Milwaukee's darkest chapter now on Netflix

I'm JR Radcliffe, and this is the Daily Briefing newsletter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sign up here to get it sent to your inbox each morning.

Fall is showing itself Thursday, with a high of only 62 degrees but a sunny day otherwise. Bust out those jackets!

Jeffrey Dahmer story given new take on Netflix

One of Milwaukee's darkest chapters is back in the zeitgeist with the arrival of Netflix's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," a dramatization of the serial killer who drugged, murdered and dismembered 17 men, including 16 in Milwaukee.

The series comes from creator Ryan Murphy, whose celebrated projects have included TV shows "Glee," "Pose," "American Horror Story" and "American Crime Story." It stars Emmy winner Evan Peters as Dahmer and two-time Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins, among other prominent actors such as Niecy Nash, Molly Ringwald and Shaun Brown.

The stomach-turning details of the story, particularly his acts of cannibalism, have been oft-represented in popular culture, including a 2002 movie starring Jeremy Renner. Murphy himself used Dahmer as a character in one installment of his American Horror Story franchise, when Seth Gabel portrayed Dahmer in the 2011 "Hotel" series.

It's obviously not for the faint of heart, but it's sure to bring renewed attention to the murders.

Of the show's 10 episodes, at least the first three include details from the original reporting.

There show also takes some creative liberties. And the second episode covers the confrontation that ultimately divided the city — when Milwaukee police officers returned an escaped victim, 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, to Dahmer's custody.

Read more about the show and the perspective of Anne E. Schwartz, a former reporter who broke the story for the Milwaukee Journal.

Did you realize 'parole' only applies to crimes committed more than 20 years ago?

Tim Michels, the Republican challenger for governor, has called upon current Gov. Tony Evers to end all paroles in Wisconsin, effectively criticizing the Evers administration for granting parole to violent offenders.

It's a little more complicated than that, though; by law, Evers cannot intervene in those situations (though he appoints the person who can).

But what you may not know is that under the current legal system in Wisconsin, parole is only available to those convicted of a crime committed before Dec. 31, 1999. A "truth in sentencing" approach was implemented in 2000, with bipartisan support, and often involves judges assigning a time for "initial confinement" and another time for "extended supervision" — meaning all prisoners serve every day of the sentence imposed by a judge.

Here's a rundown of all the rules that govern parole and sentencing in our state.

It could be an interesting topic at the upcoming gubernatorial debate Oct. 14 — the only debate on the docket for Evers and Michels. Our editorial board doesn't think that's enough.

Don't miss these

• This Wisconsin location is on a national list for "coolest bathrooms."

• Interested in composting? There's a company that can help you figure it out.

• An October hiking challenge on a popular trail in the area offers a twist that might have you strolling through some trail communities, too. 

• Guess I won't be using my Panic! At the Disco tickets after all. 

Trying to understand the Brett Favre saga in Mississippi?

Primarily leaning on reporting from Mississippi Today, I tried to piece together a timeline of Brett Favre's involvement in the massive Mississippi fraud scandal. The Hall of Fame Packers quarterback hasn't been charged with a crime, nor has former governor Phil Bryant, but there are a lot of troubling text messages featuring both.

Favre has been sued by the state and already repaid $1.1 million of misspent government money for speeches that he supposedly did not show for (though he disputes that he no-showed). He still owes interest on that money. At the center of the scandal is a volleyball center Favre pushed to have built on the campus of his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, as well as a biomedical startup called Prevacus for which Favre is a partner.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jeffrey Dahmer story given new take on Netflix