Ed Gein: The Real-Life Horror Behind the Iconic ‘Monster

Monster: The Ed Gein Story debuted at No. 2 on Netflix, proving the public continues to be fascinated with The Butcher of Plainfield.

That fascination stretches all the way back to the date Gein’s crimes were discovered. When he was arrested in 1957, newspapers like The Milwaukee Journal ran photos of the serial killer and his home below headlines such as “Murder Farm Horror Grows” and “Widow Butchered; [Police] Find 10 Death Masks.”

Through the decades, Gein’s horrific crimes inspired all-time classic films such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Best Picture winner The Silence of the Lambs. Now, Ryan Murphy has mined Gein’s story for the latest installment of his Monster series.

Scroll through the photos below to see comparisons between actual photos of Gein, his family and the crime scene with actors and images from Murphy’s The Ed Gein Story. You’ll also find images from and comparisons to the films his crimes helped inspire.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  Image Credit: Netflix/Getty

  Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein; Ed Gein himself

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Courtesy

  Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein, Ed Gein’s mother; Augusta Gein

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

  Suzanna Son as Adeline Watkins who nearly married Ed Gein before his confession and prosecution; the actual Adeline Watkins

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Getty

  Vicky Krieps as Ilse Koch, the Nazi “Beast of Buchenwald,” who served as a twisted inspiration for Gein’s use of human remains. While the real Koch died in prison, in Monster she exists in Gein’s fantasies; Ilse Koch mug shot

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Getty Images

  Lesley Manville as Bernice Worden, a victim of Ed Gein; an archival photo of Worden

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix

  Addison Rae plays Evelyn Hartley, a babysitter in Plainfield. In 1957, authorities questioned Gein regarding Hartley’s disappearance, as he had been visiting a relative near the Rasmusen home when she vanished. Although Gein denied involvement, passed two lie detector tests and was officially cleared, he remains a suspect in the minds of some. a class photo of Evelyn Hartley

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Getty

  Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock in ‘Monster.’ The director’s genre-defining horror masterpiece ‘Psycho’ was inspired in part by Gein’s crimes; Hitchcock with the clapperboard for the film

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Getty

  Olivia Williams as Alma Reville, Alfred Hitchcock’s wife. Reville was a screenwriter and editor who collaborated closely with the director, co-writing films like ‘Shadow of a Doubt,’ ‘Suspicion,’ and ‘The Lady Vanishes’; Hitch and Williams in repose

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix/Everett Collection

  Joey Pollari plays Anthony Perkins in ‘Monster.’ The actor is best known for his role as Norman Bates in Psycho, a character directly inspired by the crimes of Ed Gein.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: AP Photo/Paul Shane

  Ed Gein, 61, sits alone behind the defendant’s table and waits for the judge to call the court to order in Wautoma, Wis., on Jan. 22, 1968. Gein, was charged with the slaying of a Plainfield, Wis., woman.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  The Gein Home in Plainfield in Wisconsin, circa 1957. Ed Gein murdered women in his town, robbed graves and stored body parts in his house.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Everett Collection

  Many say the iconic exterior of the Bates residence in ‘Psycho’ architecturally refernced the Gein farmhouse. While director Alfred Hitchcock undeniably drew on Gein’s life and crimes to develop the Norman Bates character, he never confirmed that Gein’s actual home served as the model for the film’s famous Gothic Victorian house.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Netflix

  A scene from Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The inside of Gein’s home did, in fact, inspire the macabre furnishings of the Bates’ residence (such as the sealed-off room shrine), as police found grotesque artifacts made from human remains inside the farmhouse.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Getty Images

  In a scene later to be echoed by the cluttered and creepy home in ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ an unidentified police officer examines the junk-littered kitchen in Gein’s house. Authorities found human skulls made into bowls and other adulterated human remains. They also discovered the butchered body of Bernice Worden hung in a shed near the house.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Everett Collection

  Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface in ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,’ which was partially inspired by Ed Gein, primarily through the macabre practice of fetishizing human skin and remains. A scene in ‘Monster’ has Gein mirroring the macabre chainsaw dance that Leatherface perfoms in Tobe Hooper’s classic.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Orion Pictures Corporation/ Courtesy: Everett Collection

  While Gein was never confirmed to be a cannibal, some have drawn parallels between him and Dr. Hannibal Lector in Thomas Harris’ books and the films based on them. Harris, however, has said he based the character on an emprisioned doctor he met in Mexico. The man was suspected of killing and dismembering several hitchhikers in the countryside during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Orion/courtesy Everett Collection

  Ted Levine played serial killer Buffalo Bill in the 1991 ‘Silence of the Lambs’ adaptation. In both the film and the book, Buffalo Bill is more directly inspired by Gein. Both fashioned trophies and keepsakes from the remains of their victims. Each also made masks and lamps from human skin.

