Editing Jeffrey Dahmer (section)

===Aftermath===
On August 5, 1991, as the nature and scale of Dahmer's crimes initially came to light, a [[candlelight vigil]] to celebrate and heal the Milwaukee community<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sherrill|first1=Martha|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/07/city-in-the-grip-of-fear-fascination/1cc4b7a6-3b55-4b67-b1a8-99d4b5920fa8|title=City in The Grip of Fear|access-date=November 13, 2017|newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 7, 1991|archive-date=November 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114093301/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/07/city-in-the-grip-of-fear-fascination/1cc4b7a6-3b55-4b67-b1a8-99d4b5920fa8|url-status=live}}</ref> was attended by more than 400 people. Present at the vigil were community leaders, gay rights activists, and family members of several of Dahmer's victims. Organizers stated the purpose of the vigil was to enable Milwaukeeans to "share their feelings of pain and anger over what happened".{{sfn|Campbell|p=32}}

Dahmer's murders were committed at a time of heightened racial tension in Milwaukee. A professor of community studies at the [[University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]], Walter Farrell, later stated [[Racism in the United States|race relations]] in the city had been "in a state of disrepair for nearly a decade" at the time of Dahmer's arrest.{{refn|group=n|A 1989 study conducted at the [[University of Chicago]] had listed Milwaukee as one of five "[[Racial segregation in the United States|hypersegregated]]" cities in the United States.<ref name="1989Study" />}} In an August 1991 interview given to the ''[[The Christian Science Monitor|Christian Science Monitor]]'', Farrell stated that news of the murders, as well as the conduct of Milwaukee police officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish with regards to victim Konerak Sinthasomphone, exacerbated and highlighted racial tensions within the city.<ref name="1989Study">{{Cite news |last=Walters |first=Laurel Shaper |title=Dahmer Case Unleashes Black Anger in Milwaukee |work=[[Christian Science Monitor]] |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0816/16041.html |date=August 16, 1991 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |issn=0882-7729 |archive-date=October 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005031957/https://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0816/16041.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Milwaukee's gay scene was generally [[Underground culture|underground]] and transient in nature at the time of Dahmer's murders, with many sexually active gay men using aliases.<ref name=":0" /> Many in the city's gay community were nervous of the intentions of others after the extent of Dahmer's murders became known, although the fear and distrust generated by Dahmer's crimes was short-lived. As the 1990s progressed, the usage of aliases became less common among members of Milwaukee's gay community.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Joy |title=How Did Jeffrey Dahmer Harm Milwaukee's Gay Community? |url=https://www.wuwm.com/regional/2020-06-26/how-did-jeffrey-dahmer-harm-milwaukees-gay-community |date=June 26, 2020 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=[[WUWM]] |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815072054/https://www.wuwm.com/regional/2020-06-26/how-did-jeffrey-dahmer-harm-milwaukees-gay-community |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Oxford Apartments at 924 North 25th Street, where Dahmer had killed twelve of his victims, were demolished in November 1992.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4BcpAAAAIBAJ&pg=4771,3648855 |work=The Bulletin |title=Dahmer Apartment Demolition Begins |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 17, 1992 |access-date=December 5, 2013 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122112359/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4BcpAAAAIBAJ&pg=4771%2C3648855 |url-status=live}}</ref> The site is now a vacant lot. Alternate plans to convert the site into either a memorial garden, a playground, or to reconstruct new housing have failed to materialize.

