Ed Gein: The making of a psycho
Ed Gein: Original PsychoWhen it comes to psychopaths, you don’t get much more infamous than Ed Gein. Gein, also known as the Butcher of Plainfield, murdered and mutilated various people in Plainfield, Wisconsin.
The gruesome nature of his crimes made Gein the inspiration for various films and iconic characters, such as Leatherface and Norman Bates. He is also the focus of the upcoming documentary Ed Gein: Original Psycho, which will be available to watch on Crime+Investigation from Monday, 13th October.
In the meantime, let’s take a deep dive into the early life of Ed Gein and examine how his upbringing may have shaped his future crimes.
The early life of Ed Gein
Edward Theodore Gein was born on 27th August 1906, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was born to Augusta and George Gein and had an older brother named Henry.
From very early in his life, Gein was forced to live under a strict religious regime due to his mother. Augusta Gein was Lutheran, and she constantly preached severe religious values onto her sons. She had strong beliefs regarding the immoral nature of the world. One of the most prominent lessons she taught was that women were the devil’s instruments, calling them 'vessels of sin'. She also taught Ed and Henry that drinking was a wicked, devil’s practice.
Moving to Plainfield
Augusta’s religious fanaticism led the family to nearby Plainfield in 1915, as she believed that La Crosse had become a 'sinkhole of filth'. They moved to a farm just outside of the town. Even when they arrived at Plainfield, Ed was rarely allowed to leave the farm, as Augusta feared that her sons would be corrupted by those around them.
Ed only left his home to attend school, but he was unable to build any meaningful relationships while there. He was the victim of bullying due to a speech impediment and lazy eye, and he was remembered by classmates for being awkward and a bit odd.
Ed was close to his mother and believed what she taught him about the world. His brother Henry stood up to Augusta and challenged her views, but Ed would never do so. When they got older, Henry would often share his concerns about Ed’s attachment to Augusta. Ed did not understand these concerns, and was hurt by the way that Henry talked about their mother.
Family deaths
Ed’s father died of heart failure in 1940, while his brother Henry died during a fire on the farm in 1944. Although Henry’s death was listed as asphyxiation by the coroner, many believe that he might have been Ed’s first victim. This is because the circumstances surrounding the death were suspicious. Augusta suffered from a stroke not long after Henry’s death, and Ed became her caretaker. She passed away at the end of 1945 following another stroke and deteriorating health. Ed was alone and devastated by his mother’s death. This was when he began his slow descent into derangement.
The crimes of Ed Gein
Gein became even more isolated than he already was following the death of his mother. He kept her room pristine and clean, but the rest of the house fell into disrepair, becoming dilapidated. Gein also had several obsessions that he began to indulge in frequently, such as an interest in human anatomy and Nazi medical experiments.
In 1957, a 58-year-old widow named Bernice Worden disappeared. Worden owned the local hardware store, and Gein was her last customer before she went missing. Police attended Gein’s farm home to investigate the lead, but what they found was more disturbing than anything they could have imagined.
Worden’s body was discovered hanging from the rafters by her ankles. She had been decapitated. The remains of another woman named Mary Hogan, who had been missing since 1954, were also found.
The gruesome discoveries didn’t end there, as various skulls and bones were found. Some were impaled on bedposts, others had been used to fashion utensils. Human flesh and body parts were also found to have been used to create various pieces of furniture, clothing and other household items. The human remains had been collected by Gein, who had taken to robbing the local graveyards.
When it came to the reasoning behind the behaviors, Ed claimed that he was trying to recreate his mother with a 'woman suit'. He wanted to create this so that he could wear it and become her.
The religious severity of Gein’s early life and the controlling relationship between him and his mother undoubtedly contributed to his gruesome crimes. His obsession with recreating Augusta led to the death of two women, and the desecration of many more. There is a chance that he also murdered more, but he only ever admitted to two. The disturbing story of Ed Gein tells a tale of how early life experiences can significantly shape the future.
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