• Photos From Ed Gein’s Life, ‘Monster’ & The Movies His Crimes Inspired

  

  Image Credit: Getty Images

  Smoldering ruins is all that remains of the House of Horrors after a fire of undetermined cause destroyed the two story frame building on March 20, 1958. The house was to be auctioned. Police suspected arson.

How did Ed Gein’s strict religious upbringing and relationship with his mother contribute to his isolation and distorted worldview?

The Early Life and Isolated Existence of Ed Gein

Ed Gein, born August 27, 1906, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, remains a chilling figure in true crime history. His story isn’t one of flamboyant villainy, but of profound isolation and a deeply disturbed psychological state. Understanding his formative years is crucial to grasping the origins of his horrific acts.

* Strict Religious Upbringing: Gein’s mother, Augusta, was a devout Lutheran who instilled in him a fear of the outside world, portraying it as corrupt and sinful. This fostered a dependency and aversion to normal social interaction.

* Absent Father: His father, George, was often away working, leaving Augusta to dominate the household and Ed’s upbringing.

* Limited Socialization: Ed had a single sibling, Henry, but their relationship was strained. He experienced minimal contact with peers, contributing to his social awkwardness and detachment.

* Inherited Farm: Following his father’s death in 1944 and then his brother Henry’s suspicious death in 1945,Ed inherited the family farm and became solely responsible for his aging mother.

This isolated existence, coupled with his mother’s controlling influence, laid the groundwork for the disturbing events that would later unfold. The gein farm became a symbol of his detachment from reality and a breeding ground for his macabre obsessions. The case is often discussed alongside other infamous serial killers, like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, due to its impact on the horror genre.

The Discovery and Horrors Unveiled

The investigation into the disappearance of local store owner Bernice Eden in November 1957, and later Mary Hogan, lead authorities to Ed Gein’s farm. What they discovered was beyond comprehension. The search warrant revealed a house of horrors, filled with gruesome trophies and evidence of unspeakable acts.

* Human Remains: Investigators found the remains of Bernice Eden and Mary Hogan, along with body parts from other unidentified women. These weren’t simply hidden; they were incorporated into disturbing creations.

* Macabre “Trophies”: Gein had fashioned objects from human bones and skin. These included lampshades made from human skin, chairs upholstered with skin, and bowls crafted from human skulls.

* Preserved Skulls: Numerous skulls were found meticulously cleaned and arranged throughout the house.

* Evidence of Grave Robbing: Gein confessed to exhuming bodies from local cemeteries, primarily targeting women who resembled his mother.

the sheer scale and nature of the discoveries shocked the nation. The Wisconsin Department of Justice led the investigation, struggling to comprehend the motivations behind such depravity. This case quickly became a landmark in forensic psychology and criminal investigation.

Psychological Profile and Explanations

Ed Gein was deemed legally insane and unfit to stand trial. He was committed to the Mendota Mental Health Institute, where he remained for the rest of his life. understanding his psychological state is complex, but several theories have emerged.

* Necrophilia: While never definitively proven, the evidence strongly suggests a fascination with death and decaying bodies.

* Maternal Complex: His intense attachment to his mother and his attempts to recreate her through the bodies of other women are central to many psychological analyses. He seemingly sought to preserve a semblance of his mother’s presence after her death.

* Schizophrenia & Psychosis: Diagnoses varied, but many experts believed Gein suffered from a form of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder.

* Fantasy and Reality Blurring: His isolated life likely contributed to a blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality, allowing him to rationalize his horrific actions.

The case highlights the devastating consequences of untreated mental illness and the importance of early intervention. The term “Gein syndrome” has been informally used to describe individuals who commit crimes involving the mutilation of corpses, though it’s not a recognized clinical diagnosis.

The Cultural Impact: From Real Crime to Horror Icon

Ed Gein’s crimes transcended the realm of true crime and seeped into popular culture, profoundly influencing the horror genre. His story served as direct inspiration for some of the moast iconic characters in horror