Ed Gein is one of the most famous serial killers in history.
His story inspired fictional characters like Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs, Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Garland Greene from Con Air.
But was Ed Gein a twisted serial killer doing things for his own pleasure, or an undiagnosed schizophrenic that was fed twisted versions of the truth?
Find out in our first profile of a serial killer profile.
Who Is Ed Gein?
Ed Gein was one of the most famous serial killers from Wisconsin. While he killed somewhere between two and nine people, the part that inspires so many works of fiction was more likely his grave digging and artistic endeavors.
When Was Ed Gein Born?
Ed Gein was born August 27th, 1906 to George and Augusta Gein. As the youngest of two boys, he was a bit of a mama’s boy and his older brother, Henry, wasn't always as fond of their mother.
Where Was Ed Gein Born?
Ed Gein was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, but around the age of 9, the family sold their business and moved to Plainfield, Wisconsin.
Where Did Ed Gein Live?
Ed Gein spent most of his life on a 155 acre farm in Plainfield, WI.
As a child Ed was shy, but a good reader. He primarily left the ranch for school, then came home and was did Bible studies with his mother who focused on women’s natural promiscuity and all the reasons it’s acceptable to kill people.
Ed would do odd jobs as a handyman, work on his dad’s farm, and babysit.
Ed Gein faced a tumultuous five years during the 1940s. First, his dad died on April 1, 1940.
Then on May 16,1944, Henry was found dead behind a field that Ed Gein was burning.
The conditions of his brother’s death were suspicious. After the fire Ed reported Henry missing. He was found dead without evidence of burns. His death was ruled to be caused by asphyxiation, but there is suspicion the Ed may have killed him.
Then in 1945, his mother Augusta had a stroke that paralyzed her before she died on December 29,1945.
This left Ed alone to focus on working and reading stories about Nazis, cannibals, and Ilse Koch who would remove the tattoos from nazi prisoners to create household items like lampshades.
When you combine his upbringing, loneliness, undiagnosed schizophrenia, and a fascination with morbid stories, it’s no wonder Ed turned into a grave robber and serial killer who is sometimes referred to as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul.
How Many People Did Ed Gein Kill?
Ed Gein killed at least two people and potentially as many as 10. Gein confessed to killing Mary Hogan in 1954, and Bernice Worden in 1957.
The police questioned him about other missing people, but neither the lie detector tests nor the search of Gein’s home indicated that he knew about the deaths of the other people.
Let’s look at the two we know he killed.
Mary Hogan
Mary Hogan was a tavern owner who disappeared in 1954, but was not found until Gein was arrested in 1957.
Between physical evidence, police investigations, and Gein’s confession, we know that Mary was shot in the head by a 32-caliber revolver in her tavern.
Ed dragged her body back to the ranch and saved at least her face and her skull which were found in the police search of his home in 1957.
At one point, Ed told a neighbor she was “at the farm,” but they did not realize what that really meant.
While searching the tavern after Mary’s death, police found a bloody scene with a spent cartridge from the revolver on the ground.
Bernice Worden
On November 16, 1957, Ed Gein went in to Plainfield’s hardware store to buy some antifreeze.
He purchased it and then something occurred to cause him to shoot Bernice Worden. He put the body in the back of her truck and took her to his farm.
Once at the farm, Ed decapitated Bernice, then attached her ankles to a crossbar and her wrists with rope. This is the way that hunters drain the blood from animals.
Bernice’s son Frank was the deputy Sheriff and went into the hardware store. When he got there, Bernice was nowhere to be seen, the cash register was open, and blood was on the floor.
How Did Ed Gein Get Caught?
Ed Gein got caught because Frank knew Ed would be coming in that morning to buy antifreeze.
The last receipt by the register was for Ed’s antifreeze which meant he was the last known person to see Bernice Worden.
When Was Ed Gein Arrested?
Ed Gein was arrested on November 16, 1957 at Plainfield’s grocery store before the Plainfield Sheriffs Department searched his home.
What Did Ed Gein Do?
The full extent of Ed Gein’s crimes were not fully understood until the police searched his farm.
When the entered property they searched the barn and the ranch house.
As we discussed earlier, Bernice Worden’s body was found dressed like a dear after a kill.
Meanwhile, the ranch house was a disturbing sight. Imagine you walk into a house that hasn’t been cleaned in nearly 12 years.
There’s trash, filth, and dust all over the living room and kitchen. In addition, the police found:
Whole bones and bone fragments
Human skin wastebasket
Human skin covering several chairs
Skulls on his bedposts
Female skulls, some with the tops sawn off
Bowls made from human skulls
A corset made from a female torso skinned from shoulders to waist
Leggings made from human leg skin
Masks made from the skin of female heads
Mary Hogan's face mask in a paper bag
Mary Hogan's skull in a box
Bernice Worden's entire head in a burlap sack
Bernice Worden's heart "in a plastic bag in front of Gein's potbelly stove”
Nine vulvae in a shoe box
A young girl's dress and the vulvas of two females
Ed Gein nipple belt made from womens nipples
4 noses
Lips drawstring
Face lampshade
Women's fingernails
What Happened While Interrogating Ed Gein?
Ed Gein’s interrogation was kinda bizarre. He admitted to killing both Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan, but he didn’t remember the details of Mary’s murder.
Unfortunately, during the interrogation, the Sheriff banged Ed’s head against the wall making the interview inadmissible in court.
Ed also confessed to digging up nine graves and using the bodies to create the items found in his house. He led the police to those graves.
He admitted to trying to recreate a bodysuit based on women that reminded him of his mom.
He was asked about a number of missing people, but was not able to provide closure for those unsolved cases.
What Happened In Court?
Ed Gein was charged with first degree murder for Bernice Worden and pled not guilty by reason of insanity after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
He was considered unfit for trial and went to Dodge Correctional Institution, which was called Central State Hospital For The Criminally Insane at the time.
He was deemed fit to stand trial in 1968.The trial was overseen by a judge in a closed courtroom. The psychiatrist testified that Gein admitted to shooting Worden but not remembering intent. The judge convicted Gein.
Another trial focused on the insanity plea, which was upheld. He was sentenced to life in the institution.
What Happened To All Ed Gein’s Stuff?
The majority of Ed Gein’s property was burnt in a fire before it was scheduled for auction. The primary pieces that are known where they are include:
Headstone 🪦
1949 Ford Sedan🚘
How Did Ed Gein Die?
Ed Gein died from respiratory failure caused by lung cancer at the age of 77 in the Mendota Mental Health Institute on July 26, 1984.
Where Is Ed Gein Buried?
Ed Gein is in an unmarked grave at Plainfield Cemetery next to his parents and brother.
The grave originally had a gravestone but people chipped it and finally stole it in 2000. It was recovered in 2001, but has not been returned.
Final Thoughts
Reviewing literature on Ed Gein I question how much of what occurred was the intentional acts of a homicidal maniac and how much was a combination of upbringing combined with untreated mental illness.
There’s a clear connection between the literature he was reading, his love for his mom, and his crimes.
The tale of the Plainfield Ghoul has elements drawing from the stories of Cane and Able as well as an Oedipus complex.
In addition, Ed Gein showed a natural curiosity and creativity that leads me to think that with proper therapy and medication, he could have found more legal ways of channeling his creativity.
There could be much more to Ed Gein’s story that we don’t know, but he definitely left a mark that inspires horror fans throughout the country.
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