Ed Gein: the butcher of plainfield

Ed Gein ; America's strangest killer

Ed Gein is widely considered one of America's most bizarre and twisted serial killers. Known as "The Butcher of Plainfield," Gein's horrific crimes inspired the classic horror films Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as the novel and film adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs. While he didn't have the high body count of other infamous serial killers, such as Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper, his gruesome and macabre crimes continue to fascinate and shock people to this day.

Born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1906, Ed Gein had a troubled childhood. His mother was an abusive and hyper-religious woman who preached about sin and lust and warned of the horrors of hell. She forbade Gein from having relationships with women, insisting that all women besides herself were prostitutes and that dating them was akin to consorting with Satan himself. Gein's father died when he was young, leaving him alone with his fanatical mother. After she suffered a stroke, Gein became her caretaker and remained devoted to her until her death in 1945.

Gein's childhood was isolated, and he had few friends. His teachers noted his "queer mannerisms," such as laughing randomly. After his family moved to a farm, he became even more isolated. His mother's teachings and his own fascination with death and cannibalism, which he read about in books and magazines, fueled his growing obsession with his mother.

After his mother's death, Gein remained on the farm, where he continued to work odd jobs and do work on the property. However, his newfound hobby was trying to become his mother. He kept her rooms in the same condition as when she was alive and locked them to preserve her memory. He even made a "woman suit" out of human skin and wore it while he was alone in the house, pretending to be his mother.

In 1957, Gein's bizarre behavior escalated to murder when he killed hardware store owner Bernice Worden. Her son reported that Gein was one of the last people seen in the store with her, and he was subsequently arrested. When the police searched his farm, they discovered a house of horrors that included Worden's mutilated and gutted body. Gein had also stolen multiple corpses from local graveyards, and the police found human skulls, a human heart, skin from human faces, and multiple objects made from human bones and body parts scattered throughout his house.

Gein's crimes were so grotesque and bizarre that they shocked even seasoned police officers. He was eventually declared mentally incompetent and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution. While his crimes were certainly horrific, what makes Gein stand out from other serial killers is his peculiar obsession with his mother and his attempts to become her. His crimes have been interpreted by some as a manifestation of a deeply troubled psyche, one that was warped by his mother's abuse and the societal repression of sexuality and the body.

The case of Ed Gein has continued to fascinate and horrify people for decades. His crimes have inspired numerous books, films, and TV shows, and his legacy has influenced pop culture in ways that are both profound and disturbing. However, it's important to remember that Gein's crimes were not a simple product of his own twisted psyche but rather a reflection of larger social and cultural issues. The case of Ed Gein remains a chilling reminder of the consequences of unchecked repression and the dangers of a society that denies the complexity and messiness of human desire and behavior.