Ed Gein, the reclusive Wisconsin farmer whose name evokes chills even decades later, has long haunted American true crime lore. Born in 1906, Gein lived a sheltered life under his domineering mother, Augusta, whose religious fervor shaped his twisted worldview. After her death in 1945, Gein's isolation deepened, leading to acts that shocked the nation in the 1950s. Indeed, his story isn't just one of murder but of profound psychological unraveling, the kind that blurs lines between sanity and madness.
The core of Gein's infamy lies in his confirmed killings—two women, hardware store owner Bernice Worden in 1957 and tavern keeper Mary Hogan, missing since 1952. He confessed to both, luring them to his remote farm before shooting them in cold blood. But the real horror unfolded in his shed: Gein had exhumed bodies from local graveyards, crafting grotesque items like lampshades and clothing from human skin. Authorities found a grotesque "woman suit" pieced together, a macabre tribute to his mother. How many more victims? Rumors swirled of up to nine, yet only those two murders stuck legally; the rest dissolved into speculation amid the era's investigative limits. However, the grave-robbing alone—dozens of corpses disturbed—cemented his legacy as a monster.
Gein's crimes rippled far beyond Plainfield, Wisconsin. They fueled Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho in 1960, with Norman Bates mirroring Gein's mother fixation, and later The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974, where Leatherface's cannibal clan echoed the farm's depravity. Even The Silence of the Lambs drew from his skin-wearing obsessions. Now, Netflix dives in with Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the third season of Ryan Murphy's anthology series, released today, October 3, 2025. Charlie Hunnam stars as Gein, with Laurie Metcalf as the suffocating Augusta, blending biopic grit with Hollywood flair. Moreover, it weaves in figures like Hitchcock, highlighting how Gein's tale birthed horror icons.
Yet for all the dramatization, Gein's saga raises uneasy questions about rural America's underbelly. In a time before modern forensics, how many such shadows lurked unnoticed? As viewers stream this fresh retelling, one can't help but ponder the enduring pull of stories that expose our darkest curiosities.