Dr. Mike Kukral, now a professor emeritus at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, recently recounted his shocking moment of discovery about Jeffrey Dahmer’s grisly crimes in an exclusive interview with FOX News Digital. Kukral and Dahmer were classmates during their junior and senior high school years in the 1970s.
While abroad on a Fulbright scholarship in Europe in 1991, Kukral stumbled upon an article detailing Dahmer’s arrest and the horrific crimes he had committed. This revelation came as a jolt, as Kukral found himself in a state of disbelief and introspection during a long train ride, haunted by the thought that he knew Dahmer personally during their teenage years.
Dahmer, also known as the “Milwaukee Monster,” was arrested in May 1991, setting off a media frenzy surrounding his gruesome series of crimes, which spanned from 1978 to 1991. The police discovered decapitated heads and dismembered bodies at the crime scene, painting a grim picture of Dahmer’s activities, involving rape, murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism. Dahmer was convicted for 15 murders in Wisconsin and pleaded guilty to an additional murder in Ohio that occurred in 1978.
Despite Dahmer’s grim actions that sent shockwaves across the country, Kukral remembered Dahmer as an eccentric yet seemingly harmless classmate who often engaged in goofy antics to amuse his peers. One peculiar memory Kukral shared was when Dahmer briefly rested his head on Kukral’s chest to “listen to his heart,” a gesture that seemed innocent and childish at the time.
Looking back, Kukral conceded that none of Dahmer’s behaviors during their school years hinted at the darkness that lay within him. His interests were somewhat peculiar, but nothing that raised red flags among his classmates.
Kukral shared these memories and more in FOX Nation’s new four-part docuseries, “My Son Jeffrey: The Dahmer Family Tapes.” The series offers an in-depth look into Dahmer’s life and crimes, featuring chilling never-before-heard conversations between Dahmer and his father, Lionel, revealing new insights into Dahmer’s mindset and his relationship with his father.
While the revelations about Dahmer’s true nature were unsettling, Kukral emphasized the lasting impact and unending tragedy Dahmer brought upon the families of his victims. These individuals bear a sorrow that dwarfs his own uneasy recollections, Kukral noted, acknowledging that Dahmer’s actions had left an indelible mark on many lives, a dark chapter in their shared history that will never be forgotten.
Dahmer was serving 15 consecutive life terms before being killed by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver in 1994.
