In Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the Netflix documentary about the famed titular serial murderer, Glenda Cleveland serves as the film’s de facto protagonist. While the series of events ultimately resulted in the tragic deaths of 17 men and boys as a result of Dahmer’s killing spree, which ultimately lasted for about 13 years, Cleveland was commended for being the first person to inform the police about Dahmer and alert them to his suspicious behavior (although they turned her complaints away, as heard in the now-famous 911 call played at the conclusion of Episode 2 of the show).
Cleveland’s bravery in trying to get the police to look into Dahmer more closely would undoubtedly be acknowledged in the Netflix show. In actuality, the dramatization embellishes and exaggerates a lot of the encounters between Cleveland and Dahmer.
Glenda’s role in the present, how it differed from reality, and what happened to her after Dahmer’s conviction are all covered in this article.
Glenda Cleveland: What happened to her?
Glenda Cleveland truly did live next door to Dahmer. If the police had only listened to Cleveland, according to a fairly damning report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “the serial killer may have been stopped two months sooner.” According to sources, in the early hours of May 27, 1991, Cleveland’s teenage daughter Sandra Smith and niece Nicole Childress reportedly witnessed a teenage male fleeing from Dahmer while he was nude, bleeding, and unresponsive. After calling the police, who soon showed up, they attempted to protect the youngster from Dahmer.
According to AP News, Smith earlier stated, “We tried to tell the policeman our identities, but he basically ordered us to butt out.” Why he objected to our names was beyond my comprehension. What will you do about this? The youngster, Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14, was drugged, beaten, and given an injection of hydrochloric acid by Dahmer, as far as we know. Hours later, Dahmer would kill the guy, but at that instant, he managed to convince the authorities that the victim was his 19-year-old partner, who had just overindulged. A 1991 Milwaukee Sentinel story claims that the police dismissed the event as “a home quarrel between two homosexuals.”
According to iHorror, once Cleveland received a report from Smith and Childress, she called the police to follow up, voicing her worries and again stating that she thought the young guy was a kid. “Are you certain?” she asked at one point. The reason is that this youngster does not even speak English. My daughter had previously interacted with him when she saw him on the street. I am catching worms if you will. He was confirmed as not being a kid by Cleveland. Cleveland reported his concerns to the police, but they were not taken seriously, so Dahmer went on to murder four more people.
Cleveland, who was raised in a family that valued honesty and giving back, passed away on December 24, 2010, at the age of 56. The medical examiner determined that his death was a “natural death caused by heart disease and high blood pressure,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. According to the report, “Cleveland got an official honor from the Common Council and County Board.” Mayor John Norquist called her “an exceptional citizen.”
Local women’s organizations and even the Milwaukee Police Department gave her prizes. Even two decades later, her daughter reported that several of the plaques were still affixed to the walls of her spotless apartment. She had maintained contact with Konerak Sinthasomphone’s family and attended one of their sons’ weddings, according to the newspaper.
Upon reaching the age of 56, she passed away
Cleveland passed away at home from heart disease and high blood pressure, according to the Sentinel. According to USA Today, Smith blamed her smoking habit for the incident. Cleveland was praised by the Common Council and the County Board before she passed away, and Mayor John Norquist referred to her as a “model citizen” in his eulogy. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she won several accolades from regional organizations for women and was even honored by the Milwaukee Police Department.
