When Jeffrey Dahmer was younger, his birth parents, Lionel and Joyce Dahmer, acknowledged that they were unaware of his mental state and homicidal tendencies but have been upfront about their son’s upbringing ever since.
Jeffrey Dahmer parents: Meet Lionel Dahmer, Joyce Dahmer
Lionel and Joyce believe that they reared Jeffrey in a traditional home and that, unlike many serial killers, he was not harmed as a child despite their separation and subsequent divorce.
Jeffrey’s father Lionel acknowledged in his book A Father’s Story that he was mostly absent throughout his son’s formative years because he was a PhD student pursuing a degree in chemistry at the time.
The new Netflix series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Series” has brought fresh attention to the 17 victims of the infamous serial killer, as well as to his father Lionel Dahmer, brother David Dahmer, and brother David Dahmer (who later assumed a different identity).
Lionel Dahmer is portrayed by Richard Jenkins in the first episode of the program. He is then brought to the police department, where he is informed of the 17 murders his son is suspected of committing between 1978 and 1991.
