Brendan Dassey, Jeffrey Dahmer among those held at Wisconsin's Columbia Correctional (2024)

PORTAGE -More than 200 years ago, it was a strip of land that determined Portage’s fate.

In the 1800s, fur traders, missionaries, Native Americans and explorers used the Wisconsin and Fox rivers to reach the vast waterways of St. Lawrence and Mississippi. As the travelers switched from river to river, the lush land between them acted as a port, and from this, the small city sprung.

The city came to be known for attractionssuch as: the Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters; one of the state’s first houses in the Indian Agency House, where the government's liaison to the Ho-Chunk tribe lived in the early 1800s;homes to two Pulitzer Prize winners at Society Hill; and a bustling downtown, according to the City of Portage’s website.

A different kind of notoriety continues up main thoroughfares to where state highways, marked by stretches of conifers and green fields, give way to ared brick building surrounded by fences topped with circular wires.

Situated on 110 acres of land, Columbia Correctional Institution is one of Wisconsin’s nearly 20 correctional institutions. The maximum-security men’s prison opened in 1986 andhas 500 maximum-security cells, as well as 150 beds inminimum-security units, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Although it may seem innocuous enough from the outside, over the years, the institution has been home to some of the state’s most horrific murderers. For some inmates, it also became the place where fate met them.

Jesse Anderson

Taking the life of his wife brought Jesse Anderson to Columbia Correctional Institution. It would also be where he would lose his own.

Born in Alton, Illinois, in 1957, Anderson grew up in a middle-class neighborhood and lost his father during his early teen years, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives. His mother later remarried a man whom Anderson did not get along with, according to a neighbor, and soon after he graduated high school, Anderson moved from the town.

Following a marriage and divorce in the early 1980s, Anderson married his next wife, Barbara, in 1985, and in 1986, he and Barbara moved to Wisconsin — later settling in Cedarburg, a city of about 11,000 people a little more than20 miles north of Milwaukee, where he worked as a salesperson.The couple raised their three children in Cedarburg.

Those who knew Anderson described him as a family man, and he and Barbara’s marriage as “ideal,” according to the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives.

But, on April 21, 1992, those opinions would be effaced when Jesse Anderson stabbed Barbara Anderson at least 21 times in the upper body, face and head after dinner and a movie at Milwaukee’s Northridge Mall, according to the Chicago Tribune. He then stabbed himself four times in the chest, claiming that it was two black men who did it; all but one wound was superficial.Two days after the stabbing, Barbara Anderson died in the hospital at age 33.

Nearly immediately, police began questioning Anderson’s version of events. After being told his wife didn’t make it, he told them to donate her organs as was her wish, and refused to see her before or after she was taken off life support. The most emotion he displayed was when doctors said they wanted to perform an autopsy before donating her organs, and when people said they doubted his story, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives.

Other evidence began to build against him. The Los Angeles Clippers hat left behind at the scene byone of the perpetrators was seen being bought by Anderson himself in the days before. The knife used was also seen being purchased by him. A year earlier, he had taken out a $250,000 life insurance policy on his wife, and in the month before her death, checked to make sure it was still active. The violent nature of the crime suggested it was one of passion — not just a random attack, according to archives.

Less than a week after the stabbing, Anderson was arrested for the murder of Barbara Anderson, and on Sept.29,1992, sentenced to at least 60 years in prison, according to the Racine Journal Times.

He began serving his sentence at Columbia Correctional Institution. Two years later, on Nov. 28, 1994, while he and Jeffrey Dahmer cleaned the bathrooms, fellow inmate Christopher Scarver beat them both with a metal bar, according to The Independent. Anderson died at University of Wisconsin Hospital on Nov. 30, 1994, at age 37, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Jeffrey Dahmer

Milwaukee Monster. Milwaukee Cannibal. These names are synonymous with one of the nation’s most horrific killers: Jeffrey Dahmer.

Dahmer was born in Milwaukee to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer on May 21, 1960. According to Biography, the birth of his younger brother, surgery for a double hernia at the age of 6and “frequent moves” caused the once energetic Dahmer to become more withdrawn, which may have been furthered by his parents’ bitter divorce in his teens.

Around the age of 14, Dahmer said he began to have compulsions for murder and necrophilia, and at the age of 18, he committed his first murder when he picked up hitchhiker Steven Hicks, took him to his home, and plied him with alcohol. As he tried to leave, Dahmer beat and strangled Hicks with a barbell, and laterdismembered Hicks’ body.

Over the next few years, Dahmer’s drinking intensified, he dropped out of Ohio State University, and was discharged from the Army after serving about two years, according to Biography. Those who knew him said he became aggressive when drinking, according to Vanity Fair. He was also arrested multiple times, and frequented bath houses, where he drugged men and was later banned, according to Vanity Fair.

Nearly 10 years after his first murder, Dahmer checked into a hotel with Steven Dumoi, and when he woke up, he found he had murdered the man. With a suitcase, he took the man to his grandmother’s home — where he was living — and dismembered him. Two more victims followed in Dumoi’s wake at Dahmer’s grandmother’s Wisconsin home before she kicked him out for behavior not tied to the murders, according to Biography.

