Infamous for his ‘twisted and ironically heroic’ acts of murder, the story of Christopher Scarver shook the world in the early 1990s. The man credited for ending Jeffrey Dahmer‘s reign of terror took matters into his own hands and brutally killed Dahmer while on a routine cleaning duty together. This earned him multiple sentences and a close-to-nothing chance of ever getting out of prison. While Scarver Sr. was closed off to the real world, he still has some ties with it. Before he was incarcerated, he was expecting a son, however, he never got to see him as he was jailed before the boy was born.
Scarver Snr. has gone down in history for being the man who killed Dahmer, however, his son leads quite a different path. Born to Jackal Evans, Christopher Scarver Jr. grew up without a father and only found out about Scarver Sr.’s criminal past at the age of 10. Growing up with a popular name associated with murder, Scarver Jr. has still managed to lead a less twisted life. Here’s a rundown of Scarver Snr’s path and how different his son has turned out to be.
Christopher Scarver Jr.’s Education and Passion
With the support of his mother and well-wishers, Scarver Jr. attended Boscobel High School, graduating in 2009, a feat his father could not achieve at that age. Still, his educational journey didn’t end there. Scarver Jr. went on to study at Bethany Lutheran College, thanks to a scholarship from the Creative Corrections Education Foundation program. The scholarship targets students whose parents have been incarcerated, and Christopher Scarver Jr. was fortunate enough to be one of its beneficiaries.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Scarver Jr. has always had a deep passion for basketball. This enduring love for the sport has been a constant in his life. Whether in high school or college, Christopher Scarver Jr. actively participated in basketball, showcasing his skills and dedication. He was even part of the prestigious 2013-2014 Men’s Basketball Team at Bethany Lutheran College, cementing his passion for the game.
His Relationship With His Father
With a father who’s serving more than a 950-year term, many would expect that Scarver Jr.’s destiny would be bleak. On the contrary, Scarver Jr. is defying odds, speculations, and stereotypes and creating a unique path in life. What many don’t know is that Scarver Jr. actually benefited from some fatherly advice. He says that at some point in his life, he was actually going down the wrong path.
Scarver Jr. then decided to reach out to his father via a letter. He poured out his heart in a letter to his dad and got a very helpful response. His father wrote back saying “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do, and you are the toughest kid I know.” Scarver Jnr. is still thankful to his dad for that advice, as it helped get him back on the right track. In his dorm room, Scarver Jr. courageously put up his dad’s photos on the door to keep him motivated.
Christopher Scarver Jr.’s Bright Future
It’s easy for children with complicated family dynamics to easily settle for mediocrity. Thankfully, Scarver Jr. is thinking differently. The basketball enthusiast says he has no intentions of failing and even plans to play abroad after college. However, he was determined to graduate college first to ensure he always had a Sociology degree to fall back on. Percy Pitzer, a retired warden and the overseer of the Creative Corrections program, was equally impressed with the young lad. Pitzer described him as ‘one of the most mentally tough kids he’s met. Pitzer also took a photo with him when he graduated, becoming one out of the first 77 recipients to successfully graduate college.
Christopher Scarver Snr.’s Initial Crimes
On the 1st of June, 1990, Scarver went to his office to demand some money from the site manager, John Feyen, at gunpoint. Sadly, fellow employee, Steve Lohman was in the office when he barged. Feyen had given Scarver $15 which angered him and led to the shooting of Lohman in the head. Feyen escaped with his life after handing Scarver a cheque for $3,000. Scarver was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison, still, this didn’t stop his will to kill. He was sent to the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, the same prison that housed Dahmer.
On the morning of November 28, 1994, Scarver, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, met with his next two victims. As fate would have it, Scarver and Dahmer were assigned to the same work detail in the prison. Scarver, armed with a metal bar from the prison weight room, confronted Dahmer in a bathroom. What followed was a brutal and fatal assault that ended Dahmer’s life. Scarver beat him repeatedly, delivering blows that would prove fatal. Scarver later revealed that a voice told him to kill Dahmer. Later on, he said Dahmer and Anderson taunted him, and subsequently, he blamed the negligence of the guards. Ironically, when Dahmer’s story hit the news, there was more jubilation than anger against Scarver from the public.
Background On Jeffrey Dahmer And His Crimes
Dahmer’s heinous crimes shocked the world. From 1978 to 1991, Dahmer murdered and dismembered seventeen young men in a series of chilling acts. His crimes, which included necrophilia and cannibalism, were fueled by a dark and twisted desire for power and control. The media frenzy that surrounded his trial and subsequent incarceration only served to amplify the fascination surrounding Dahmer’s story. Dahmer is ranked one of the scariest serial killers of all time. So, the jubilation towards his horrid death is understandable.
The Impact Of The Dahmer Murder On Scarver’s Life
Dahmer’s legacy is one that will haunt many for a while, in fact, his story is recorded as one of the top 10 documentaries that will haunt you. This is why Scarver Sr.’s actions were seen by many as a courageous stand against a notorious serial killer. However, the notoriety that came with Scarver’s actions also brought a new set of challenges. Scarver Sr. struggled to find peace and acceptance in a world that saw him as a murderer. Plus, Scarver Sr. claimed that he was placed in solitary confinement for more than 15 years because of the murders of Dahmer and Anderson.
Still, Scarver Sr. has found a way to turn those scars into a story, he has turned to the pen and authored poems like The Child Left Behind, God Seed and A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste. Scarver Sr. and his 27-year-old son were once estranged, the two now have a cordial relationship and communicate through letters.
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