An Ohio man was excused from jury service after mentioning that he was a childhood friend of the famed cannibalistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

John Backderf was among prospective jurors being screened last week by a judge in Cleveland.

When asked if he'd known anyone convicted of a crime, Backderf responded: "I had a close friend in high school who killed 17 people."

The Plain Dealer reported that the answer caused the judge to freeze and lawyers to drop their pens.

Backderf then explained how he knew Dahmer, who was also raised in northeast Ohio.

Backderf is a graphic novelist preparing to publish "My Friend Dahmer." He was dismissed from the jury list.

Dahmer confessed to killing and dismembering men and boys in Milwaukee, and was convicted for his heinous crimes. He was killed by a Wisconsin prison inmate in 1994.

Source: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

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