Horrifying Facts That the Jeffrey Dahmer Series Missed Out

1. Dahmer was charged with sexual assault three years before his arrest

Image Source: Women's Health

Back in 1988, Dahmer was charged with sexually assaulting a young man named Somsack Sinthasomphone who was the older brother of one of his later victims. He spent a year in prison and was then released on probation, but despite being known to the authorities he went on to commit more crimes.

2. The series did not portray Dahmer’s real neighbour

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Glenda Cleveland is portrayed as Dahmer’s neighbour in the series and plays a key role in getting him caught for his crimes, but it turns out she wasn’t his real neighbour. A woman named Pamela Bass lived next door to Dahmer and reportedly had no suspicions about him.

3. He didn’t really drink bags of blood

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Although Dahmer was employed by the Milwaukee Plasma Centre, the series shows him drinking bags of donated blood when he was working there. This was false as Dahmer later recalled in an interview that he It only tried one small vial of blood and spat it out immediately.

4. Dahmer killed 11 of his victims when he was on probation

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The series does not include the fact that Dahmer already had a criminal record for sexual assault and was on a five year probation period at the time of his arrest. Despite being monitored by the police, he killed 11 more people after his release from prison.

5. He never encountered the man jogging

Image Source: Radio Times

Dahmer is depicted stalking a man jogging nearby and becoming obsessed with him. In episode 3, Dahmer confronts the jogger armed with a baseball bat before he manages to escape. In real life, Dahmer never encountered the jogger as he didn’t show up that day as expected.

6. Glenda Cleveland didn’t live in Dahmer’s apartment block

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Although the series portrays Glenda Cleveland as Dahmer’s neighbour who was on a mission to get him caught for the crimes she suspected he had committed, it turns out she actually lived in a different apartment block and couldn’t have possibly known what Dahmer was up to.

7. Dahmer contacted several of his victims families after he had murdered them

Image Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

In the series Dahmer is shown calling the family of Errol Lindsey, who was his 11th victim, warning them to stop looking for him. What they failed to include was that Dahmer actually contacted many of his victims families to tell them to stop looking for their loved one.

8. Dahmer met with his probation officer twice a month

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The series omitted a major part of Dahmer’s life during his killing spree, which was his meetings with his probation officer twice a month after he was released from prison in 1990. These meetings lasted anywhere between 10 and 60 minutes, with the officer reporting that she spend more time with Dahmer than her other clients.

9. The manager of Club Bath Milwaukee didn’t warn other bathhouses about Dahmer

Image Source: WUWM

The series shows Dahmer at a bathhouse in Milwaukee where he first starts drugging men so he can take advantage of them. After reporting him to the police the manager warns other bathhouses about Dahmer, but this didn’t allegedly happen in real life.

10. The two police officers who handed a victim back to Dahmer were suspended immediately

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The series depicts the two police officers who handed Konerak Sinthasomphone back to Dahmer after he escaped being suspended by the chief of police after backlash from the media for misconduct. In real life, these officers were suspended as soon as Dahmer was arrested.

11. Dahmer was pulled over by police after he murdered his first victim

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The series makes out that there were limited opportunities for Dahmer to be caught for his crimes, but he was actually pulled over on suspicion of drink driving when he had the body of Steven Hicks in his car…but he managed to sweet talk them into being let off.

12. He showed all his victims The Exorcist III movie before murdering them

Image Source: Little White Lies

The series only depicts Tracy Edwards being forced to watch The Exorcist III, as Dahmer claims he “watches it everyday”. Although Edwards managed to escape the hands of a serial killer and was responsible for alerting the police, it turns out Dahmer made all of his victims watch the movie.

13. Dahmer’s probation officer visited him at his apartment days before his arrest

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The series does not portray Dahmer’s probation officer for over three years. She actually visited his apartment just days before his arrest to see Dahmer for one of their scheduled meetings, completely oblivious to the fact he was storing dead bodies of the men he had killed.

14. Ron Flowers was assaulted by Dahmer

Image Source: Radio Times

After the incident at Dahmer’s grandmothers house, Ron Flowers only remembers waking up in a hospital bed and he informed police he had been assaulted. They questioned Dahmer over the incident but they found his story to be credible and didn’t take it any further.

15. Nobody complained about the smell coming from Dahmer’s apartment

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The series depicts that his neighbour, Glenda Cleveland, made complaints about the smell coming from Dahmer’s apartment. Glenda Cleveland was not actually his real neighbour as she lived in another apartment block and although other tenants in the block noticed the smell nobody reported it.

16. Dahmer spent three years planning his first murder

Image Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Although the series portrays the moment Dahmer lured and killed his first victim, they didn’t include the fact he had fantasised and planned to attack a hitchhiker for three years prior to the murder. They omitted this part of the story as they didn’t want to tell it from Dahmer’s viewpoint.

17. Dahmer was supposed to receive psychiatric care

Image Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

As part of the requirements for his early release from prison after being charged with sexual assault, the judge ordered that Dahmer had to receive psychiatric intervention due to concerns about his behaviour. This never took place meaning Dahmer continued his killing spree.

