2022 brought with it a macabre surprise: the resurgence of Jeffrey Dahmer in the public consciousness, thanks to Netflix. The series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story not only revived the terrifying story of the Milwaukee cannibal, but also exposed the insensitivity of pop culture, transforming a serial killer into a popular character, for which even many people They came to feel affection.
One of the few who really loved the infamous serial killer was Lionel Dahmer, his father, who died this past Tuesday, December 5, at the age of 87, in a palliative care center in Medina County, in the state of Ohio. However, he has not revealed what the cause of the old man’s death was.
Lionel, born in 1936 in West Allis, Wisconsin, lived a life marked by public scandal after his son’s crimes came to light in 1991. Despite the scope of Jeffrey’s actions, who admitted to killing 17 young men between 1978 and 1991, Lionel continued to show unconditional love for his son.
With a background in chemistry and a career as a chemist at PPG Industries, Lionel Dahmer not only had to face the harsh reality of his son’s actions, but also the turbulence of his personal life, including a troubled marriage to Joyce Flint, Jeffrey’s mother, and their subsequent divorce in 1978. The divorce left Jeffrey, then a teenager, alone and unattended in the family home in Bath Township, Ohio, a situation that coincided with the beginning of Jeffrey’s gruesome murder spree .
If Lionel Dahmer was known for anything, it was for remaining one of his son’s few public defenders, constantly seeking to explain and justify Jeffrey’s actions. In various interviews, including a notable appearance alongside Jeffrey on MSNBC, Lionel expressed her continued support and love for his son, attributing his actions to mental illness and a troubled upbringing. He even went so far as to reveal that he shared with his son an interest in taxidermy, a chilling detail that shed light on the beginnings of Jeffrey’s troubled mind.
Lionel’s life was a constant search for answers and understanding, leading him to write the book A Father’s Story in 1994, where he reflected on his own denial and lack of awareness regarding his son’s actions. His effort to understand and his unwavering love for Jeffrey continued even during monthly visits to his son in prison, until Jeffrey’s death at the hands of a fellow inmate in 1994.
With the death of Lionel, almost three decades after that of his son, a chapter in the history of a family tragically linked to one of the darkest episodes in the criminal history of the United States closes.
Previously, Joyce Flint died of breast cancer on November 27, 2000 in Fresno, California, at the age of 64; while Shari, her second best, passed away on January 13, 2023 in a Medina County nursing home at the age of 81.
However, the Dahmer lineage still continues. David Dahmer, the killer’s younger brother, is still alive. Despite this, David changed his name and has preferred to stay out of the public eye, keeping his new identity private. Therefore, it is not known who he is or what he looks like.