Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s younger brother, David Dahmer, was reportedly over seven years younger than him and was also named by the serial killer. His birth, as shown in the pop culture representations of Jeffrey’s life, was a significant turning point in his elder brother’s life. According to Distractify, Jeffrey’s status as an only child changed when David was born.
Their family lived in Bath, Ohio, when David Dahmer was born in 1967. From what little is known of his life now, he chooses to be primarily private. David does not wish for his name to be used in the public. Per the outlet, he changed his name and hoped the media would not disturb him. However, in June 2004, his stepmother said on television that he was married and having a good life. He was reportedly expecting a second child at that time.
Jeffrey and David Dahmer’s parents also said that the brothers were close to each other as children. Although the latter was extroverted and outgoing while Jeffrey was more introspective, they respected each other. According to their stepmother, Jeffrey never directed his outbursts of anger toward David. However, many portrayals suggest that Jeffrey Dahmer resented his brother for the kind of attention he got from the family.
As of now, little is known about David Dahmer and his current life. Moreover, his current whereabouts are unknown.
Why were David and Jeffrey Dahmer separated?
When David Dahmer was born, their parents’ marriage was already facing complications. Their parents, Joyce and Lionel, were fighting frequently. Their mother’s abuse of medication and her belief in UFOs were allegedly some of the central reasons for the differences. David was 12 years old, and Jeffrey was 18 years old when their parents officially separated. While there was significant conflict over who would have custody of David, the lack of attention towards Jeffrey reportedly affected him, as per ELLE.
Citing Brian Masters’ 1993 biography, The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer, TODAY.com mentioned, “There was much discussion and worry over who should have custody of David and where he would live, but no thought was ever given as to what should happen to Jeff, or where he would be expected to live,”
After being separated from his brother, David Dahmer, and his mother, Jeffrey only had a solid relationship with his father. The two brothers didn’t come into contact for a long time after that. In 1991, when Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested for the first time, David graduated from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. According to ELLE, he then reportedly cut off contact with Jeffrey Dahmer. He also never appeared in the trial hearings or other important court proceedings.
While many believe that Jeffrey Dahmer‘s feelings of abandonment were a result of him competing for attention with his brother and might be the cause of his outbursts and heinous crimes, many experts claim that the events weren’t out of the ordinary or brutal enough to justify his crimes. Moreover, the fact that David Dahmer didn’t wish to give any information regarding their childhood and has requested respect for his privacy makes it difficult to say anything solid about the relationship between the siblings.
What did Jeffrey Dahmer do to his brother David Dahmer?
Per a report by TODAY.com, Masters wrote in The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer that David Dahmer once watched his brother conduct an animal dissection. He reportedly knew about the animal graveyard but believed that his brother had been doing good work by burying the dead. Masters noted, “David Dahmer knew about the animal graveyard and thought his brother was ‘doing a good service’ by burying dead creatures.” However, Jeffrey’s father and stepmother alleged that the serial killer never directed his negative emotions toward his brother, reported Distractify.
Later on, Jeffrey Dahmer confessed to killing and raping 17 young men and boys in the 13 years preceding 1991. He drugged men, lured them home, and strangled them. The serial killer also allegedly masturbated on their corpses and stored their body parts at home. Moreover, The New York Times reported that he ate some of the body parts. However, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The following year, he changed his plea to guilty, per another report by The New York Times. Although the defense tried to prove his insanity, the jury rejected their claims.
In November 1994, Jeffrey Dahmer had been serving 16 consecutive life sentences for 16 murders of young men. However, he was beaten to death and killed in prison by Christopher Scarver. He was on cleaning duty in the Columbia Correctional Institute gymnasium in Portage, Wisconsin, when he was killed alongside another inmate, per Independent.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a Netflix series that explores the childhood and subsequent crimes of the serial killer, who is also known by the name The Milwaukee Cannibal. The series sheds light on the serial killer’s childhood and how his life with his parents and brother David Dahmer affected him.
