7 - Exploiting a News Story
Hannah Diffee
Professor Reppert
Media Law and Ethics
April 2025
7 - Exploiting a News Story
Exploiting Tragedy: How the Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix Documentary Profited at the Expense of Victims' Families
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is the first season of the biographical crime drama series Monster, which premiered on Netflix on September 21, 2022. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the series explores the life and crimes of American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, commonly referred to as the "Milwaukee Monster" or "Milwaukee Cannibal." Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer murdered 17 young men, primarily targeting young, gay, black men and boys. His murders went undetected for more than a decade, despite missing person reports filed for individuals last seen with Dahmer and complaints about unusual smells coming from his Milwaukee apartment. Dahmer was finally arrested for his crimes on July 22, 1991, after years of police negligence prevented his capture.
Monster dramatizes Dahmer's life and the lives of his many victims. Award-winning actor Evan Peters plays the serial killer in the series.
Above: Peters (left) and Dahmer (right)
Trailer
The extent of Dahmer's crimes was horrifying. He enjoyed having complete control over his targets, often administering them sedatives or sleeping pills so he could perform sexual acts while they were unconscious. A sadistic individual, many of his murders involved dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism, and he was known for preserving his victims' body parts and bones as "mementos." On the date of his arrest, Milwaukee police officers entered his home and found a drawer full of Polaroid pictures showcasing bodies in various stages of dismemberment. Upon further investigation, they discovered five severed heads around Dahmer's apartment and other body parts, including human hearts, hands, skulls, sexual organs, and torsos.
Above: Officials lowering Jeffrey Dahmer's freezer down the steps of his apartment building in 1991
Dahmer's victims in order:
Steven Hicks, 18
Steven Tuomi, 28
Jamie Doxtator, 14
Richard Guerrero, 25
Anthony Sears, 24
Ricky Beeks, 33
Eddie Smith, 28
Ernest Miller, 24
David Thomas, 23
Curtis Straughter, 18
Errol Lindsey, 19
Anthony Hughes, 31
Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14
Matt Turner, 20
Jeremiah Weinberger, 23
Oliver Lacy, 23
Joseph Bradehoft, 25
Tracy Edwards, who was 32 years old at the time, would have been Dahmer's 18th and final victim.
Above: Dahmer's Victims
Criticism from Families
Dahmer's crimes drew international attention. Many major websites and news outlets sensationalized his methods of killing and torturing victims, including minors whose names were released. The Monster series did not shy away from portraying the brutal nature of Dahmer's crimes, even taking creative liberties to dramatize his life for a television audience. The series retained the real names of the young men and boys he targeted, causing many of the impacted families to relive their trauma of events that occurred just three decades ago.
Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, spoke with Business Insider about how the series made her feel, particularly the scene recreating the victim impact statement she shared in court. "When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said."
"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That's why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then."
- Rita Isbell
The show also faced backlash for failing to contact the families affected, despite producer Ryan Murphy claiming that 20 of the families and friends had been contacted during filming. "I was never contacted about the show," Isbell shared. "I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it." Isbell continued, stating that it would have been better if the producers had given some of their earnings to the victims' children. It's sad that they're just making money off of this tragedy. That's just greed."
Above: A tweet shared by Lindsey's cousin, Eric Perry, about the show
Shirley Hughes, the still-grieving mother of Anthony "Tony" Hughes, Dahmer's 12th victim, informed The Guardian that she had not watched the series. One of Monster's ten episodes, titled "Silenced," centers on her son, who was deaf and 31 years old when he was killed in 1991. Dahmer murdered him after they spent a night together, and the episode ends with Dahmer cooking and eating the man's liver after donating money to his family's search effort.
Above: Shirley Hughes speaks to the press
"I don't see how they can do that," the mother shared. "I don't see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there."
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