Unlike many other killers, Jeffreys parents were not abusive. Joyce had some relatively mild psychological problems, but Lionel tried to be as loving a father as possible, struggling to reach his quiet and isolated son. As a small child, Jeff seemed happy enough, playing with his dog or riding his bike, but was fascinated with death.
When he was 16, he had already become an alcoholic and showing signs of what his future would hold. He had an intense interest in chemistry and in torturing and dismembering animals.
When Dahmer was 18 years old, he committed his first murder. He picked up a hitchhiker and killed him rather spontaneously in June of 1979. Relevant or not, the year before his parents divorced.
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