Dahmer's [[estate (law)|estate]] was awarded to the families of eleven of his victims who had sued for damages. In 1996, Thomas Jacobson, a lawyer representing eight of the families, announced a planned auction of Dahmer's estate. Although victims' relatives stated the motivation was not greed, the announcement sparked controversy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/US/9605/08/dahmer.auction/index.html|title=Serial killer's Property Set to Go on The Auction Block|website=[[CNN]]|date=May 8, 1996|access-date=November 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014081959/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9605/08/dahmer.auction/index.html |archive-date=October 14, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Dirk|last=Johnson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/20/us/bid-to-auction-killer-s-tools-provokes-disgust.html|title=Bid to Auction Killer's Tools Provokes Disgust|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 20, 1996|access-date=November 24, 2018|archive-date=November 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111120225/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/20/us/bid-to-auction-killer-s-tools-provokes-disgust.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A civic group, Milwaukee Civic Pride, was quickly established in an effort to raise the funds to purchase and destroy many of Dahmer's possessions.{{refn|group=n|Several of Dahmer's possessions unrelated to his crimes such as items of furniture were retrieved by his father shortly after Dahmer's sentencing.{{sfn|Dahmer|1994|p=249}}}} The group pledged $407,225, including a $100,000 gift by Milwaukee real estate developer Joseph Zilber, for purchase of Dahmer's estate; five of the eight families represented by Jacobson agreed to the terms, and Dahmer's possessions were subsequently destroyed and buried in an undisclosed [[Illinois]] landfill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ANQ_AAAAIBAJ&pg=3406%2C5717283|title=Dahmer Belongings Destroyed|newspaper=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|date=June 28, 1996|access-date=November 24, 2018|via=[[Google News]]|archive-date=November 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122075634/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ANQ_AAAAIBAJ&pg=3406%2C5717283|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1994, Lionel published a book, ''[[A Father's Story]]'', and donated a portion of the proceeds from his book to the victims' families. Most of the families showed support for Lionel and Shari, although three families subsequently sued Lionel: two for using their names in the book without obtaining prior consent,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-03-05-9403050289-story.html |title=Families of 2 Victims Sue Dahmer's Father over Book |access-date=July 21, 2017 |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |date=March 5, 1994 |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001043319/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-03-05-9403050289-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and a third family—that of Steven Hicks—filing a [[wrongful death claim|wrongful death]] suit against Lionel, Shari, and former wife Joyce, citing parental negligence as the cause for the claim.<ref name="ap">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/82475da834f55a15464e613c8f20683b|title=Victim's Mother Seeks $50 Million from Dahmers|date=August 29, 1992|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=October 1, 2019|archive-date=October 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001043319/https://apnews.com/82475da834f55a15464e613c8f20683b|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lionel Dahmer lived with his second wife, Shari, until her death in January 2023.<ref>{{cite news|last=Land|first=Olivia|url=https://nypost.com/2023/01/17/jeffrey-dahmers-stepmother-shari-dead-at-81/|title=Jeffrey Dahmer's Stepmother Shari Dead at 81|date=January 17, 2023|publisher=The New York Post|access-date=January 26, 2023|archive-date=January 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126020058/https://nypost.com/2023/01/17/jeffrey-dahmers-stepmother-shari-dead-at-81/|url-status=live}}</ref> He died of natural causes on December 5, 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Traub |first=Alex |date=December 12, 2023 |title=Lionel Dahmer, Who Agonized About Raising a Serial Killer, Dies at 87 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/12/us/lionel-dahmer-dead.html |access-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216011427/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/12/us/lionel-dahmer-dead.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Both refused to change their surname and professed their love of Dahmer in spite of his crimes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Price |first=Mark J. |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Jeffrey Dahmer's Father, Lionel, Dies at 87 in Medina County |publisher=Akron Beacon Journal |url=https://eu.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2023/12/05/jeffrey-dahmer-father-lionel-dahmer-dies-at-87-in-medina-county-hospice/71818993007/ |access-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206041721/https://eu.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2023/12/05/jeffrey-dahmer-father-lionel-dahmer-dies-at-87-in-medina-county-hospice/71818993007/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Joyce Flint died of cancer on November 27, 2000. Prior to her death, she had attempted suicide on at least one occasion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-06-me-61803-story.html|title=Joyce Flint; Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer's Mother|access-date=May 20, 2017|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 6, 2000|archive-date=October 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001043322/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-06-me-61803-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Dahmer's younger brother, David, changed his surname and lives in anonymity.{{sfn|Campbell|p=14}}