Did Jeffrey Dahmer Actually Watch Exorcist III 'Every Day'? Nearly.

      Credit: C/O

      

      

      

      In the early episodes of Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Jeffrey Dahmer brings a potential victim to his home and compels him to watch The Exorcist III. “I watch it every day,” remarks Dahmer, ominously portrayed by Evan Peters.

      This scene is unsettling — and it’s even more disturbing that Dahmer's enthusiasm for The Exorcist leads him to prefer its third installment over the original. But is this factually accurate, or is it an exaggerated detail meant to heighten the creepiness of the Ryan Murphy series?

      Actually, Jeffrey Dahmer is inherently creepy without embellishment. The man Dahmer attempted to murder, who managed to escape and convinced suspicious police to investigate Dahmer’s foul-smelling apartment, testified at the 1992 trial that Dahmer indeed forced him to watch The Exorcist III. Tracy Edwards, portrayed by Shaun J. Brown in Dahmer — Monster, testified that on the night Dahmer enticed him to his home, the cannibalistic killer initially appeared to be “a normal everyday person” but then began “chanting… like a slow ‘uuhhmmm’… and rocking back and forth” while they watched the horror film, as reported by The Chicago Tribune during the trial coverage.

      While the Netflix series may have slightly inflated Dahmer’s fondness for Exorcist III, Detective Dennis Murphy, to whom Dahmer ultimately admitted his crimes, testified that Dahmer claimed to have watched his VHS of the film two to three times a week for six months. While that's unusual, it doesn’t quite align with “I watch it every day.”

      Exorcist III, also known as Exorcist III: Legion, revolves around a serial killer named Gemini (played by Brad Dourif), who shares several similarities with Dahmer. Both individuals murdered 17 people (at least) and retained their victims' body parts. However, the film did not motivate Dahmer to embark on his killing spree: he killed his first victim, 18-year-old Steven Mark Hicks, in 1978, twelve years prior to the release of Exorcist III.

      The makers of Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story paid close attention to the trial testimonies. Edwards recounted that he and Dahmer sat at the edge of Dahmer’s bed to watch the film, mirroring the actions of Shaun J. Brown and Evan Peters in the series. Additionally, in reality, Edwards escaped Dahmer by striking him in the head and fleeing, which is depicted similarly in the show.

      One minor difference exists: in the series, Dahmer offers Tracy Edwards just $50 to come over to his place for some “artistic” photos, while in reality, Dahmer proposed $100. However, it’s important to note that Dahmer’s tactic of luring men and boys to his apartment under the guise of being a photographer was central to his modus operandi, and he often paid as little as $50. So, he was frugal, among other faults.

      Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

      Main image: Shaun J. Brown as Tracy Edwards and Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer — Monster just before the Exorcist III scenes.

       Mentioned This Article:Evan Peters Exorcist III Jeffrey Dahmer Legion Shaun J. Brown Tracy Edwards