During the trial of Jeffrey Dahmer, a young defence attorney called Wendy Patrickus was tasked with the difficult challenge of defending the serial killer.
The defence attorney has since opened up about working with the infamous Milwaukee Monster in the new Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.
This is only the third time in 30 years that Wendy has ever given insight into her time spent with the serial killer.
So who is the defence attorney of Jeffrey Dahmer and where is Wendy Patrickus now?
Here’s everything you need to know…
Who was the defence attorney of Jeffrey Dahmer, Wendy Patrickus?
Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer in the 1970s to 1990s, who confessed to murdering 17 victims within the span of just 13 years.
In the new Netflix documentary, we delve deeper into Jeffrey Dahmer’s case and learn more about his horrific killings.
Appeaing in the documentary is Wendy Patrickus, the defence attorney of Jeffrey Dahmer.
Wendy was just 25 years old when she was assigned her first ever case – and was only one year out of law school.
And, unfortunately for her, Jeffrey Dahmer’s case wasn’t an easy one.
She was assigned by her boss, Gerald Boyle, to defend the notorious Milwaukee Monster, aka Jeffrey Dahmer.
Wendy Patrickus built a rapport with Jeffrey Dahmer
Speaking in the documentary, Wendy recalled the first time that she met the serial killer.
She said: “When I first went to see him, it was a very small interview rom. There was Jeff sitting in the corner.
“I was incredibly nervous, because this is something that I felt was way over my head. I felt like Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.”
Wendy also shared how she had to build a rapport with Jeffrey in order to carry out her duties.
She explained that she had to be non-judgemental while she heard, in great detail, the violent and gruesome acts he committed.
Wendy admitted: “In order to be a good defence attorney, you have to be non-judgmental and develop a trust.
“He called me Wendy and I called him Jeff.”
On the tapes, we can also hear Wendy telling Jeffrey: “This is okay, Jeff. I mean, don’t be embarrassed about it. Am I making you uncomfortable?”
Jeffrey then went on to list the many horrific crimes he committed, including drugging, dismembering and eating his victims.
He also confessed to performing experiments on his victims to put them in a “zombie-like state”.
Jeffrey infamously did this to the 14-year-old boy, Konerak Sinthasomphone, who almost managed to escape before the police returned him back to the serial killer.
Wendy Patrickus was also sat next to Jeffrey during his trial in court, where he was met with many of the victims’ families including Rita Isbell.
Where is Jeffrey Dahmer’s defence attorney Wendy Patrickus now?
After defending one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, Wendy continued to practise law in Milwaukee.
For 33 years, she counselled clients in a variety of complex and unusual crime cases and became a member of the Wisconsin Academy of Criminal Defence Lawyers.
Wendy also went on to write a book about her experience defending the murderer and the case that would forever define her life.
She called the book Defending the Devil: Inside the Trial of My Client Jeffrey Dahmer and it was published in March 2022.
In the book, she shared insight into Jeffrey’s methods of attack and how he became a cannibal.
She also opened up about the bond she formed with her client and why she still believes the conviction and sentence Jeffrey received were wrong.
In the tapes, Wendy admitted worrying about Jeffrey dying in prison because “everybody had such strong opinions on his actions”.
Read more: Was Jeffrey Dahmer’s hernia operation to blame for his violent criminal behaviour?
Conversations With A Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes is available to watch on Netflix from Friday October 07 2022.
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