Jeffrey Dahmer: why is everyone watching Netflix’s new serial killer series?

Netflix’s new series gives viewers a gruesome seat into the life of one of America’s worst serial killers

If you’ve seen Netflix’s limited series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, or you’re mentally preparing for Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, you know the story is chilling.

The series follows the life of Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered 17 boys and men from 1978 to 1991.

Dahmer committed his first murder when he was 18 years old.

These murders were terrifying—keeping bodies in his home for weeks before dissecting them, freezing them and boxing their bare bones under his bed.

Young men were lured to his home with promises of partying or money for posing for nude photos.

Once they were inside his home, Dahmer would drug them with alcohol or chloroform before murdering them. He also performed grotesque experiments on their bodies.

According to FBI documents, Dahmer told investigators he even tried to create “love slaves”.

He did this by drilling holes into his victim’s skulls and injecting acid or boiling water into their brains, turning them into “zombies” in the process.

In July 1991, one of his intended victims managed to escape and ran naked down the street.

The man was screaming for help until a police officer came to apprehend him.

He led authorities back to Dahmer’s apartment where they found archived photos of his victims, along with multiple severed heads stored in a refrigerator and freezer.

They also found torsos dissolved in acid vats and mounds of rotting flesh throughout the apartment—evidence of cannibalism.

What happened to Jeffrey Dahmer?

Dahmer’s father claimed things changed after Jeffrey had hernia surgery at four-years-old.

After that surgery, he stopped speaking and became withdrawn. Some believe this contributed to the violence he later inflicted on others.

In 1981, Dahmer joined the armed forces but was later discharged because of heavy drinking.

Around this time, he began collecting bones from roadkill animals as souvenirs—a hobby that would eventually escalate into something much more macabre.

While serving in the military, he reportedly decorated his room with a poster of Iron Maiden.

He was also believed to be infatuated with the picture book, The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

The fairytale follows goats who try to cross a bridge when they are confronted by a troll who threatens to kill them.

In 1986, he moved into his grandmother’s house in Milwaukee so he could have more privacy for his gruesome activities.

But in1992, Dahmer—one of America’s worst serial killers—was arrested and sentenced to 15 life terms.

Two years later, he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage. He was 34 years old.

Why are we so interested in these stories?

Netflix’s gruesome story is smashing streaming records.

The 10-episode series surpassed ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Bridgerton’ in its first week, as Netflix’s most-watched offering.

It has become the platform’s ninth most popular English-language TV series of all time.

“True crime is very different from the typical shows you normally have on in the background,” says Dr. Dean Fido, who is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby.

The story of Jeffrey Dahmer is no exception to this rule.

His gruesome crimes are a stark reminder of the very real dangers that exist in our world today. But as audiences, we tend to seperate ourselves form this horror.

“As humans, we are always looking for something new and novel. Whether it’s good or bad, we need something that creates an element of excitement,” Dr. Fido said.

True crime remains highly popular—whether it is in the form of books, TV shows, podcasts or even conventions.

Dr. Fido believes it’s the perfect blend of curiosity, imagination and horror.

“When we mix this desire with insight and solving a puzzle, it can give us a short, sharp shock of adrenaline, but in a relatively safe environment.”