Jeffrey Dahmer's Father Lionel Dead at 87

Lionel Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's father, Lionel Dahmer, has died at age 87.

Lionel died while in hospice care in Ohio, a source close to his family told The U.S. Sun. A Medina County Health Department employee was notified of his death on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Although Lionel's cause of death has not been released, the U.S. Sun source said he had been in hospice care since October. His wife, Shari, died on Jan. 13 this year at 81.

Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey tortured and murdered 17 men and boys; he was killed in prison, where he was serving 16 consecutive life sentences, in 1994.

Lionel publicly defended his son when his crimes came to light, suggesting that Jeffrey's difficult childhood combined with mental illness were to blame for the murders. In 1994, before Jeffrey was murdered, Lionel published a memoir titled A Father’s Story.

He also appeared with Jeffrey for an MSNBC interview when Jeffrey was in prison. "I feel very close to Jeff, and it's going to continue until our death," he told Stone Phillips in 1994. "And I feel good about it."

During a November 2022 interview with Dr. Phil, the elder Dahmer shared foreboding signs during Jeffrey's childhood that he may have missed, including fascination with dead animals.

Netflix released Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a dramatized retelling of Jeffrey's horrific crimes, in September 2022. Lionel was played by Richard Jenkins, and Jeffrey was portrayed by Evan Peters.

Last year, Lionel's assistant told The U.S. Sun he was looking into suing Netflix for failing to contact Lionel about the series.

“Everyone is saying that if there was zero correspondence you seek damages," the assistant reportedly said. "There was zero care whatsoever about Lionel’s wellbeing.”

Next: Penn Badgley Calls Out Netflix for Making Jeffrey Dahmer Sexy