18. Dahmer did not wear glasses during his trial

Image Source: Yahoo News

In the recent series, Jeffrey Dahmer is wearing his glasses throughout the murder trial. However, this was not a true representation of what really happened as he chose not to wear his glasses during the trial so he could avoid seeing people in the courtroom.

19. His real neighbour ate the sandwich

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One of the most disturbing scenes in the series is when Dahmer offers his neighbour, who is depicted as Glenda Cleveland, a sandwich containing mystery meat. She refused to the eat it, but his real neighbour Pamela Bass admitted that she did eat the sandwich and fears she has consumed human flesh.

20. His father was never around in his childhood

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The series portrays Dahmer’s relationship with his father as they bonded over the strange act of dissecting roadkill together. But it turns out his father was never around during his early years and only found out about his infatuation with dead animals after he was arrested.

21. Glenda Cleveland didn’t find Konerak Sinthasomphone in the street

Image Source: Distractify

The series was praised for the accurate representation of how Konerak Sinthasomphone was found in the street by Glenda Cleveland after escaping the hands of Jeffrey Dahmer. However, it was actually Cleveland's daughter Sandra Smith and niece Nicole Childress who found him and called the police.

22. Dahmer’s real neighbour had no suspicions about him

Image Source: IMDb

Pamela Bass recalled having no suspicions about Dahmer and even went over to his place on several occasions to have a beer together. She described him as “friendly but introverted” and the most noise she ever heard coming from his apartment was music.

23. He didn’t kill Ron Flowers because he was too heavy

Image Source: The Cinemaholic

In the series Dahmer’s grandmother came downstairs and wouldn’t leave Ron Flowers until he had woken up which disrupted Dahmer’s plan to kill him. But it turns out he was unsure if he could move his dead body after murdering him as he weighed 250 pounds.

24. Nobody knows the real reason Dahmer was murdered

Image Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The series portrays Christopher Scarver as having religious motives for the murder, but according to police reports he pled insanity. Other people also believe the murder could have been racially motivated as Dahmer’s victims were primarily black young males.

25. Glenda Cleveland never actually met Dahmer

Image Source: People.com

She was one of the main characters in the popular series being depicted as playing a pivotal role in Dahmer being captured for his crimes, but it turns out Glenda Cleveland never actually met Jeffrey Dahmer as she lived in a different apartment block.

26. Dahmer built an altar in his apartment

Image Source: The Sun

The series shows a demonic alter Dahmer assembled in his grandmothers house, but in real life he had planned to build an altar in his own apartment. Dahmer had drawn up the plans which featured the skulls and skeletons of his victims, but luckily he was caught before he could finish it.

27. Only two of the victims families sued Lionel Dahmer over his book

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The series depicts that all 17 victims’ families sued Jeffrey Dahmer’s father for profits over his book release, claiming it was an invasion of privacy. In reality, only 2 of the families sued Lionel Dahmer and the book was a financial flop meaning they never received any compensation.

28. The award ceremony never took place

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John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabris were the police officers who let one of Dahmer’s victims return to his apartment where he then killed him. The series depicts an award ceremony where these two men win “officer of the year” awards, but in real life this did not happen.

29. Dahmer's father was never concerned about his son

Image Source: Reddit

Once again, the series depicts that Dahmer had a relationship with his father who became concerned in his later years that he was a drunk recluse. In reality, his father was never worried about his son and when his crimes were unveiled he was just as shocked as the rest of the world.

30. The suspended police officers returned to work

Image Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The two police officers who missed a vital opportunity to capture Dahmer after one his victims escaped were suspended for misconduct. However, they won a lawsuit against the city and were reinstated in 1994 and both held long careers in the police force.

31. There Were Only Two Locks On The Apartment Door

Image Source / New York Daily NewsWhen we see the very first episode of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, we first see a close up of his door when he's using it, and later see Tracy Edwards' struggle to unlock all the bolts on the door before hurrying to get free. The extra bolts were obviously added for tension, because the real-life door only had two locks.

32. Judge William Gardner Received Fierce Backlash

Image Source / The TabDahmer was convicted of sexual assault before he went on to murder Konerack Sinthasomphone, and the judge who gave the sentence - William Gardner - was viewed as being too lenient in real life. The public criticised his decision to only sentence Dahmer to one year in a House of Correction.

33. And The Sinthasomphone Family Wasn't Even Present For The Sentencing

Image Source / Netflix DeedThe family of the assaulted Somsack Sinthasomphone, the brother of Konerack Sinthasomphone who Dahmer would later murder, weren't even told that the hearing was happening, so they weren't able to even go.

34. Tony Hughes Knew Dahmer For Two Years Before His Murder

Image Source / The SunIn the series, Dahmer is adamant he only met Tony on the same name he murdered him - just like his other victims - but people who knew Tony say that he knew Dahmer for around a year before he was killed, while others say it was around two.

35. There's No Record Of Sandra Smith Being Arrested In Real Life

Image Source / The TabIn the final episode of the Netflix show, the daughter of Glenda Cleveland - Sandra Smith - smashes a guy's camera after he was taking tasteless photographs outside Dahmer's apartment block. She's arrested for damaging the camera, but there's no record of this actually taking place in real life.

