A brutal and fatal assault inside a Wisconsin prison has claimed the life of one of America’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer, this morning. The incident, occurring while Dahmer was on a cleaning detail, underscores the ever-present danger of violent retribution within the correctional system, a fate shared by dozens of other infamous criminals throughout history.
Dahmer’s death at the hands of a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver, mirrors the violent ends met by numerous high-profile prisoners. This pattern of prison-yard justice reveals a dark subculture where inmates often become both judge and executioner. The circumstances surrounding these killings frequently point to profound security failures and the inescapable notoriety of the criminals themselves.
Among the most sinister to fall was Northern Irish Loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Wright. Known as “King Rat,” Wright was assassinated inside the high-security Maze Prison in 1997 by rivals who smuggled weapons into the facility. His killing raised serious allegations of collusion and catastrophic security lapses at the height of the Troubles.
Oakland heroin kingpin Felix Mitchell, known as “Felix the Cat,” saw his empire crumble with a life sentence. His reign ended not in court, but on the floor of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, fatally stabbed over a suspected drug debt barely a year into his term. His lavish funeral stood in stark contrast to his brutal demise.
The harsh reality of prison life often turns inmates against each other, as seen in the 1939 case of Rufus McCain. After a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz, McCain was murdered by a fellow escapee, Henri Young, who had been driven to animalistic violence by the brutal psychological effects of prolonged solitary confinement.
Even those who enforce the law are not immune. Lorenzo Kierich, a former Italian fascist police chief, was branded a traitor and murdered in his cell under mysterious circumstances, likely to silence him before a major trial. His death highlights the political vendettas that can follow inmates behind bars.
Sicilian mafioso Angelo La Barbera learned that mob rules extend inside prison walls. Convicted for his role in the first Mafia war, he was fatally stabbed by three inmates in 1975, reportedly on orders from a rival family to prevent him from exposing political connections.
International figures also face this grim fate. German anarchist Kurt Gustav Wilckens, who assassinated an Argentine colonel, was himself murdered in a Buenos Aires prison by a right-wing paramilitary officer smuggled in for the hit, perpetuating a cycle of political violence.
Taiwanese gangster Tung Kuei-sen, involved in a high-profile journalist assassination, was stabbed in a U.S. federal prison over a dispute about cigarettes. He lingered for over a month before succumbing to his injuries, a testament to the petty conflicts that can turn deadly.
In the UK, murderer John Mansfield, who killed a 63-year-old neighbor, was himself beaten to death in a close supervision center reserved for the most violent inmates. He died at the same age as his victim, a grim coincidence underscoring the pervasive violence.
Corsican nationalist icon Yvan Colonna was attacked by a radicalized Islamist cellmate in a French prison, dying weeks later from his injuries. His death ignited massive protests and reignited tensions between Corsica and the French government, proving prison deaths can have profound political ramifications.
Prison gang politics claimed Rodolfo Cadena, a leader of the Mexican Mafia known as “Cheyenne.” His efforts to broker peace between gangs led to his ambush and gruesome murder, stabbed dozens of times and thrown from a third-tier walkway.
Notorious NYPD shooter Larry Davis, acquitted of attempted murder but convicted for a drug-related killing, was fatally stabbed by a fellow inmate in a New York correctional facility, bleeding out before he could reach a hospital.
Jesse Anderson, the other victim alongside Jeffrey Dahmer, was beaten by Christopher Scarver on the same cleaning detail. Anderson was serving life for murdering his wife and framing two Black men, a motive that allegedly fueled Scarver’s attack.
The historical record includes figures like “Big Nose” Kate Bartlett, a legendary Wyoming serial killer. Awaiting trial in the 19th century, she was shot through her cell window by a vigilante, denying the state a formal proceeding.
Extremist violence followed activist Earl Krugel into prison. A member of the Jewish Defense League, he was bludgeoned to death with a concrete block by a neo-Nazi inmate while using an exercise machine in an Arizona federal prison.
Indian gangster-politician Munna Bajrangi was shot dead inside a jail just a day after a transfer, allegedly by a fellow gangster insulted by a nickname. The killing exposed the dangerous interplay of crime and politics within Indian prisons.
British pedophile Richard Huckle, convicted of 71 sexual offenses against children, was subjected to a “sadistic and prolonged” attack in his cell, murdered by a fellow inmate who received an additional 34-year sentence for the killing.
Early 20th-century Russian serial killer Nikolai Radkevich was sent to the brutal katorga labor camps in Siberia, where he was killed by fellow prisoners only four years into his eight-year sentence, a common fate in the harsh system.
Teenage Colombian gang leader John Jairo Moreno Torres, known as “Johnny the Leper,” was violently executed by other inmates who shot him twelve times with a smuggled firearm inside a Bogotá prison.
British lifer Colin Hatch, deemed so dangerous he would never be released, was proven right when he was ambushed and killed in his maximum-security prison by an inmate with a history of attacking those convicted of similar crimes.
Spanish serial killer Enriqueta Martí, the “Vampire of Barcelona,” was killed by fellow inmates and publicly hanged on a jail patio before her trial could begin, her crimes and the names of her victims buried with her in a mass grave.
Texas serial predator Billy Chemirmir, who targeted elderly women, was beaten and possibly stabbed to death in prison after making inappropriate comments about a cellmate’s family, bringing a violent end to his own life of violence.
