Following the success of “Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, the sister of a victim, Rista Isbell, comes out of silence to denounce the Netflix series.
Dahmer: Monster – The story of Jeffrey Dahmer looks back on the unbearable crimes of the “Cannibal of Milwaukee”. Split into two parts, the series first focuses on the origins of the serial killer, before focusing on the point of view of the victims and their families.
In episode 8, many relatives follow one another during the trial to pay tribute to their sons, brothers or cousins. Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, the eleventh victim of Jeffrey Dahmer, goes into an uncontrollable rage and tries to attack the murderer. The scene is overwhelming, especially since it is faithful to reality.
Following the success of the series by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the real Rita Isbell comes out of the silence. For Insider media, she shares, in a long testimonyhis feelings about this project and the platform, but also his state of mind after all these years.
First, Rita Isbell admits to having only seen the passage in which “she” appears, but she refuses to watch the series in its entirety. “I lived it, I know what happened”, she explains.
“I could mistake it and believe it’s really meshe reacts to the images. Her hair is like mine, she wears the same clothes. That’s why I feel like I’m reliving everything all over again. All the emotions come back.”
netflix Actress DaShawn Barnes plays Rita Isbell on the show.
As for the project, Rita Isbell does not mince words: “I was never contacted. I think Netflix should have asked us, to find out how we would experience it. They didn’t tell me anything, they just listened to each other. But I’m not obsessed with money, yet that’s what Netflix do, they want to make a profit.”
She continues: “I could have understood if a certain amount of money had been paid to the children of the victims. (…) If they had been able to take advantage of the series, it would not have been so hard and inconsiderate. It’s sad that they just want to make money out of a tragedy. It’s greed, plain and simple.”
AND TODAY ?
Thirty years after the trial, Rita Isbell has been trying to rebuild her life. “This anger stayed with me for a long time. I did not have the same wisdom as today. (…) The more time passes, the more I can go through anything. I still have a life, a health, children, grandchildren.”
She adds : “Today I can talk about anything. I don’t want to ignore the answers, the questions, my opinions, how I feel, especially if I can help. If what I am expressing can relieve someone else, even myself, then yes.”
Rita Isbell reveals that her brother had become a father just before his disappearance. “Today, her daughter is 31 years old and this story took place 31 years ago. It is no longer about me, but about her. So when my name is mentioned, I think first of her, Tatiana Banks, the daughter of Errol Lindsey. And now he even has grandchildren of his own.”
Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available on Netflix.