'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story': Ryan Murphy Reveals He Is in Talks to Set up a Memorial for the Victims (2024)

Ryan Murphy is the creator of the controversial Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Following the backlash surrounding re-traumatizing the victims’ families and not informing them of the series’ creation, Murphy reveals what went into making the series accurate. But Murphy also reveals he hopes to create a memorial for the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer that was never developed in the first place.

Why the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer never got a memorial?

The horrifying stories of what Dahmer did to his victims would make anyone quiver in fear and sick. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story dives deep into everything about Dahmer, from his childhood, his parent’s complex divorce, his growing morbid interests, and his victims. Audiences see the birth of one of America’s worst serial killers. But the series set out to spotlight the victims and their stories.

In the series, audiences learn the gravity of Dahmer’s damage to their families and the people around them. But it also displayed the negligence on behalf of the police and the city to protect and commemorate the victims of color. The final scenes of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story shows Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, going to the Milwaukee city office to inquire about building a memorial where the Oxford apartment once stood.

Cleveland explains she suggested turning the park they planned to build into a memorial. The worker explains they have been waiting for permit approvals. She also reveals many would rather forget than build on the lot. According to Seventeen, there is still debate on whether to make a memorial.

Mayor Johnson explains, “They deserve our respect. I am cautious, however, about a physical memorial. That would have an unfortunate potential to attract people who have a morbid fascination with the killer. That is something I would prefer to avoid.” Other patrons and officials fear a memorial would have incited bias or traumatize families who actively avoid the site.

Ryan Murphy would willingly pay for a memorial for Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy breaks down how they created the Jeffrey Dahmer series for Netflix. While the series has been heavily criticized for not informing the victims’ families, Murphy reveals he and his team “reached out to 20, around 20, of the victims’ families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people. And not a single person responded to us in that process.”

Murphy claims he did not set out to glorify Jeffrey Dahmer the killer but to depict the aspects of his life that led to his monstrous ways. He and his team wanted to “celebrate” the lives cut short by Dahmer. When discussing the issue of a memorial for Dahmer’s victims, Murphy explains he would willingly pay for one himself.

“Anything that we could do to get that to happen, you know, I would even be happy to pay for it myself,” explained Murphy. “I do think there should be something. And we’re trying to get a hold of people to talk about that. I think there’s some resistance because they think the park would attract people who are interested in paying homage to the macabre … but I think something should be done.”

While many feel the empty lot where the Oxford apartment once stood should be made to honor the victims, there is a rise of concern. Since the series’s popularity, there has been a rise in adoration for Dahmer. Children are dressing as the killer for Halloween, and Lionel Dahmer is getting unwelcome visits from obsessed fans.

Halloween 2022 sees a rise in Jeffrey Dahmer costumes

Morbid curiosity about serial killers is nothing new. Since the release of the Netflix series and the following douc-series, there has been an upsetting influx. Lionel Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer’s father, has spoken out about the series and people’s newfound love for the killer.

Lionel Dahmer has since considered suing Netflix, and his assistant reports obsessed and hostile fans trespassing at the 86-year-old’s home. That is not the end, as many are upset over a rise in Halloween costumes about Jeffrey Dahmer.

According to Newsweek, parents dress their children as replicas of Dahmer from the stripped shirt, fake glasses, blonde hair, and fake body parts. Some children are even dressed in Dahmer’s orange jumpsuit. In one instance, a child carried a fake mystery meat sandwich like the one Dahmer gave to his next-door neighbor. The victims’ families have expressed their distaste and anger toward the series, even Shirley Hughes.