Many fans of “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” Netflix’s hit dramatization about the life of the renowned serial killer, are left wondering what became of the real-life inspirations for the individuals they saw on screen.
While Dahmer’s father Lionel has opened up about his life as the parent of a serial killer in a book and a documentary set to be released in 2020, his brother David has changed his name and seemingly vanished from public view.
Since her son’s death in 1994 and a disagreement with his father over what to do with his remains in 1995, Dahmer’s mother Joyce, who held a master’s degree in counseling, has stayed out of the spotlight. The facts regarding Joyce Dahmer are as follows.
It Was in 1959 when Lionel Dahmer Wed Joyce Flint
According to Brian Masters’s 1993 book “The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer,” Joyce, born Annette Joyce Flint and also known as “Rocky,” married Lionel Herbert Dahmer on August 22, 1959. She fell pregnant shortly after their wedding, and her biography states that she experienced morning sickness and muscle stiffness.
Lionel included his wife’s symptoms in his biography “A Father’s Story.” Lionel stated that Dahmer had Phenobarbital and morphine injected to relieve the muscle spasms, and he wondered if this had any effect on Dahmer’s problematic conduct.
Psychiatrists informed Joyce she couldn’t be blamed for her son’s behavior, but she “always wondered” why he turned out the way he did, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
On May 21, 1960, Joyce gave birth to their son Jeffrey, and Masters gushed about him, saying, “Lionel and Joyce were charmed by him.” According to “A Father’s Story,” Joyce was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after the birth of their second child, David.
In 1978, the Dahmers filed for divorce, with each spouse accusing the other of “gross dereliction of duty and excessive cruelty.” After a lengthy custody fight, Joyce was awarded legal custody of David, while Jeffrey and his almost-18-year-old stepmother Shari continued to raise him in their home.
Joyce Said He Was “a Victim of A Compulsion”
Joyce described her son in an interview with Hard Copy from 1993 as “a victim of a compulsion, an obsession.”
When asked if she took responsibility for her son’s actions, Joyce responded she did not. “My head tells me I did a fine job bringing up my kids. I realized this had to originate from somebody outside of Jeff … we still do blame mothers,” she added.
She felt that treatment could help her son, and that the study of Jeffrey’s case would be beneficial to society as a whole. “No, he’s not some kind of evil genius. This guy is a real live human being. He needs assistance, and I believe he deserves it “in her words
Because of what her son did, she felt “guilt” and “torment,” she added. According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Janz, Joyce informed him over the phone that he would suffer eternal torment alongside the surviving family members of his son’s victims.
I hope that good can come out of this nightmare,” she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. With all the tragedy that has befallen everyone, I have not witnessed even a single glimmer of hope. The only thing left for me to do for Jeff.
Read More: Has Jeffrey Dahmer Eaten His Brother?
After Jeffrey’s Death, Joyce and Lionel Fought for His Brain
When fellow convict Christopher Scarver attacked and killed Jeffrey in a Wisconsin jail in 1994, Lionel and Joyce fought over who would get custody of Jeffrey’s body. At the time of his death, Dahmer’s body was cremated, but his brain was preserved in formaldehyde.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Lionel wanted Dahmer’s brain incinerated while Joyce wanted it examined by doctors to determine if biological reasons played a role in his murders. The Times reported in 1995 that a judge had ordered Dahmer’s brain to be burned.