“Dahmer: Monster – The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer” denounces the incompetence of the Milwaukee police at the time of the facts. Light on the two officers present in the series.
Heartbreaking, Episode 2 of Dahmer: Monster – The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer shows how two police officers escorted 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone back to his executioner’s apartment. In this surreal scene, neighbor Glenda Cleveland and her daughter worry about the boy’s fate as authorities don’t seem to take the threat seriously.
The reality is similar to the series. Officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish did leave the Laotian teenager in the hands of Jeffrey Dahmer. After the arrest of the murderer, in 1991, John Balcerzak defends himself and claims to have done the best he could with the information they had at the time.
In September 1991, the police duo was fired by their leader, Philip Arreola. They are accused of negligence following the murder of the young Konerak Sinthasomphone. Nevertheless, in 1994, they returned to their unit following a decision by the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. They both receive back pay of $55,000.
netflix Image from the series “Dahmer”.
The years pass and the two men pursue their careers. John Balcerzak becomes the president of the Milwaukee City Policemen’s Union from 2005 to 2009. The media Decide clarifies that, during his term, a new election is organized because his work is judged “disastrous”. The policeman, who still lives in Milwaukee, remains in office despite everything. He retired in 2017.
His partner, Joseph Gabrish left town after the fact. He joined the authorities in Grafton, Utah, where he became a captain. In 1997, he created the Trenton, Wisconsin City Police Department. Joseph Gabrish is now retired.
Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available on Netflix.