In 1989, Dahmer was charged with second-degree sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old boy, andsentenced to one year in prison, with the ability to leave its confines and go to work at a local chocolate factory. Prior to being sentenced, he took another victim: Anthony Sears, according to Biography.

Following his time in prison and a brief stint at his grandmother’s, Dahmer moved into his own apartment and his killingsrecommenced, jumping from “four to 17” victims, according to Biography. There, he sexually assaulted them, took pictures of dead bodies, attempted lobotomies, and stored body parts in a freezer and a large barrel — some of which he reportedly ate.

To get away with killing so many, he targeted those on society’s fringes, and often those in the African American community, as well as those who hung out at establishments frequented by those who were gay. In May 1991, he was nearly caught when a 14-year-old boy — the brother of a boy he molested — was seen running down the street from Dahmer’s apartment. When police arrived, the boy tried to tell police he escaped, but they instead believed Dahmer, who said the boy was “his 19-year-old lover,” according to Biography. Police escorted the boy back to Dahmer’s apartment, where he was murdered.

Two months later, another man ran from the apartment and was intercepted by police. With a handcuff dangling from his wrist, he told police of being drugged and restrained by Dahmer. When they arrived at the apartment, they found pictures of refrigerators and jars full of body parts, as well as pictures of dismembered bodies.

Dahmer was arrested and confessed to killing 17 men: Joseph Bradehoft, James Doxtator, Richard Guerrero, Steven Hicks, Tony Anthony Hughes, Oliver Lacy, Errol Lindsey, Ernest Miller, Anthony Sears, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Edward Smith, Raymond Smith, Curtis Straughter, David Thomas, Steven Tuomi, Matt Turner and Jeremiah Weinberger, according to Vanity Fair.

He pleaded guilty by reason of insanity to 15 murders, but the jury found him guilty without being insane. He was sentenced to 15 life sentences and incarcerated in Portage, according to The Washington Post.

More than three years after his arrest, he was bludgeoned to death by Scarver, along with Anderson.

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Christopher Scarver

Christopher Scarver became notorious not for the crime that landed him at Columbia Correctional, but for the ones he committed while there.

Scarver was born on July 6, 1969, in Milwaukee, in a household that grew to have four other children. In 11th grade, he dropped out of James Madison High School to become a “carpenter trainee” through the Conservation Corps job program, according to The New York Times.

While in the program, he was told that upon completion, he would get a full-time job by the supervisor. However, when the supervisor was “dismissed,” the deal fell through and Scarver blamed Site Manager John Feyen, according to The New York Times.

With the job no longer available, Scarver began drinking heavily and smoking marijuana daily; his mom also made him leave home, according to The New York Times. He heard a family of voices thattold him he “was the son of God” and “the chosen one.”

On June 1, 1990, Scarver followed the voices and returned to the workplace to demand money from Feyen. Feyen stated he had no money and, in response, Scarver shot another worker who was present — Steve Lohman — in the head to show his seriousness. He shot Lohman four times in total and forced Feyen to write a $3,000 check.

Police found Scarver that night sitting on his girlfriend’s porch, where he told them he’d “planned to turn himself in because he knew done wrong,” according to The New York Times. In 1992, he was sentenced to life in prison, and imprisoned at Columbia Correctional Institution, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives.

While there, Scarver developed negative feelings towardtwo inmates — Dahmer and Anderson. Dahmer crafted human limbs out of food from the cafeteria, coating them with ketchup, said Scarver in an interview with the New York Post in 2015. Scarver described him as “unrepentant,” and said that he tried not to interact with Dahmer as to not be targeted by him.

As for Anderson, Scarver claimedhe defaced a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. by placing a dot of blood in the center of the civil rights leader’s forehead, which led Scarver to believe Anderson was a racist, he said. His anger was also fueled by Anderson telling law enforcement his wife had been stabbed by two black men, according to the New York Post.

These tensions came to a head on Nov. 28, 1994, as the trio of Scarver, Dahmer and Anderson were assigned to clean bathrooms unshackled and relatively unsupervised. Scarver said he felt his back poked by a mop, and found Dahmer and Anderson chuckling.

As the men split up to clean, Scarver followed Dahmer. From the weight room, Scarver took a 5-pound metal bar and confronted Dahmer with a newspaper article he kept in his pocket detailingDahmer’s crimes, asking if he had done acts described. As Dahmer tried to leave, Scarver beat him in the head, killing him. Walking to the locker room, Scarver then beat Anderson, according to the New York Post.

Scarver was sentenced to serve an additional two life sentences, and, after multiple prison transfers, as of 2015, was being held at Centennial Correctional Facility, according to the New York Post.

James Oswald

A string of robberies that resulted in the murder of a police officer landed James Oswald in Columbia Correctional Institution.

Born on March 4, 1945, James Oswald worked as an accountant for many years before he and his son, Theodore, became known in the state for robbing banks in Wisconsinand Illinois.

