Truth about locks on Jeffrey Dahmer's door to stop victims from leaving

Netflix's new Jeffrey Dahmer series has taken the world by storm. If you don't have a clue what I'm on about, check out the trailer:

The chilling series chronicles the heinous crimes committed by the infamous killer, who murdered 17 men between 1978 and 1991.

Since his arrest and murder, Dahmer has become a cult figure, with people paying to go on ghoulish walking tours of his neighbourhood.

And Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story landed on the streaming site last week, detailing his killing spree.

One of those who managed to make it out of his apartment alive, though, was Tracy Edwards.

On 22 July 1991, Dahmer lured Edwards back to his Milwaukee apartment. Dahmer is said to have offered victims money to pose for some nude photos, while it's also reported he invited Edwards to drink beer and watch The Exorcist.

In the first episode of the series, Edwards is taken hostage but manages to overpower the murderer and make a run for it.

Netflix

While this incident did happen, one detail has been questioned by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: the door.

In the series, it's shown as having numerous locks, but it's unclear as to whether this was actually true, due to Edwards' account changing later on.

The article says: "Edwards is shown on the show fiddling with the locks and trying to escape, which actually became a point of contention in real life. 

"Edwards' story changed throughout the aftermath of Dahmer's arrest, including appearances on talk shows in which he talked about the numerous locks on the door, while photos of the scene showed only two. 

"The other evidence police find in the apartment during the episode, from the painted skulls to the heads in the refrigerator, were real details from the scene."

Following his escape, Edwards managed to flag down a police car, leading them back to Dahmer's home.

Netflix

Edwards later told police he managed to escape by gaining Dahmer's trust. "He underestimated me," Edwards said, "God sent me there to take care of the situation."

Edwards, who is played by Shaun J. Brown in the new true crime drama, explained during court testimony that Dahmer was ‘not the same person’ he met at the bar when he had been taken into the bedroom. 

"His face structure seemed different… It was like, it wasn’t him anymore," he recalled. 

But after being hailed a hero for his role in taking Dahmer down, Edwards’ story took a turn of its own when he was arrested on 26 July 2011 – almost 20 years to the day after Dahmer’s capture. 

Edwards, who was homeless and aged 52 at the time of the arrest, was accused of throwing a man off a Milwaukee bridge to his death. 

Watch Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix now. 

Topics: TV and Film, Netflix, True Crime

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom