Children are influenced by their parents, and when Jeffrey Dahmer was first intrigued with anatomy his father encouraged him. Dahmer’s father Lionel Dahmer believed it was a harmless fixation at first, not knowing what the future held for his son. 

At age seven Dahmer and his father Lionel would go driving and pick up roadkill. Together they would dissect the animal and discuss how similar the anatomy was to humans. Lionel was just proud that young Dahmer finally found something that interests him.   

Dahmer’s mother, Joyce Flint (formally known as Joyce Dahmer), suffered from postpartum psychosis, experiencing symptoms such as extreme confusion, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations.  As shown in the show, Lionel Dahmer did not understand the severity of Joyce’s mental illnesses and this drove a wedge between the two; causing Dahmer’s isolated behavior to be more prominent and Dahmer was shown to be angry and distant from his mother.

Over the years researchers have been asking, “who was Jeffrey Dahmer?” But what people should start with is: Who is Lionel Dahmer? Lionel Dahmer continued to raise Dahmer after Joyce Flint left, the series shows how Lionel was trying to teach Dahmer things he thought he should know and with that, he accidentally raised a serial killer. Despite the history of his son’s heinous crimes, Lionel led a normal life. 

Millbrook English teacher Megan Fonke-Fritz actually met Lionel Dahmer. Mrs. Fritz says, “Mr. D–this is what he asked us to call him to not draw attention to his last name and the connection to Jeffrey–was my biology substitute teacher in 2008 at Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio.” Lionel was 72 at the time. Now 86, Lionel is continuing his life as normal as he can, over time he has published books; one of which is titled “A father’s Story.” In this book Lionel discusses Jeffrey’s early life and things he might have contributed to him becoming a serial killer. 

Mrs. Fritz discussed how she grew up in the town next to where Jeffrey Dahmer committed his crimes; “The people in my hometown frequently discuss his case because Jeffrey Dahmer grew up not too far from us (his high school–Revere High School–was about 20 miles away from ours).” It’s weird how small the world actually is, in a different time Fritz could have come in contact with Dahmer.  

Humanities teacher,Phillip Watkinswas a Junior in high school during Dahmer’s first trial.

“I did not know much about his parents, only what I remember researching,” Watkins said. “I found that his parents were not a constant presence in his life like the series is portraying. I remember Dahmer being more alone. There was emphasis on a certain dog that he tortured, killed and lot decompose behind his childhood house. While doing research in high school (32 years ago) I don’t remember anything about the roadkill that is in the series. Of course, most of that could have come out to the public after I did my research on him. I did my research in 1992, a few months after he was arrested.”

Of the 2022 show’s accuracy, Watkins said, “I think it has been over-dramatized to attract viewers. Was what he did weird? Heck yes, but I think as a nation we are desensitized to blood, gore and violence. Just look at what is shown on Law and Order.” I honestly agree with Mr.Watkins if I had seen the show or the news back in 1994 I would have been more shocked.

Director Ryan Murphy’s approach on the show was interesting, it helped me form these questions. I like how this show is very specific with how the victims were feeling, but I can’t help but think: What was going on in Dahmer’s head? 

Millbrook senior and true-crime fan Jailyn Madriz Ramirez said she liked how the show told the story of the victims. “However, .I don’t think that they really told the story 100% correctly because all they were doing was trying to find reasons why Dahmer ended up the way he did, I don’t think they accurately told the story because they tried to make us (the viewers) believe that his parents are the people who made him that way, when honestly he would have ended up that way regardless.”