Joyce Dahmer, who was previously wed to notorious serial murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, has lived a life forever marred by the horrific legacy of her son’s atrocities. Joyce was born on December 7, 1936, and she saw her son fall into darkness, as well as the horrific deeds that transpired.
Their lives were irrevocably altered by Jeffrey Dahmer’s reputation as the Milwaukee Cannibal. Examining her life and experiences gives us a terrifying look into the fallout from unfathomable tragedy and how it affects a mother’s existence forever.
Is Joyce Dahmer Still Alive?
In the year 2000, Joyce Dahmer, who was the mother of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, passed away due to breast cancer. In the state of California, where she worked as a case manager for an HIV community center, she was recalled as a loving and sensitive person.
Joyce Kept in Contact With Jeffrey in Prison
Dahmer eventually confessed to the deaths of two more individuals, but he was found guilty in 1992 of killing fifteen boys and men between 1978 and 1991. In August of 1995, she told columnist Bill Janz at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “When I think of what Jeff did, I stop breathing.” According to the Journal Sentinel, Joyce spoke by phone with her son around once a week while he was incarcerated.
“I said to him, I asked him, ‘Do you still have these urges?'” she told the Journal Sentinel. “He said, ‘Yes, Mom, I’m so glad I’m locked up. I’d be afraid what I’d do if I weren’t locked up.'”
Joyce announced to the Journal Sentinel that she would be moving in with her younger son, David, who had gone to a different city and changed his identity after his brother’s arrest. However, things didn’t work out, so she relocated to Fresno, California, the Journal Sentinel said.
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Joyce Called Her Son a ‘Victim of a Compulsion’
In a 1993 interview, Joyce referred to her son as the “victim of a compulsion, an obsession.” Joyce claimed that although her son’s actions were pinned on her, she does not accept responsibility.” “Intellectually, I know that I have done an excellent job as a parent. I knew this had to come from something outside of Jeff … we still do blame mothers,” she remarked.
She believed that therapy would help her son and that researching Jeffrey’s case would help society as a whole. “He’s not a monster. He’s a human being. And I think he deserves some help,” she said.
She added that her son’s actions had caused her to feel “guilt” and “torment.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Janz claimed that Joyce informed him over the phone, referring to the living family of his son’s victims, “I’ll be tormented in agony for eternity, just like they are.”
She stated, “I want something useful to come from this nightmare,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. With all the evil that befell everyone, “I haven’t seen one speck of light with all the horror that happened to everyone.” It’s the only thing I have left to do to help Jeff.
