Dive into the spine-tingling, real-life nightmare of Ed Gein, the infamous 'Butcher of Plainfield'—a seemingly ordinary farmer whose hidden atrocities shocked the world and fueled some of Hollywood's most terrifying films. But here's where it gets controversial: how much of his story has been twisted for entertainment? Stick around as we unpack the facts, and you might just question everything you thought you knew about true crime.
Ed Gein, the central figure in Netflix's latest true-crime series, appeared to outsiders in the 1950s as a reclusive, unassuming farmer living in rural Wisconsin. Yet, beneath that facade lurked a macabre secret: a home transformed into a chamber of horrors that would later inspire blockbuster horror movies like 'Psycho' and 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.' For instance, the eerie, skin-crafted items in his house eerily mirrored the psychological terror in Alfred Hitchcock's classic, while the brutal, isolated setting echoed the raw dread of Tobe Hooper's slasher flick.
Born on August 27, 1906, to George and Augusta Gein, Ed grew up with a single brother named Henry. The family relocated to their Plainfield farm when Ed was just a child, where they lived in near-total seclusion. Ed attended school but faced harsh punishments from his domineering mother if he dared to socialize or form friendships. Their household was rigidly religious and strict, shaping Ed's isolated worldview. And this is the part most people miss: the profound impact of his upbringing on his later actions, which investigators later linked to his twisted obsessions.
Gein recounted to authorities that he and Henry endured abuse from their father, who passed away from heart failure in 1940. Tragedy struck again four years later when Henry died under mysterious circumstances. While the Netflix series dramatizes this as a murder committed by Ed, real-life investigators initially dismissed foul play, and Gein himself never confessed to any involvement. This discrepancy raises eyebrows—could it have been an accident, or is there more to the story? It's a point that sparks heated debates among true-crime enthusiasts.
Ed deeply admired his mother and cared for her after she suffered a stroke shortly after Henry's death. She succumbed to a second stroke in 1945, leaving him even more alone. Gein's fixation on her memory would later drive his horrific deeds, as he sought to 'become' her in the most grotesque ways imaginable.
Now, let's delve into the crimes that earned him the moniker 'Butcher of Plainfield.' Gein's arrest came in 1957, triggered by the vanishing of Bernice Worden, the owner of a local hardware store. Police discovered a receipt from Gein's purchase at the store, along with bloodstains, which led them straight to his property. In a shed, they unearthed Worden's mutilated corpse, suspended from hooks with her head severed—a discovery that still haunts investigators today.
At 51 years old, Gein confessed to killing Worden. But the horrors didn't stop there. Inside his farmhouse, authorities uncovered a trove of nightmarish artifacts: human skulls, a lampshade crafted from skin, over half a dozen masks fashioned from women's facial flesh, and even a wearable corset made from a female torso's skin. These items weren't just trophies; they represented Gein's delusional attempts to embody his mother, blurring the lines between reality and madness.
Further investigations revealed remains of Mary Hogan, a tavern owner missing for three years, and Gein admitted to her murder as well. He also confessed to desecrating at least nine graves in a nearby cemetery, exhuming bodies to harvest parts for his macabre collection. Grave robbing, for those unfamiliar, involves illegally digging up corpses, often for nefarious purposes like this, and it's a crime that underscores the depths of Gein's depravity.
Gein explained his urges to authorities as stemming from his intense bond with his mother and a yearning to transform into a woman by donning their skin. His actions loosely inspired those iconic horror films, showing how real evil can seep into pop culture and terrify audiences for generations.
As for Gein's fate, he faced charges for Worden's murder, pleading not guilty due to insanity. In his initial trial, he was deemed unfit to stand trial and committed to psychiatric care. A second trial in 1968 convicted him of murder, but a subsequent review ruled him not guilty by reason of insanity—meaning he was aware of his actions but couldn't control them due to mental illness, a legal concept that can be tricky for beginners to grasp, as it balances criminal responsibility with psychological evaluation.
Remarkably, Gein was never prosecuted for Hogan's killing or the grave robberies he admitted to. He spent the rest of his life in institutions, passing away in 1984 at age 77 from respiratory failure tied to lung cancer while at Wisconsin's Mendota Mental Health Institute.
Contributing: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
What do you think—did Gein's insanity pleas let a monster off the hook, or was he genuinely unwell? And should true-crime shows like Netflix's 'Monster' take creative liberties with real tragedies? Share your opinions in the comments; I'd love to hear differing views and spark a conversation!
