Dr. Mike Kukral is also featured in FOX Nation's 'My Son Jeffrey: The Dahmer Family Tapes,' now streaming.
A former classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer revealed he found out about the cannibal serial killer's crimes after reading a newspaper while riding a train in Europe."I was in an unusual situation," Dr. Mike Kukral told FOX News Digital. "Most classmates, from what I know, of course, learned of it on the television, on the front page of the newspaper, from their parents telling them who probably still lived back home if they had moved away, things like that."
"I was overseas, I was in Europe, and I'd been in Europe an entire year on a Fulbright scholarship, and I was just about ready to go home. It was, I guess, July or August of '91, and I picked up a newspaper. I had a long train trip to take, and I picked up a newspaper, and nothing on the front page, not too interesting, second, third page. And then??¦there's a photograph of his family home in Bath. And I knew that house pretty well; everybody knew that's where Jeff Dahmer lived, that house. And I saw a picture of the house, and then I read the article and I just couldn't fathom what I was reading."
Dr. Kukral, a Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology professor emeritus, was classmates with the “Milwaukee Monster” during junior and senior high school back in the 1970s. He explained how “stunned” he was after learning of Dahmer's crimes.
"I first thought it was his father who had committed the murders. And then when I read the second paragraph, they used his first name, Jeffrey. I just sat there, stunned, I'd say, on this train for hours with no one to talk to about it and just read this one brief article," he said. "I just sat there on this train for the next four or five hours thinking about this and thinking about Jeff Dahmer and thinking about high school and wondered what in the world went on in his head, what caused him to do these things."
"There's no explanation for something so horrific, these crimes," he added.
FOX News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
themes: Ohio Wisconsin
Jeffrey Dahmer's former classmate on learning of the killer's crimes: ‘I couldn't fathom what I was reading'
.....
Dr. .....
Dr. .....
Start your day with all you need to knowMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Enter your email addressPlease provide a valid email address.
By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Never miss a story.
The series includes chilling recordings of conversations between serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer and his father, Lionel.
.....
Dr. .....
Former Classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer in Shock Over Killer's Crimes
In a shocking revelation, Dr. Mike Kukral, a former classmate of notorious cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, disclosed that he learned about Dahmer's horrifying crimes while riding a train in Europe. Kukral, now a professor emeritus at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, recalled his disbelief upon seeing a newspaper article featuring Dahmer's family home in Bath, along with a photo of the house. Having known Dahmer from their junior and senior high school years in the 1970s, Kukral was stunned to learn that his former classmate was involved in such heinous crimes.
Kukral described his initial assumption that it was Dahmer's father who had committed the murders. However, as he read further, he was shocked to discover that it was, in fact, Jeffrey Dahmer himself. Stranded on the train for hours with no one to talk to, Kukral grappled with the realization of what Dahmer had become and pondered the motivations behind his actions.
Reflecting on the incomprehensibility of Dahmer's crimes, Kukral expressed his bewilderment at the fact that he had known Dahmer as a teenager. He questioned how anyone could fathom the magnitude of Dahmer's atrocities, especially considering the shock and repulsion felt by people who had never known him personally. Kukral emphasized the heightened level of astonishment he experienced, having attended school with Dahmer.
..... At the crime scene, investigators discovered decapitated heads and dismembered bodies. ..... During his trial, it became evident just how horrific his modus operandi truly was, leading to his conviction for 15 killings in Wisconsin. .....
Kukral expressed his disbelief and inability to comprehend Dahmer's actions, underscoring the impact of the crimes on the victims' families. While Dahmer's peculiarities were evident to those who knew him, Kukral insisted that nothing about his behavior indicated darkness or evil. He shared a lighthearted anecdote from their school days in which Dahmer playfully placed his head on Kukral's chest, momentarily checking if he was still alive. Kukral emphasized that at the time, such actions were seen as harmless and amusing, with no indication of the darkness that lay within Dahmer's mind.
The "My Son Jeffrey: The Dahmer Family Tapes" docuseries, available for streaming on FOX Nation, delves deeper into Dahmer's crimes and provides chilling audio recordings of conversations between Dahmer and his father, Lionel. These never-before-heard tapes shed light on new details about the crimes and the killer's relationship with his father. Kukral acknowledged that while Dahmer's impact on his life is minimal compared to that of the victims and their families, the memory of their shared past will always linger in the back of his mind.
The FOX Nation program also features other individuals connected to Dahmer, who reveal further chilling details about the killer's past. To access the extensive library of FOX Nation programs, interested viewers can sign up for a free trial on the FOX Nation website.