Ed Gein, the name alone evokes a shiver down the spine for anyone familiar with mid-20th-century American true crime. Born in 1906 in Wisconsin, Gein lived a reclusive life on a remote farm with his domineering mother, Augusta, whose religious fervor shaped his twisted worldview. After her death in 1945, Gein's isolation deepened, leading to acts that would horrify the nation. He wasn't just a killer; he was a grave robber, desecrating local cemeteries to harvest body parts for his macabre creations—shades, clothing, even household items made from human skin. Indeed, the discoveries at his farm in 1957 painted a picture of pure grotesquerie.
But how many people did Ed Gein actually kill? Officially, two confirmed murders stand out in the records. The first was tavern owner Mary Hogan, who vanished in 1954—her headless body later found at Gein's property. Then, in November 1957, hardware store owner Bernice Worden was shot and gutted, her body strung up like a deer in his shed. Gein confessed to both, though he claimed blackouts and insisted the killings were accidental. However, suspicions lingered about more victims; he admitted to robbing up to 40 graves, but no additional murders were ever proven. The exact toll remains disputed, fueling endless speculation among criminologists and horror enthusiasts alike.
Gein's story didn't fade into obscurity. It seeped into pop culture, birthing iconic villains like Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Moreover, Netflix is capitalizing on this legacy with the third season of Ryan Murphy's anthology series, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, which dropped today, October 3, 2025. Starring Charlie Hunnam as the eerie Gein and Laurie Metcalf as his mother, the show delves into his psyche and crimes, blending fact with dramatic flair. Critics are already buzzing about its unflinching portrayal, though some question if it glorifies the macabre.
Yet, beyond the screen, Gein's tale forces us to confront the shadows of rural America and the making of a monster. What drives a man to such depths, and how does society reckon with the echoes of his evil?