‘It Didn’t Happen Like That’: Jeffrey Dahmer Victim’s Mom Calls Out Netflix For Depiction Of Her Son’s Murder

While Shirley admitted that she had not watched the series in its entirety, she said the parts that included her son were mostly false.

“I don’t see how they can do that,” she stated., “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.”

Shortly after making the statement —which raised the question of how it was possible for Netflix to include her family’s personal trauma without forewarning — Tony's mother ended the interview by saying it was difficult to talk about her son's murder.

Although it’s been 30 years since the heinous acts were committed on her disabled son, Netflix has revived the tragic events, repacking the very real events as binge-worthy content for viewers.

The Netflix series created by Ryan Murphy showed viewers how Tony became deaf as a child after being prescribed the wrong medication. The show further depicted Tony’s upbringing as he’s seen on screen learning sign language, reading lips, and using notes to communicate while growing up.

The episode that features Tony’s life story also showed him being picked up by Dahmer, an attempt to leave the serial killer’s apartment and ended with a scene of Dahmer, portrayed by Evan Peters, eating his liver.

In real life, Shirley was attending bible study when her son met Dahmer at a bar on March 24, 1991. She recalled to the AP in 1992 that “when it first happened, I thought I would lose my mind.”

That same year, Shirley won a civil suit that awarded her $10 million in damages. While the lawsuit sought any money that would be made off a television show, movie, or publication rights to the serial killer’s story, she was not involved in the making of the Netflix show or after for that matter.

Shirley now joins the other victims' families in speaking out against the trauma that’s been made for streaming.