Rita Isbell Now Comments On Life After Errol Lindseys Murder

Publish date: 2024-03-28

Rita Isbell is Eroll Lindsey’s sister. In this article, she comments on how life is after her Brother Eroll Lindsey’s death and how it impacts her and Eroll’s family. 

In the Netflix original Series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” it is shown how notorious cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was apprehended after allegedly killing roughly 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. 

At his trial, a number of the victims’ families testified in front of the court about their sadness at losing a loved one. Rita Isbell, Errol Lindsey’s sister, adopted a different strategy and was unable to remain silent in court. She reacted pretty angrily and at one point even charged Jeffrey and his attorneys.

Dahmer continued to kill young boys and men as his crimes went unnoticed for more than ten years. Encyclopedia Britannica claims that the bulk of his victims were homosexual men of color.

Who Is Rita Isbell?

Rita Isbell is the sister of Errol Lindsey, Jeffrey Dahmer’s eleventh victim. The 19-year-old victim was the first on whom the serial murderer used his drilling technique, and as such, he endured horrendous agony at the hands of the killer. 

Jeffrey wanted to turn one of his victims into a mindless thing that would always remain in his control and have no free will, as most of his killings were conducted out of a desire for total control. Drilling was a means to an end in that the ruthless murderer would bore a hole into the victim’s head before injecting water or hydrochloric acid, aiming to render them unconscious.

On April 7, 1991, Errol and Jeffrey tried the technique for the first time, but the 19-year-old woke up and complained of a headache. That is when Jeffrey began to give him a lot of sedatives before killing him by strangulation.

Unbelievably, the killer continued to flay Errol’s skin and even kept it on him for a few days. With the exception of the skull, which Jeffrey kept in his possession, the rest of the teenager’s body was either dissolved in acid or pulverized.

Errol’s skull was discovered in the flat when Jeffrey was ultimately taken into custody by the police on July 22, 1991, and the victim was recognized thanks to dental records.

The 19-year- old’s loved ones were obviously devastated by the news, just like the families of the other victims, but they were determined to attend Jeffrey’s trial and support the killer’s conviction. Rita Isbell felt the same way since she deeply loved and missed her brother. After Errol vanished, his family made every effort to find him, but to no effect.

Rita nevertheless made the decision to testify at Jeffrey’s trial in the hopes that the public would learn the real identity of the murderer. She observed the victims’ relatives’ averted gazes, soft voices, and crying eyes when they were at the courthouse. 

In addition, few people ever directly addressed the murderer or even looked him in the eye. Rita decided to go a different route, though, and she communicated with Jeffrey immediately.

Rita was certain in the beginning that she did not want her mother to experience such heartache once more, but as she spoke to the serial killer, her wrath grew. She shouted at him at one point, calling him Satan and using another foul language. 

Rita, however, stormed toward the table where Jeffrey was sitting with his lawyers and even lunged at him when her rage reached a boiling pitch before being grabbed and led away by waiters.

Where Is Rita Isbell Now?

Rita Isbell explained her address to the Associated Press shortly after her outburst and stated, “They [the other families] just had to just sit there and hold it in.” He judged me based on what Errol would have done. 

The only difference would have been if Errol had jumped over that table. She further asserted that she wanted the murderer of her brother to understand what “out of control” meant. 

Curiously, Rita revealed that after Jeffrey’s death in November 1994, she frequently received unidentified phone calls from prisoners who said they would “take care” of him after his imprisonment.

Later, Rita discussed her experience in the 2001 documentary “Serial Killers: The Real Life Hannibal Lecters.” She hasn’t made any comments on the most recent Netflix episode since then and has stayed under the radar. In any case, her family seemed upset about the program since they feel it retraumatized the victims’ loved ones.

Rita further said:

When I found out I could read a victim impact statement, I knew I was going to let Jeffrey Dahmer have it. I just didn’t know what I was going to say.

I hadn’t written anything down. If I had, I would’ve torn it up anyway. It wouldn’t have gotten read. That was my first time ever being in front of him. Whatever I thought I was going to say, that didn’t happen. It all just came out in the moment.

My plans were to get up there and say how it made my mother feel and what it did to her and all this other stuff. But no, when I got in front of his face it was a whole new ball game. I recognized evil. I was face-to-face with pure evil.”

According to Insider, Rita also had comments about Netflix not contacting her and asking about her permission before using or airing her name on the show. She also explained how the character that Netflix picked was exactly like her and even used the same words. 

“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.”

Rita also commented on how sad she feels that Netflix is trying to make money out of this tragedy which is also pure greed. 

Errol’s always going to be alive in my spirit. And then his daughter. I have to keep him alive so I can talk about him to her.’

She lastly mentioned:

‘When I think of my brother, I think of how he was such a goofball, and I think he’s going to appreciate the fact that I’m still standing for him until my last breath. He knows that I’m still here for him.’

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