Jeffrey Dahmer Survivor Leads Sad Life After Attack
(USNewsMag.com) – Jeffrey Dahmer was a notorious cannibalistic serial killer who terrorized his victims from 1978 to 1991, when he was arrested and subsequently convicted of his crimes. The Netflix series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” has recently brought the murderer’s actions back into the spotlight 30 years later. He was only caught because one of the victims, Tracy Edwards, escaped and flagged down the police. Despite having narrowly escaped death, however, Edwards wasn’t able to make the most of his new lease on life.
The Fateful Day
On July 22, 1991, Tracy Edwards was at Dahmer’s home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when he feared for his life. He managed to escape, still in handcuffs, and ran into the streets, where he waved down a passing patrol car. This was the beginning of the end for the infamous cannibal, and Edwards was hailed as a hero. Unfortunately, it was also the beginning of the end for Edwards, who defense attorney Paul Ksicinski says could “never put the pieces back together in his life.”
Dahmer was arrested following an investigation that uncovered a host of evidence at his home, including body parts, photos of his crimes, and preserved human heads. During the course of questioning, he confessed to having killed 17 people.
The Harrowing Tale
Dahmer went on trial for his crimes in 1992, where he was sentenced to 15 life terms. Edwards testified during the trial, telling jurors the harrowing experience he went through. Dahmer, he said, had Edwards at knifepoint and told him he was going to eat his heart.
Following the trial, Edwards refused to participate in civil litigation or even mention Dahmer again. Ksicinski says this is because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident. Edwards, who “called Dahmer the devil,” never received any counseling. Instead, he found himself in lots of legal trouble in the years following that fateful day.
A Messy Future
Following the trial, Edwards was sent to Mississippi to face sexual battery charges for an encounter with a 14-year-old girl. He also ended up being charged with drug offenses as well as property damage. The survivor spent more than a year behind bars when he pled guilty to aiding a felon, in lieu of homicide charges.
Edwards’ place in the story only came into the light because it’s showcased in the first episode of the Netflix series. Ksicinski says he hasn’t heard from him since 2015.
Have you watched, or will you watch the series?
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