How Did Jeffrey Dahmer Die?
Netflix's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" has taken over the internet, with true crime fanatics asking one question the series doesn't answer: What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer? (Not to mention what happened to his brother David, mom Joyce and dad Lionel).
The dramatization follows the serial killer, portrayed by Evan Peters, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who was convicted of murdering 15 boys and men between the years of 1978 and 1991, including Tony Hughes and Konerak Sinthasomphone.
Since its release on Sept. 21, the 10-episode Netflix series has risen to the No. 1 position on the streaming service — but the depiction of Dahmer’s crimes is causing controversy, with one victim's family member calling the series “harsh and careless" in an interview with Insider.
Speaking to the Guardian in October, Hughes said she didn’t understand how the TV show was possible. “I don’t see how they can do that,” Hughes said. “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.”
Each episode of "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" takes viewers from the convicted killer's childhood and growing up, through gruesome murders and his trial.
The show nears its end with Dahmer in prison and the reaction from the public and fellow inmates following his highly publicized trial. The series ends with his death in 1994 and a subsequent legal battle between his parents over the preservation of Dahmer's brain.
Not everything surrounding Dahmer's death in prison was included in the Netflix series. Here's what the show, created by Ryan Murphy, leaves out.
How did Jeffrey Dahmer die?
Dahmer, who was 34 at the time of his death, was attacked and killed at a Wisconsin prison on Nov. 29, 1994, according to the New York Times.
He reportedly died of "massive head injuries," according to Michael Sullivan, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, per the New York Times, which he likely received between 7:50 and 8:10 a.m. Dahmer was found in a pool of blood near the toilets at the Columbia Correctional Institution, the publication reported.
The Times also reported that a bloodied broomstick was found nearby.
Dahmer's killer and fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver, revealed to the New York Post in 2015 why he took the murderer's life. The now 53-year-old said Dahmer would "he would fashion severed limbs out of prison food to taunt the other inmates."
“He crossed the line with some people — prisoners, prison staff. Some people who are in prison are repentant — but he was not one of them," he told the publication.
After his death, there was debate over what to do with his brain
Dahmer's parents were divided over what to do with his body — specifically, his brain, which was was preserved in formaldehyde for a year.
His mother Joyce wanted his brain to be studied to see if biological factors played a role in his behavior, she told the Journal Sentinel in 1995. His father Lionel wanted his brain to be cremated, per his son's wishes, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ultimately, the brain was cremated.
Where is Christopher Scarver now?
Scarver was initially imprisoned for another killing of a worker at Wisconsin Conservation Corps in 1990. In 1995, Scarver received two additional life sentences plus 30 years for the murder of Dahmer and another inmate, Jesse Anderson.
He remains in prison serving multiple life sentences, but is now a self-published poet. Scarver now spends his time writing songs, music, short stories, poetry and prison protocols, according to the Amazon bio for his 2015 poetry collection, as well as creating art.
"(Scarver's) purpose is to earn an education and create a second chance for those who want one in the current American prison system," the bio reads.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
