How was serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer finally caught?

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, now streaming on Netflix, tells the harrowing story of the real-life murderer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer. The serial killer went on a killing spree that lasted over a decade and resulted in at least 17 victims.

Some of his killings involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts. The ten-episode series also focuses on the systemic racism of the police force, which partly contributed to Dahmer getting away with what he did for so long.

The police finally arrested him in 1991. How did the police discover what Dahmer was doing?

How was Jeffrey Dahmer finally caught?

If you’ve at least seen the first episode of the Netflix series, you have a good idea of how Dahmer’s crimes eventually caught up to him. The premiere starts with Dahmer meeting Tracy Edwards, one of his only surviving victims. The real-life events happened very similarly to what the show portrayed.

Dahmer was apprehended on July 22, 1991. That day, he approached three men and offered them money to pose for nude photographs. Edwards agreed and returned to Dahmer’s apartment, where the serial killer handcuffed him and held a knife to his chest.

Edwards was able to escape by punching Dahmer and running out the door. When he did, he found two Milwaukee police officers. Edwards led them back to Dahmer’s apartment, where they found polaroid pictures of his dismembered victims. He tried to flee, but the officers held him down.

Dahmer went to trial and was charged with 16 counts of murder. He was sentenced to 16 life terms in prison to be served consecutively. After nearly three years in prison, Dahmer was beaten to death by a fellow inmate.

What happened to Tracy Edwards?

Following that frightful night for Edwards, he was charged with drug possession, theft, and failure to pay child support, among other things. He also served a year and a half in prison after pleading guilty to helping a felon push a man off a bridge to his death.

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now streaming its 10-episode season on Netflix.