The Monster Killer: 5 Shocking Facts About Christopher Scarver, The Man Who Ended Jeffrey Dahmer

Christopher Scarver Sr., a name forever etched into the annals of true crime, is the man who brought an abrupt and violent end to the life of one of history’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer. On the morning of November 28, 1994, inside a Wisconsin correctional facility, Scarver used a metal bar to bludgeon both Dahmer and a fellow inmate, Jesse Anderson, making him a figure of dark fascination and a subject of intense curiosity for decades. This article, updated with the latest details on his life, crimes, and current status as a Wisconsin state inmate, delves into the complex and often overlooked history of the man dubbed the "Monster Killer."

The story of Scarver is not just about the death of Jeffrey Dahmer; it is a tragic narrative involving severe mental illness, a history of violence that began years earlier, and the brutal realities of the American prison system. While the world remembers him for one infamous act of vigilantism, the full scope of his life reveals a troubled path marked by three murders, a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and a struggle for mental health treatment while serving multiple life sentences.

Christopher Scarver: A Complete Biographical Profile

• Full Name: Christopher J. Scarver Sr.
• Date of Birth: July 6, 1969
• Place of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
• Nationality: American
• First Conviction Date: 1990
• First Victim: A job corps supervisor (his boss), murdered during a robbery.
• Prison Murders Date: November 28, 1994
• Prison Victims: Jeffrey Dahmer and Jesse Anderson
• Correctional Facility: Columbia Correctional Institution, Portage, Wisconsin
• Weapon Used: A 20-inch metal bar (or broom handle)
• Criminal Charges: Three counts of first-degree intentional homicide (for his first victim, Dahmer, and Anderson)
• Sentence: Multiple consecutive life sentences
• Mental Health Status: Diagnosed with severe mental illness, specifically schizophrenia.
• Current Status: Wisconsin state inmate serving his sentences.

1. The First Murder: A Crime of Despair and Delusion

Christopher Scarver's violent history began long before he encountered Jeffrey Dahmer. His first murder occurred on June 1, 1990, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Scarver was working at a conservation program when he confronted his former boss, a job corps supervisor, demanding money.

The confrontation escalated, and Scarver shot and killed the man.

He was subsequently convicted of first-degree intentional homicide for this crime and sentenced to life in prison, setting the stage for his infamous encounter four years later.

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This initial conviction is a crucial but often overlooked detail, establishing Scarver as a convicted murderer well before the events of 1994.

2. The Struggle with Severe Schizophrenia and Psychosis

A central, yet frequently marginalized, aspect of Scarver's story is his severe mental illness.

Scarver was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and court records and reports confirm he was actively psychotic during his incarceration at the Columbia Correctional Institution.

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He claimed to hear voices, which he stated were the "voice of God," and believed he was the "son of God."

His mental state was so fragile that he accused prison officials of poisoning his food and attempting to control him, leading to lawsuits regarding the conditions of his confinement and the lack of adequate mental health treatment.

This severe psychological distress is intimately linked to his actions, providing a complex context for the violence he committed against his fellow inmates.

3. The True Motivation: Dahmer’s Lack of Remorse and Taunting

The popular narrative often simplifies the 1994 murders, but Scarver himself has provided a detailed explanation for his actions.

He stated that Jeffrey Dahmer showed a complete lack of remorse for his 17 victims and would often taunt other Black inmates by shaping his prison food into severed limbs and drizzling ketchup on them to mimic blood.

Scarver, who had a strong sense of racial justice, was particularly disturbed by Dahmer's crimes, as many of Dahmer's victims were Black.

On the morning of November 28, 1994, Scarver carried with him a newspaper clipping detailing Dahmer’s heinous crimes.

When he encountered Dahmer and Jesse Anderson on a work detail in the prison gymnasium bathroom, he confronted Dahmer, asking him if he was responsible for the cannibalistic acts described in the article.

Scarver later claimed that Dahmer's response, or perhaps his general demeanor, triggered the violent outburst.

4. The Overlooked Second Victim: The Racist Killer Jesse Anderson

While the world focuses on Jeffrey Dahmer, Christopher Scarver also murdered Jesse Anderson on the same day, a detail that often gets overshadowed.

Anderson was serving a life sentence for the 1992 murder of his wife, Barbara Anderson.

Crucially, Anderson gained notoriety for trying to cover up his crime by stabbing himself and blaming the attack on two Black men, a racist attempt to mislead police.

Scarver's confrontation with Anderson, immediately following the attack on Dahmer, suggests a broader motivation rooted in a perceived sense of justice against inmates who preyed on or maligned Black individuals.

Scarver bludgeoned both men to death with a 20-inch metal bar, which he reportedly retrieved from the weight room area.

5. The Aftermath: Solitary Confinement and Federal Lawsuits

Following the murders, Scarver was convicted of two additional counts of first-degree intentional homicide and received two more life sentences, to be served consecutively.

His actions resulted in his transfer to a maximum-security facility and years of solitary confinement, a condition that severely exacerbated his existing mental illness.

In the years following the murders, Scarver filed a federal lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, alleging that prison officials had deliberately placed him and Dahmer together, knowing of their antagonistic relationship and his mental instability, effectively setting up the confrontation.

Although the lawsuit was dismissed, it highlighted the ongoing issues with the treatment of severely mentally ill inmates within the criminal justice system.

Today, Christopher Scarver remains a Wisconsin state inmate, serving his multiple life sentences in isolation, a figure whose dark legacy is permanently tied to the end of the infamous Milwaukee Cannibal.