Robert Liberty, a killer declared legally insane, was strangled by a cellmate before his trial could take place, cutting short a complex legal process and demonstrating how prison violence often bypasses the official justice system.
Philadelphia “Mudman” Robert Simon, a violent motorcycle club enforcer who killed a police officer, was beaten to death on death row by a fellow inmate while awaiting execution, a form of extrajudicial punishment.
English serial killer Leslie Bailey, held under special segregation rules due to fears of attack, was found strangled in his cell anyway, proving that even protected status cannot always shield the most reviled inmates.
Florida’s “Granny Killer” Edwin Kaprat, sentenced to death for murdering elderly victims, was fatally stabbed by fellow inmates during a fight, ending his life before the state could carry out its sentence.
Canadian doomsday cult leader Roch Thériault, who tortured and murdered followers, was stabbed in the neck by his cellmate, who then calmly presented the weapon to guards, announcing he had “sliced him up.”
Australian drug lord Carl Williams, a key figure in the Melbourne gangland wars, was bludgeoned to death with an exercise bike seat stem by a fellow inmate in a high-security prison, a hit that shocked the nation.
The “I-5 Strangler,” Roger Kibbe, was himself strangled to death by his cellmate in a California prison, an act the killer stated was retribution for Kibbe’s crimes against women, delivering a form of poetic justice.
Former sheriff’s deputy and killer Gerard John Schaefer, serving life for murdering young girls, was killed by inmate Vincent Rivera in Florida State Prison, bringing a sense of closure to some of his survivors.
Sidonio Teixeira, imprisoned for killing his daughter, was beaten to death with a sock filled with stones by a fellow inmate who claimed he was “purging the world of evil,” showcasing self-appointed vigilante justice behind bars.
Confessed serial killer Donald Leroy Evans, who claimed over 70 victims, was stabbed to death in a prison shower by a fellow death row inmate, moving up his date with mortality.
Soviet-era serial killer Nikolai Dzhumagaliev was murdered by his cellmate while awaiting trial, fueling conspiracy theories that he was killed to avoid a sensational public proceeding that would embarrass authorities.
Escaped killer Lathon Williams was attacked and killed by a group of inmates reportedly angered by his overuse of a prison phone, a shockingly trivial catalyst for a lethal assault in a volatile environment.
Colombian serial predator Daniel Camargo Barbosa, who confessed to murdering hundreds of girls, was killed in an Ecuadorian prison by an inmate who was the nephew of one of his victims, a clear case of personal vengeance.
Bulgarian murderer Lachezar Latov was killed by his cellmate following a heated argument, ending his life before he could stand trial for the murders of elderly women.
Actor and convicted murderer Lloyd Avery II, known for his role in “Boyz n the Hood,” was strangled by his Satanist cellmate in a California prison, reportedly after Avery tried to convert him to Christianity.
Brazilian vigilante killer Elió José Monier, sentenced to 201 years for 65 murders, was attacked by three inmates and died from his injuries, despite significant public support for his “clean-up” campaign.
Russian serial killer Artur Kikav, the “last sex maniac of the USSR,” died from injuries sustained in a brutal attack by his cellmate decades into his life sentence, proving that old crimes are not forgotten.
Danish-American spree killer Thorne Nes Christensen was wounded by an unidentified inmate in a California prison yard and later died, ending his life sentence for the murder of four women.
Spanish “old lady killer” José Antonio Rodríguez Vega, sentenced to 440 years, was brutally attacked and killed by two inmates in a prison common area, serving only a fraction of his immense sentence.
Defrocked priest and child abuser John Geoghan, whose case ignited the Catholic Church scandal, was stomped to death in his cell by an inmate who was himself a victim of abuse, seeking direct revenge.
Serial child killer Leopold Zion, who had been released early from prior sentences, was attacked and killed in prison by a fellow inmate, who was later acquitted by reason of insanity.
South Carolina serial killer Leroy Martin, serving four life terms, was killed by another inmate just four years into his sentence, cutting short his time in the very system meant to hold him accountable.
“The Pied Piper of Tucson,” Charles Schmid, was horrifically attacked and killed by two inmates three years after being recaptured following a prison escape, bringing a violent end to his notorious life.
Canadian pig farmer serial killer Robert Pickton, convicted of six murders but linked to dozens, died after being attacked with a broken broom handle in a Quebec prison, his death met with widespread public indifference.
Infamous Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was transferred to a West Virginia penitentiary and bludgeoned to death by inmates within 24 hours of his arrival, left in an unrecognizable state in a stark case of prison violence.
“Angel of Death” Donald Harvey, who confessed to dozens of mercy killings as a hospital orderly, was attacked and killed by a fellow inmate in Ohio who was familiar with his crimes, showing that even those who claimed merciful motives face ultimate retribution.
Murderer Richard Loeb, of the infamous Leopold and Loeb duo, was viciously attacked and killed in a prison shower by another inmate, while his partner, Nathan Leopold, would eventually earn parole.
Albert DeSalvo, the confessed “Boston Strangler,” was stabbed to death in his prison infirmary bed. Decades later, DNA evidence would finally confirm his long-claimed guilt for the infamous murder spree that terrorized Boston.
The death of Jeffrey Dahmer, like so many before him, closes a chapter on a horrific crime spree but opens ongoing questions about safety, security, and the nature of justice within the American penal system. These incidents collectively paint a grim portrait of a world where the sentence is only the beginning, and where the most hated inmates live under a perpetual, and often fatal, threat.
