The Plainfield Ghoul: 7 Disturbing Facts About Ed Gein's Crimes That Still Haunt True Crime Today
Contents
Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield Biography & Key Facts
Edward Theodore Gein was born on August 27, 1906, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. His life was defined by the oppressive control of his deeply religious and fanatical mother, Augusta Gein, who preached about the inherent sinfulness of women and the evils of lust. This toxic, isolated environment on a 155-acre farm near Plainfield, Wisconsin, laid the groundwork for his later atrocities. * Full Name: Edward Theodore Gein * Nicknames: The Butcher of Plainfield, The Plainfield Ghoul * Born: August 27, 1906, La Crosse County, Wisconsin * Died: July 26, 1984 (Age 77), Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin * Victims (Confirmed Murders): 2 (Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden) * Other Crimes: Grave-robbing, body mutilation, and creating artifacts from human remains. * Mother's Influence: Augusta Gein (died 1945), whose death led to Gein's psychological decline and the start of his grave-robbing activities. * Arrest Date: November 16, 1957, following the disappearance of Bernice Worden. * Legal Outcome: Found legally insane and spent the rest of his life in psychiatric institutions.The Macabre Discoveries: Inside Ed Gein's Farmhouse
Gein's descent into madness began in 1945 with the death of his mother, Augusta. Left alone in the isolated farmhouse, he sealed off his mother's room and kitchen, living in squalor in the rest of the dwelling. His initial criminal activity was grave-robbing, where he exhumed the bodies of recently buried middle-aged women he believed resembled his mother. This led to his notorious collection of human artifacts. The full extent of his depravity was revealed on November 16, 1957, when police investigated the disappearance of Plainfield hardware store owner Bernice Worden. The discovery inside his home was so shocking that it instantly cemented his place in criminal history.7 Unsettling Artifacts Found in Gein's Plainfield Home
The items found in the farmhouse were not merely decorations; they were functional objects and clothing made from human skin and bones, primarily sourced from the graves he robbed. 1. A 'Woman Suit' (Skin Suit): Gein created a suit, including a vest, leggings, and a mask, made from human skin. This was reportedly an attempt to create a "woman suit" so he could pretend to be his deceased mother. 2. Face Masks: Several masks made from the skin of decapitated heads were discovered, which he was known to wear. 3. Human Skin Lampshades and Chair Upholstery: Furniture and household items were customized with human remains. This included lampshades and a chair seat covered in skin. 4. Skulls Used as Soup Bowls: The tops of several skulls were sawed off, polished, and used as bowls for eating. 5. A Belt of Female Nipples: A belt was constructed using human nipples. 6. A Box of Noses and Vaginae: A box containing preserved female genitalia and noses was also found among his possessions. 7. Mary Hogan's Head: The head of Mary Hogan, a local tavern owner who disappeared in 1954, was found in a paper bag. The torso of Bernice Worden was also found, hung upside down and gutted like a deer.The Enduring Legacy in Modern Horror and True Crime
While Ed Gein only confessed to two murders—Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden—his grave-robbing and the subsequent discovery of his human artifact collection had a disproportionate impact on popular culture. Gein’s acts became the template for a new kind of cinematic monster: the isolated, psychologically tormented killer driven by a morbid obsession with his mother and a fixation on human remains. The cultural phenomenon surrounding Gein is frequently revisited, most recently by the 2024 Netflix series *Monster: The Ed Gein Story*, which has reignited discussions about the facts versus the sensationalized fiction.The Three Pillars of Gein’s Cinematic Influence
Ed Gein's story is the 'cultural ground zero' for the modern true crime era and the horror genre, inspiring three of the most iconic horror villains of all time. * Norman Bates in *Psycho* (1960): The most direct inspiration. Robert Bloch's novel and Alfred Hitchcock's film feature a shy, isolated man with an Oedipal complex who is driven to murder by his overbearing mother's influence. The discovery of a preserved mother's corpse and the killer's cross-dressing echoes Gein's desire to become his mother. * Leatherface in *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* (1974): This character draws heavily on Gein's practice of creating and wearing masks made from human skin. The isolated, rural setting and the use of human bones as furniture also directly parallel the gruesome reality of the Plainfield farmhouse. * Buffalo Bill in *The Silence of the Lambs* (1991): The character Jame Gumb, or "Buffalo Bill," is a serial killer who skins his female victims with the intention of creating a "woman suit" for himself. This act is a clear, direct reference to Gein’s macabre creation of a human skin suit. This lineage of cinematic monsters ensures that the name Ed Gein, the Plainfield Ghoul, continues to be a central entity in the true crime lexicon, constantly challenging audiences to confront the darkest possibilities of the human psyche. His story remains a powerful, disturbing narrative that defined the 'monster' for generations of moviegoers and true crime enthusiasts.The Final Years and The Fate of the Farmhouse
Following his arrest, Ed Gein was initially deemed unfit to stand trial due to his diagnosis of schizophrenia and was committed to the Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He was later found guilty but legally insane, spending the remainder of his life institutionalized, first at the Central State Hospital and later at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, where he died of respiratory and heart failure on July 26, 1984. The isolated Plainfield farmhouse, the scene of his infamous crimes, met a dramatic end. After Gein's arrest, the property was scheduled to be auctioned off. However, in a strange twist of fate, the house burned to the ground in March 1958, just before the auction was set to take place. The cause of the fire was never definitively determined, though arson was suspected, likely by locals who wanted to erase the macabre landmark and prevent it from becoming a morbid tourist attraction. Today, the land is privately owned, and the gruesome Gein farmhouse exists only in photographs and the darkest corners of true crime history.Detail Author:
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