Here is everything you need to know about Where is David Dahmer Now? What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer’s Brother?
Over the years, the surname “Dahmer” has become a name that nobody has been able to forget to this very day because of the dark history that is associated with it. As soon as we hear it, our mind instantly makes us recall the horrendous deeds of the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (a serial killer). A surname that should have been a simple name borne in common by family members has more or less become linked to a serial killer – subsequently making the people, who are sharing the name in the family, referred to as the notorious serial killer’s family now.
Agree with it or not, who would ever want to be seen or known worldwide? Considering the central fact that they did not have to do anything with the criminal’s actions, it is likely that such a disgraceful association could bring unwanted turmoil and attention to the family, ultimately messing with their peace of mind which is already much disturbed.
Thus, it does not come as a surprise that many family members would try to break free of such links and start anew, and it seems like David Dahmer felt the need to do the same.
You need to know all the details about what exactly happened to David Dahmer (Jeffrey Dahmer’s younger brother) and why he disappeared off the earth.
Did Jeffrey Dahmer Have Any Siblings? What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer’s Brother?
When we heard gruesome stories about Jeffrey Dahmer’s disturbing crimes, it probably made many of us (like me) think about his family at some point, too, right? There have been moments when many pertaining questions were running in our minds when we see his murder spree being portrayed on media repeatedly in the forms of movies, television series or documentaries. Such as:
- What was his family background?
- How was his childhood?
- Did he have any brothers or sisters?
- What was his family’s reaction to finding out the truth about the serial killer?
- How are they fending off in their life after the world knowing that they were associated with a psychotic butcher?
However, many of us did not know before the release of Netflix’s newest true crime series, “DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, “that Jeffrey Dahmer had a sibling. Surprisingly enough, the serial killer had a younger brother named David Dahmer.
The series, as mentioned earlier, happens to take a dramatic take on Jeffrey Dahmer’s story – giving them a glimpse of the childhood of a once timid boy who later became a heinous serial killer and depicting the dynamics of the relationship that he had with his family members. For instance, his parents, his grandparents and his little brother, David Dahmer.
As a result, the introduction of Dahmer’s brother and his sudden disappearance in his life raised the curiosity of most viewers, who were unaware that Dahmer even had a sibling seeing that nobody had heard of him.
Who is David Dahmer?
David Dahmer is the younger brother of the American serial killer Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer. Born on December 18, 1966, he is seven years younger than his elder brother – who also happens to be the one who gave him the name David.
However, as sweet as it may sound that an elder sibling named his newly born brother, it seems that the name became a chokehold for David Dahmer – who cut all of his ties with Jeffrey after knowing about his brother’s disgusting crimes in the 90s.
Seeing that:
- He never went to visit his brother in jail.
- He refused to show up for any of his court hearings or trials.
- He never once talked to him or showed any interest in his brother.
To be honest with you all, I do not think we can blame him for that, as it is understandable why he did not want to connect with a mass murderer. It is not an easy pill to swallow that your brother (no matter on what terms they were previously on) killed more than seventeen people and probably would still be going on his murdering spree if he did not get caught.
David Dahmer Name Change:
When Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested for his crimes, his little brother had already graduated from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1991 and was eighteen years old. Finding out that your brother was a murderer at such a crucial age was probably a big blow for him, and thus, his subsequent reaction to “cut all ties” with Jeffrey was more or less expected by many.
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But, what took everyone by surprise was that he went as far as to change his name to get rid of any associations with Milwaukee Monster – which, again, is understandable and is one of the reasons why we do not know much about him.
As per Lionel Dahmer, Jeffrey and David’s father, in a 2004 interview with Larry King,
- By design, the world does not know about David Dahmer as they have “promised to keep him completely secret.”
- Lionel Dahmer also confirmed that, at some point around, David Dahmer also changed his name and is now living off with a new name and identity.
Seeing that David wants to live a peaceful and quiet life, his decision to start anew and keep his personal life private is intelligent; thus, it is evident that we will not know his new name anytime soon.
Jeffrey Dahmer and His Brother Always Had a Rocky Relationship?
It appears that the relationship between both brothers struggled from the very beginning. Not to mention that their parents’ relationship was not great, and they always had countless fights. Adding David to the family made Jeffrey think his parents neglected him as his younger brother got more attention as a newborn.
For that reason, Jeffrey resented his brother, and their contrasting personalities were of no help either, as the serial killer was shy back then while the brother was more outgoing.
According to their father, Lionel Dahmer:
“They enjoyed themselves as brothers, but there was always that seven-year difference in interests. So they weren’t as close as someone one or two years different.”
Besides that,
- Both brothers separated when their parents got divorced in 1978.
- Their mother won custody of David, who was 12 years old then, and took him with her to live in Wisconsin.
- Jeffrey (18), on the other hand, decided to stay behind with his father and grandparents in his family home to graduate from high school. (later that year, he also goes on to kill his first victim as well)
Thus, it seems unlikely that both brothers would have kept in contact after their parents divorced.
Where is David Dahmer Now? Is David Dahmer Still Alive?
Even though nothing much is known of him because of his wish to live a private life, it is safe to say that Jeffrey Dahmer’s younger brother, David Dahmer, is still alive, and he is probably 55 years old now.
The last time we heard of him was from his father and stepmother in a 2004 interview that David is leading a successful life. Shari told the king that:
“He has a career and a family. We’re expecting a second grandchild. Everything is going well.”
In the end, he adds that “he’s pleased” with the life he has formed for himself.
