Trigger warning: Violence, homophobia, and racism
Three weeks after his graduation in 1978, the notorious Jeffery Lionel Dahmer committed his first murder.
Years of cannibalism, outrage, and fear spawned until 1991 when Dahmer was finally arrested in his Milwaukee apartment. So, what went on for the 13 years in which dozens of Black boys and men went missing? Why did the police not investigate? Why did no one notice?
The answers lie in the new docuseries Netflix released, “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”
Jeffery Dahmer was responsible for the murders of 15 Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Latino boys and men in Milwaukee, whom he encountered at gay bars and other LGBTQ community locations. On account of deep-seated histories of police indifference towards both the Black and LGBTQ community, these crimes were able to persist, and without this element, the story is incomplete and gives up the opportunity to evaluate a significant societal problem.
The docu-series highlights the many instances in which the Milwaukee police could have intervened but neglected to do so. Such cases include 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, a Laotian boy who managed to escape Dahmer’s apartment and searched for safety from officers Joseph T. Gabrish and John A. Balcerzak. These officers were given the opportunity to rescue the bleeding, confused, and naked child but returned Sinthasomphone to Dahmer despite the protests of a Black neighbor, prominent throughout the series, named Glenda Cleveland, who was often ignored because of her race.
Ronald Flowers was an African American man who Dahmer drugged but decided not to kill and was instead abandoned next to a cornfield. After spending several days in a narcotized state, Ronald attempted to take legal action against Dahmer but the police refused to further investigate the issue.
It seldom occurs that a serial killer is perfect at covering their tracks, and this case is no different. It is rather a plethora of external factors in which a staggering body count follows them.
During the conclusion of the murders, tenants in Dahmer’s building – most notably his neighbor Glenda Clevland – begin to notice a horrific smell and the sounds of power tools echoing throughout the vents. In spite of countless complaints from tenants, the Milwaukee police never searched Dahmer’s apartment.
The police failed to pursue Dahmer vigorously because many of his accusers and ultimately victims were Black. Netflix’s “Dahmer” exposes the serious threat that systemic racism yields.
The history of indifference towards the Black and LGBTQ communities that reduced the odds of intervention in Dahmer’s case, continues today as it have for centuries. The racially marginalized and most vulnerable members of our communities were treated without respect, which is still a serious issue we are dealing with today.