Early Life of Edward Smith
Edward Warren Smith was born in 1963 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the son of hard-working Americans Walter and Josephine Smith and had 12 siblings. Eddie was raised in a Christian home in Brookfield where he learned how to be a loving, respectful, and trusting human being.
Family and Upbringing
According to his brother J.W., Eddie inherited all the blessings that a strong family structure offers, and the greatest of these blessings was love. Eddie was affectionately referred to as “Sheik” in his area because of the turban-like head covering he frequently wore.
The Night of June 14, 1990
Eddie was last seen on the evening of June 14, 1990, while leaving the Phoenix bar in Milwaukee with Jeffrey Dahmer. Eddie followed Dahmer to his grandmother’s house in West Allis. Dahmer drugged, strangled, and dismembered his body, then immersed the remains in acid.
Eddie’s Disappearance and Aftermath
He was reported missing in June 1990, but there were no leads. Eddie’s family lived in ignorance of their relative’s fate for a year. After his arrest in 1991, Dahmer confessed to killing Eddie. His body was never found, but authorities found photos of Eddie in the killer’s house.
The Trial and Family’s Statements
During the trial, Smith’s family was represented by one of Eddie’s brothers, James Wiley, also known as J.W. He read the statements on behalf of his siblings and their mother.
“Edward is gone and I find comfort in these words whosoever believeth in me shall never die”
-Joseph Patrick
“I’m sure Edward was a friend to Jeffrey Dahmer as he was to us who knew him well I have those pictures in my mind that are running continuously how can anyone comprehend or come to accept that never again in this life will Edward be?”
-Michael Fitzgerald
“The death of Eddie has shown me the injustices in the world today”
-Ernest Richard
“Jeffrey Dahmer has erased a million future memories of me and my
-John Andrew
closest brother.’’
Theresa Smith Statements
“I need to tell my brother that I love him and it hurts thinking about what he could have become.’’
-Teresa
“Will never get over the effects that Jeffrey Dahmer has placed in my mind and forever imprinted in my life may God send Eddie’s soul to rest in peace!’’
-Henry Gale
“Mr. Jeffrey Dahmer took away my best friend my better half my roommate he took away the laughter his biggest dream was to be a model and I hope that one day I can fulfill his dream of being a queen-size model and keep people laughing as much as he did.”
-Carolyn Ann
“I miss you Edward and I love you and maybe now you can finally be at rest.”
-Robert Esther
“It is hard to conceive that a person could take another’s life. It belonged to someone. How can you fix what is broken and replace what is lost.”
-Walter Louis
“This is a tragedy to my family but I still have 12 children to live for in them hopefully I will overcome it.’’
-Josephine
Family’s Desire for Awareness
Eddie’s sister, Carolyn Smith, expressed the family’s desire to let America know about Eddie and what they had been experiencing during the months leading up to the hearing.
Read more: Jeffrey Dahmer’s 6th Victim Raymond Smith
Impact on the Family
After Eddie’s death, his brother Ernest fell into depression. He started drinking and ran into trouble with the law.
Eddie’s Unique Personality
J.W. Smith described Eddie’s style of life as uniquely flamboyant. He was intelligent, witty, and compassionate toward the human race. At the time Eddie’s life was taken from him, he was searching for his place in society.
Challenges in Capturing Eddie’s Life
It’s impossible to summarize 27 years of this young man’s life in a blog. Interestingly, Eddie’s sister Teresa made friends with Dahmer’s father and stepmother. In an interview from 1994, she said, “I don’t hold them responsible for what Jeff did ever.” Teresa also visited Dahmer in jail, where Dahmer apologized to her for what he did to Edward Smith.
Seven of Eddie’s siblings had already died at a young age. His father, Walter, died in 1981, ten years before Eddie’s death. His mother, Josephine, passed away in 1996 at the age of 70. Eddie was 27 years old when he died. Edward Smith was Jeffrey Dahmer’s 7th victim.
