Due recognition
Dr Todd Grande is a mental health counsellor. He has a YouTube channel on which he dissects the state-of-mind of people involved in noteworthy events. In an episode dated 25.08.2021, he describes Dennis Nilsen as Britain's Jeffrey Dahmer
. But that's completely arse about face.
Admittedly, Dahmer scored his first victim in June, 1978, a full six months before Nilsen started his spree. Nevertheless, by January 1983, the year in which he was captured, Nilsen had a run of fifteen murders to his name. Dahmer, on the other hand, didn't score his second until almost five years later, in November 1987. And, overall, he only bested Nilsen by two victims.
Thus, despite his late start, Nilsen's enthusiasm elevated him to serial killer status while Dahmer was still a freshman. I know that Americans always like to be first and best at everything. But credit where credit's due, Dr Grande: if anything, Jeffrey Dahmer was America's Dennis Nilsen. (pipe)
For extra bonus points, Nilsen was also the first to have his story told both in film and on television.