Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story heavily features Jeffrey Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, and after all the trauma of Dahmer’s actions, here’s what happened to Glenda Cleveland. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is Netflix’s latest true crime hit as it recreates the horrifying events carried out by Jeffrey Dahmer, the Milwaukee Cannibal. The Netflix show, starring Evan Peters as Dahmer, has been surrounded by controversy over its recreation of the events, but Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has still managed to become one of Netflix’s most popular TV shows of the year.
One person who has been praised due to Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is Glenda Cleveland – portrayed by Niecy Nash – who was Jeffrey Dahmer’s neighbor in real life and Dahmer’s next-door neighbor in the Netflix show. Despite other people’s objections, Cleveland stayed in the same apartment adjacent to Dahmer’s building until 2009 and worked at a data entry job before her retirement. Cleveland has received formal honors from the Common Council and the County Board for her efforts to stop Jeffrey Dahmer from killing more victims.
Why Glenda Cleveland Is So Important To The Jeffrey Dahmer Case
Glenda Cleveland is vital to the Jeffrey Dahmer case for her attempts to help his many victims. Cleveland’s daughter and niece spotted Konerak Sinthasomphone escaping from Dahmer’s apartment, drugged and barely conscious. Cleveland begged Milwaukee police to not return Sinthasomphone to Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment and to at least check his age, but the police officers returned Dahmer’s victim after ignoring this – as well as dismissing her later phone call – which resulted in Konerak Sinthasomphone’s death.
Cleveland’s care and bravery are important – as she tried hard to stop Dahmer – and is also important to the proceedings in showing how Jeffrey Dahmer was able to get away with his crimes for so long. The police’s constant dismissal of Glenda Cleveland only highlighted how race and sexuality played a part in Dahmer’s ability to escape justice. The police chose Dahmer’s word over the very real and repeatedly expressed concerns of a Black woman, as well as making the notable decision to avoid investigating his apartment due to their seeming discomfort with Dahmer’s sexuality. Dahmer used this to enable his crimes, and appeared to bank on being trusted by the police over his Black neighbor.
Where Is Glenda Cleveland Now?
Glenda Cleveland sadly passed away in December 2011 from natural causes (via Stylecaster). Although Cleveland stayed in her apartment near Dahmer’s for a long time after serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested, she moved in 2011 to a new apartment close by. According to Stylecaster, Cleveland did not talk much about the Jeffrey Dahmer case, particularly as five of Dahmer’s victims were murdered after Cleveland’s reports to the police and the FBI.
Cleveland stayed in contact with the Sinthasomphone family until her death, and even attended one of their sons’ weddings. After retirement, Cleveland helped look after her daughter’s nine children and kept some of her honorary plaques in her apartment. Glenda Cleveland is an important figure in the Dahmer case, and her caring, protective nature is shown in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – as well as the painful dismissal of her entirely correct concerns.