The minister who baptized Jeffrey Dahmer has spoken out about his decision to carry out the ritual.
Following the release of Netflix's new miniseries Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a whole new generation of people are learning about the disturbing crimes of the 'Milwaukee Cannibal'.
Starring Evan Peters as the titular serial killer, the 10-part series tells the story of Dahmer, who became known as one of the United States' most notorious killers after murdering 17 men and boys between the years of 1978 and 1991. His killings often saw him target Black, Asian, and Latinx men, with some of his victims being just 14 years old.
Even more gruesome is the fact that Dahmer would drug and sexually assault his victims, before going as far as to eat their flesh and organs. He also preserved some of their body parts and kept them in his home.
In the wake of the series, the stories of those who encountered Dahmer - such as his potential victims, fellow prisoners, and family members - have come to light, as viewers strive to learn more about the killer.
Now, the minister who baptized Dahmer - an event detailed in the final episode of the Netflix series - has spoken out about the time he spent with the criminal.
Following his imprisonment and confessions in 1991, Dahmer asked Detective Dennis Murphy if he could be given a copy of the Bible. This would eventually lead to Dahmer devoting himself to Christianity - a decision that would lead to him seeking baptism.
In 1994, minister Roy Ratcliff was working at a church in Wisconsin when he was asked by an Oklahoma minister if he would carry out a baptism on a man who was looking to "find God".
"I said, 'Ok, sure what’s his name?' and the guy who had called me said, 'You might want to sit down for this’ then he told me 'it’s Jeffrey Dahmer,'" Roy told The Sun.
Ratcliff, now 75, revealed that several other ministers turned down Dahmer's request, but he agreed to go ahead with the ritual.
The minister first encountered Dahmer in prison in April 1994, where he recalls he was left to wait in a room with just a table and chairs. Prior to meeting Dahmer, guards had warned the minister to remove his tie.
"When I first met [Dahmer], I didn’t know the grisly details and I think it was better not to know because it allowed me not to be prejudiced towards him," Ratcliff said. "Then, in a few minutes, Jeff enters the room and closes the door and shakes my hand then sits across from me."
Ratcliff says he was "impressed" by how courteous Dahmer was and found him to be very compliant.
"He was considerate, which I found surprising. Given that he had killed people I thought he would be a rougher person but he was gentle as far as I could see. For a moment there I’m thinking I’m in a room all by myself with a man who’s murdered so many people and I was a little apprehensive," he admits.
Dahmer even confessed to Ratcliff that he was apprehensive that he was "too evil" to be baptized.
Revealing why he chose to baptize the notorious killer, Ratcliff said: "If a man is seeking repentance for his sins then I should help him. That’s all I was thinking about."
The two continued to talk, and Dahmer would eventually confess the gruesome details of his crimes to Ratcliff - such as recalling the moment he ate the bicep of one of his victims.
"There was no question in my mind that he hadn’t done these things," Ratcliff says, adding that he believes Dahmer found killing so easy because "there was no one to stop him".
After the pair started to meet frequently to discuss the Bible, Ratcliff admits that he thought their newfound friendship would last until they were both in their old age.
"He was more human than we give him credit for," Ratcliff says, truly believing that Dahmer had repented for his crimes.
On May 10, 1994, Dahmer was baptized in a whirlpool that was usually used to treat inmates when they hurt their backs.
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