On November 28, 1994, the life of one of history's most infamous serial killers, Jeffrey L. Dahmer, came to a violent end inside the walls of the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. Dahmer, a 34-year-old Male, was bludgeoned to death by a fellow inmate, bringing a final, brutal close to a story that had horrified the nation with its details of murder, cannibalism, and necrophilia. For years, Dahmer had preyed on young men and boys, mostly in Milwaukee, committing gruesome acts that led to his 1992 conviction and 16 life sentences.
Jeffrey Dahmer's reign of terror began with his first murder in 1978 and ended with his arrest in July 1991, after a potential victim escaped and led police to his apartment. Inside, authorities discovered a house of horrors containing human remains, photographs of his dismembered victims, and tools used in his crimes. He ultimately confessed to killing 17 individuals.
At his trial, a jury rejected his insanity defense, finding him sane and responsible for his actions. He was sent to the Columbia Correctional Institution, where for his first year he was kept in protective custody, isolated from the general prison population for his own safety. Eventually, however, he was integrated with other inmates.
The man responsible for Dahmer's death was Christopher J. Scarver, who was serving a life sentence for a 1990 murder he committed during a robbery. Scarver, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and experienced messianic delusions, later stated he was "fiercely disgusted" by Dahmer's crimes. He claimed Dahmer was unrepentant and would taunt other inmates, even fashioning mock severed limbs from prison food and using ketchup to simulate blood. Scarver said he kept a newspaper clipping detailing Dahmer's atrocities in his pocket.
On the morning of the attack, Dahmer, Scarver, and a third inmate, Jesse Anderson, were left unshackled and unattended to clean a bathroom in the prison gymnasium. According to Scarver, he was poked in the back and turned to see Dahmer and Anderson laughing together. After the men separated, Scarver followed Dahmer to a locker room, confronted him with the newspaper article, and asked if the horrific details were true. When Dahmer tried to leave, Scarver used a 20-inch metal bar taken from the weight room to strike him in the head, crushing his skull.
Guards discovered the mortally wounded Dahmer shortly after 8 a.m. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead within an hour. Scarver also attacked and killed Jesse Anderson in a separate locker room during the same incident. After the attacks, Scarver returned to his cell and informed a guard, "God told me to do it. Jesse Anderson and Jeffrey Dahmer are dead."
Christopher J. Scarver, a serial killer himself who had murdered three people, initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the prison killings but later changed his plea to "no contest." He was convicted of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and received two additional life sentences on top of the one he was already serving. Scarver has alleged that he believes prison officials intentionally left him alone with Dahmer, knowing of his hatred for the notorious killer. An official investigation, however, concluded that Scarver acted alone. His deadly assault ensured that Jeffrey Dahmer would spend less than three years in prison for the monstrous crimes he had committed.
