A notorious American serial killer, known for inspiring famous films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is the subject of a new Netflix series called ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story.’ Ed Gein, also called the ‘Butcher of Plainfield’ and the ‘Plainfield Ghoul,’ was convicted of murdering two women in rural Wisconsin during the 1950s. His gruesome acts included creating household items and a skinsuit from stolen corpses, shocking the world and challenging the romanticized perception of rural America.
Born on August 27, 1906, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Gein grew up in a dysfunctional family environment with a strict Christian mother and a violent alcoholic father. After his mother’s death in 1945, Gein’s disturbed behavior escalated, leading to the brutal killings and mutilations of innocent victims.
Living as a recluse on his family’s farm after his mother’s death, Gein’s atrocities came to light in November 1957 when police discovered human remains and disturbing objects made from flesh and bones in his home. He confessed to multiple murders, grave-robbing, and constructing a “woman suit” from human skin.
Gein’s heinous crimes captured global attention, with media outlets reporting extensively on the shocking details. Dubbed the “Plainfield Ghoul” and the “Mad Butcher,” Gein’s actions tainted Plainfield’s reputation, causing a decline in the town’s population.
Diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis, Gein was deemed legally insane and spent the rest of his life in mental health institutions. He passed away in 1984 at the age of 77 and was buried in Plainfield Cemetery, where he once desecrated graves.
Gein’s disturbing legacy lives on in Hollywood, inspiring iconic movie villains like Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill. In the latest season of Netflix’s ‘Monster,’ British actor Charlie Hunnam portrays the infamous killer.