The decision to rob banks came as a result of not being able to find jobs, according to the Racine Journal Times, and their belief that doing so would allow them to avoid “becoming ‘slaves’ in a system they viewed as ‘fascist’ and bent on making them ‘disarmed peasants,’” according to the Chicago Tribune. Their far-right beliefs included touches of theories from Frederich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, and Norse mythology. They spoke of attacking Warren Buffet, and discussed Waco.

To train, the pair practiced at their farm in Watertown, and bought weapons, including those that could be used to “assault an armored car,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

Their robberies began on Feb. 12, 1993, at Medical Systems Credit Union based out of Waukesha, with another one following on Dec. 30, 1993, at Brookfield’s Landmark Credit Union. Evidence found in their home linked them to “at least five hold-ups” in 1993 in the state, as well as to kidnapping a businessman in Minnesota, according to the Racine Journal Times.

On April 28,1994, dressed in body armor, the Oswalds robbed Wales’ Bank One branch of $14,000, and were chased by Waukesha Police Capt.James Lutz and another officer. When the police attempted to stop the car, the pair shot and killed Lutz, who Oswald later said was killed by another officer, according the Racine Journal Times.

After killing Lutz, the Oswalds ditched their getaway vehicle at a Pewaukee printing shop, and shot out the patio door of a home to break in. The woman inside was forced to drive the Oswalds into police gunfire and,before the van hit a tree, she jumped out of the car “with a shoulder wound,” according to the Racine Journal Times.Dozens of police officers waited for the Oswalds after the impact.

The two appeared in court with injuries. James Oswald listened to the judge from a gurney, and later defended himself in his trial from a wheelchair, according to the Racine Journal Times.

During the trial, Oswald was said to have winked at Lutz’s wife, Diane, who sat in the front row throughout proceedings.

Family members claimed that the Oswalds acted as part of a larger group, but no connections were found, according to the Chicago Tribune. In total, Oswald was convicted of 20 charges — including one charge of first-degree intentional homicide, nine charges of attempted intended homicide, and three charges of robbery, according to the Racine Journal Times.He was sentenced to two life terms, with an additional 625 years. His son received two life terms and an additional 565 years, according to the Associated Press.

Throughout his term, he has stayed in multiple Wisconsin prisons, including Columbia Correctional Institution. He is currently in Wisconsin Secure Program Facility in Boscobel, according to Wisconsin Offender Locator.

Brendan Dassey

Convicted as party to the murder of Teresa Halbach, Brendan Dassey became known outside Wisconsin when his story was profiled in the Netflix documentary series“Making a Murderer.”

Born on Oct., 19, 1989, to Peter and Barb Dassey (now Janda), Dassey grew up in Manitowoc County with his brothers Bobby, Blaineand Bryanand his half-brother Brad, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives. Like many teenagers, he enjoyed watching “WrestleMania” and playing video games, according to Complex.

However, on Oct. 31,2005, his life diverged onto a different path from the typical adolescentwhen Halbach was murdered. His uncle, Steven Avery, had called Halbach, 25, to the Avery Salvage Yard to take a photo of a minivan for Auto Trader magazine. Three days later, she was reported missing, and on Nov. 25, her car was found on the property, according to Forbes.

In addition to Halbach’s Toyota RAV4, law enforcement found bone fragments in a burn pit matching Halbach, as well as teeth. In the RAV4, officials found blood matching Avery, and in his home, Halbach’s keys.

Over a series of interrogations, Dassey’s story changed from being called over to Avery’s house to have a bonfire, to Avery telling Dassey to assault Halbach as she was tied up in Avery’s bed. Avery then took her outside and stabbed her, telling Dassey to do the same, before shooting her, he said in an interrogation, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Netflix series called into question these interrogations, asDassey was interviewed multiple timeswithout a lawyer or parents present, even though he was a minor, and his IQ is believed to be around 70, which is on the border of “intellectual disability,” according to Rolling Stone.The documentary also stateshe was coerced into making the confession and led by the investigators’ questions.

In March 2006, Dassey was arrested, and despite recanting his confession, in August 2007,found guilty of party to the crimes of: first-degree intentional homicide; mutilation of a corpse; and second-degree sexual assault. He is sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2048, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives. That same year, he began serving his time in Columbia Correctional, and for a time also served in Dodge Correctional and Green Bay Correctional, according to Wisconsin’s Offender Search.

Since the documentary aired, Dassey’s new lawyers from the Center on Wrongful Confessions of Youth, Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider, stated his constitutional rights had been violated “because false promises were made during interrogations” and his confession was involuntary because of his age, intellectual abilities and lack of a parent present, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives.

A federal magistrate overturned his guilty conviction in 2016, but a day before he was to be released from jail on bond, that was overturned by a higher court. In 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago once again overturned his conviction, but he was not released and his conviction was later reinstated, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin archives. His petition to have his case reviewed by the Supreme Court was denied in June 2018.

Dassey was transferred in April 2019 to Oshkosh Correctional Institution, which is a medium-security facility, according to Wisconsin's Offender Search.

Alison Dirr, Shane Nyman and Andy Thompson contributed to this report.

Contact Sarah Razner at 920-907-7909 or srazner@gannett.com.Follow her on Twitter @misssarahrazner.

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