Photo: Twitter | Milwaukee Police Department
From hero to prisoner.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Sep 27, 2022
In the premiere of Ryan Murphy's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," viewers watched the harrowing story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's final victim, Tracy Edwards.
From 1978 until 1991, Dahmer brutally murdered, dismembered, and ate various body parts of the 17 men and boys who fell victim to his crimes.
The case of Dahmer, who was deemed the "Milwaukee Monster" is most notably the city police's biggest failure.
However, his final victim, Tracy Edwards, who was 32 at the time, managed to get away and lead police to Dahmer, evidently being the one who put a stop to his reign of terror.
In the first episode of the true-crime Netflix show, Edwards, played by Shaun J. Brown, meets Dahmer, played by Evan Peters, at a local bar.
Edwards agreed to go back to Dahmer's apartment, thinking the two would hook up, completely unaware that Dahmer had plans to murder him.
However, after Edwards entered Dahmer's apartment, he noticed a foul smell and attempted to leave but Dahmer was quick to react. He handcuffed Edwards and threatened him with a knife.
Edwards ended up playing along with Dahmer's plans but plots his escape in his head. The two enter Dahmer's bedroom, where Dahmer puts a movie on and lies down on Edwards' chest saying he wants to eat his heart.
Edwards punches Dahmer in the face before he manages to escape, running down an alleyway before he's found by the police. Edwards then led authorities back to Dahmer's apartment where they found polaroids and various body parts of Dahmer’s previous victims.
Where is Tracy Edwards now?
Edwards is now 63 and his whereabouts are unknown.
After Edwards escaped Dahmer in July 1991, effectively putting an end to America's most notorious serial killer, who was caught on July 22, 1991, Edwards ended up getting into trouble with the law.
According to ABC News, Edwards was arrested for homicide in July 2011 after he was seen on a Milwaukee bridge with two other homeless men, Timothy Carr and Jonny Jordan.
“A witness at a gas station across the street saw Edwards and Carr push Jordan some 20 feet into the river below and called the cops,” the outlet reported. “By the time cops arrived, Jordan had drowned.”
Edwards eventually pleaded guilty to aiding a felon and was sentenced to one and a half years in prison and two years of extended supervision, according to the National Post.
At the time Edwards was 52 and homeless, moving from shelter to shelter since 2002.
Edwards' defense attorney, Paul Ksicinski, blamed his client's constant run-ins with the law on his narrowly missing being murdered by Dahmer.
"It’s like Humpty Dumpty,” he said. “It’s like he was never able to put the pieces back together again [after Dahmer].”
Previously, Edwards had various brushes with the police, including drug possession, property damages, failure to pay child support, and bail jumping.
It's unclear where Edwards resides to date.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.