36. Dahmer Was Attacked First In Prison, Not Second

Image Source / Heavy.comThe show depicts how Dahmer met his end: at the hands of fellow prisoner, Christopher Scarver. In the episode, Dahmer overheard Scarver attacking another prisoner before turning his attention to Dahmer. In real life, though, Scarver went straight for Dahmer first, beating him to death before turning on the other prisoner in the room.

37. Dahmer Met Konerak Sinthasomphone At A Mall, Not A Store

Image Source / The SunThe show reveals Dahmer meeting Konerak when the young boy was standing outside a convenience store Dahmer buys beer at. In real life, he met Konerak at the Grand Avenue Mall. At the point of meeting Konerak, Dahmer had already assaulted his brother, Somsack.

38. The Judge Can't Understand The Broken English Of The Sinthasomphone Father In The Show - But In Reality The Father Was Never There

Image Source / Women's HealthThe show reveals the judge at the sentencing hearing for the Sinthasomphone attack struggling to understand the broken English of the father of the two Sinthasomphone brothers. But in real life, not the father, nor any of the other family, were present at the hearing.

39. The Show Didn't Accurately Portray The Criticism The Real-Life Judge Received

Image Source / USA TodayThe show didn't really give a second look to the Judge who first sentenced Dahmer, and he seemed a background character at best. But in reality, the Judge got a serious amount of backlash, and the show didn't accurately portray this.

40. Or The Criticism Dahmer's Probation Officer Donna Chester Received

Image Source / RedditDonna Chester was Jeffrey Dahmer's probation officer, and she also received a serious amount of backlash that was never depicted in the show. Chester was completely absent from the show, when in reality she visited Dahmer regularly at the very apartment where she would have been sat in the middle of human body parts hidden around her.

41. Dahmer Was Very Protective About His Parents

Image Source / Showbiz Cheat SheetIn the show, Dahmer is depicted as being very emotionless and flat in tone, and even when speaking to his father or when his father showed emotion to him. In reality, the journalist Anne Schwartz who wrote a book on the Dahmer case revealed that during a phone call, he did show emotion when it came to his parents in the form of being very protective of them.

42. And In Particular, His Mother

Image Source / All That's InterestingIn the show, Dahmer's relationship with his father is the focus of the parental situation. Although Joyce Dahmer does appear in the show, we don't see her and Dahmer really interact after he's convicted. But Schwartz also reported that, in reality, Dahmer was particularly protective about his mother.

43. Dahmer Refused To Let His Parents Take Responsibility For What He Did

Image Source / Heavy.comIn the show, there's a huge focus on Dahmer's father in particular thinking that he was to blame for what happened. He also wonders whether the drugs Dahmer's mother was taking had something to do with it. In reality, Dahmer refused to let anyone else be responsible for what he'd done - only him.

44. People Would Try To Take Physical Souvenirs From The Oxford Apartments

Image Source / Milwaukee Journal SentinelThe show does depict some people taking photographs outside the apartment, so the attention the apartment block gathered was realistic on that account. But in real life, it was much worse in that people would actually go to Oxford Apartments and try to take bricks or even pieces of dirt as souvenirs.

45. The Vacant Lot Is Blocked Off

Image Source / Only In Your StateThe show didn't reveal much about what happened to the apartment block after Dahmer's conviction and death, but it was eventually demolished, which is when people began to try taking even bricks as souvenirs. The lot where the apartments once stood is now blocked off.

46. And Schwartz Wasn't In The Show At All

Image Source / Amazon UKAnne Schwartz was the reporter who 'broke' the story of Jeffrey Dahmer in real life, but the Netflix show didn't feature her at all. In reality, she received a tip about the body parts discovered in the apartment and went to the scene of the crime.

47. The Smell Inside The Apartment Was Chemical

Image Source / The TabThe show makes constant references to the smell inside - and coming from - Jeffrey's apartment, presumed to be a decomposing body smell or at the least the smell of blood. But Schwartz reported that the smell in the apartment was only a "very chemical" smell.

48. The Show Has Been Criticised For Depicting Dahmer's Life More Than The Victims' Stories

Image Source / BBCThe show has done a very good job of revealing how the police mishandled the case, as well as the victims' stories, but a big criticism is that it focuses more on Dahmer's upbringing and state of mind - like his childhood flashbacks - than the victims' dignity.

49. The Show Has Avoided Accuracy For The Sake Of Drama

Image Source / www.netflix.comBut, at the end of the day, this is a Netflix television series, so of course it needs to amend some details to be more dramatic and build tension. But the controversy is whether a story that's traumatic for the surviving family should be given the 'TV show drama' treatment.

50. Tenants Of The Building Complained About The Smell And Noise

Image Source / OnMilwaukeeThe show depicted only one main neighbour constantly complaining about the smell and disturbances coming from Jeffrey's apartment. In reality, other tenants in the Oxford Apartments building did complain, which means more than one person officially reported the smells.