“The victims’ families, in some cases, have somehow found a way to move on with their lives, only to be re-traumatized years later by their Netflix suggestions.
I think, at some point, people are going to stop watching as the backlash continues to grow after each one. Some stories should just be left to documentaries or books with people involved in the case telling their own stories in their own words instead of a Hollywood millionaire trying to squeeze out every penny from people’s pain.”
The victims’ families were reportedly not contacted about the series and learned about it alongside the rest of the world.
On Twitter, Eric Perry, whose cousin Errol Lindsey was a victim of Jeffrey Dahmer, said, “I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?”
Additionally, Rita Isbell, Errol Lindsey’s sister, whose real-life victim impact statement from the 1992 sentencing was depicted in the series, told Insider, “When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That’s why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then. I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it.”
