Lionel Dahmer, the father of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, died in a hospice center in Ohio at the age of 87.
The local health department confirmed he passed away from unknown causes while he was receiving care in Medina County, Ohio, according to the New York Post. Lionel was a chemical analyst that remained in his son’s corner, in spite of the fact that Jeffrey went on to kill 17 people in a series of heinous, cannibalistic crimes. “I still love my son. I’ll always stick by him – I always have,” he told Oprah in 1994, according to The New York Times.
Lionel Dahmer, the father of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, has passed away at the age of 87 in hospice care in Ohio. pic.twitter.com/6PyvK6t0rP
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Lionel was a father of two, and was thrown into the spotlight due to the world’s fascination with his son’s murderous past. Jeffrey became known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, and his name became synonymous with some of the most heinous crimes.
Life became more challenging for Lionel after Netflix dropped a series about Jeffrey’s life and criminal history. Fans would show up at his door acting, “hostile and aggressive,” and would convey their obsession, or their deep disdain for Jeffrey.
“Anything Dahmer-related blows up. It seems like every time a movie or series comes out, that’s when a lot of the crazy starts happening with the fanboys and the fan girls,” Lionel’s caretaker, Jeb, said to The New York Post.
Lionel’s love for his son was unconditional. He tried to understand what led him to become a criminal, and examined their lives to determine what may have prompted his son to travel such a dark path.
Lionel Dahmer, the father of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, dies at 87 years old.
In his 1994 book, “A Father’s Story,” Lionel Dahmer attempted to figure out how his son turned into the monster who killed and dismembered 17 men and boyshttps://t.co/oRRD4EIxna
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) December 6, 2023
He wrote a book called “A Father’s Story” which detailed how he raised his son, and what his childhood was like. Lionel admitted to being aware of Jeffrey’s aimless nature, his fascination with dead animal corpses, and his heavy drinking problem. He said he tried to normalize his son’s lifestyle but at no point saw any signs that would make him believe Jeffrey was capable of murder, according to The New York Post. (RELATED: REPORT: Mother Of Murdered Dahmer Victim Slams Evan Peters’ Portrayal Of The Killer)
“He was at the extreme of the continuum. I couldn’t at first understand how he could have done those things,” Lionel said.
Lionel routinely traveled to prison to visit his son until he was savagely beaten to death by fellow prisoner Christopher Scarver, in 1994.