddie was a Black man with black hair and brown eyes. As the days turned into weeks, and with no word from Eddie, his family grew increasingly concerned and reported him missing later that summer. Friends of Eddie later informed the police that they had seen him with Dahmer at various clubs in Milwaukee. The last time they were reportedly seen together was at a birthday party on June 22, 1990; Eddie was not seen again after leaving the party with Dahmer. The initial investigation into his disappearance yielded few leads, and for a time, his case remained one of many unsolved missing persons files.
The horrifying truth of what happened to Eddie, and many other young men, began to surface in 1991 with the arrest of Jeffrey Dahmer. During his subsequent confession, Dahmer admitted to the murders of numerous young men, and he named Edward Warren Smith as one of his victims. Dahmer claimed to have strangled Eddie, and investigators believe that his remains were destroyed, which is why they have never been recovered. Dahmer was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Eddie and his other victims. The case of Edward Warren Smith is a tragic story of a young life cut short and a family left without the closure of laying their loved one to rest. It serves as a somber reminder of the many lives impacted by the horrific acts of a serial killer. Although his body was never found, the confession of his killer brought a grim resolution to his missing person case, confirming the fears of his loved ones.Last Seen: Jun 14, 1990