A recently launched series on Netflix delves into the disturbing mind of the ‘most heinous killer in US history,’ leaving true crime enthusiasts shocked.
“Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” directed by Ryan Murphy, premiered on October 3, shedding light on the infamous murderer Ed Gein. This installment follows previous episodes on the Menendez brothers and Jeffrey Dahmer in Murphy’s Monster series.
In this new show, actor Charlie Hunnam takes on the role of Ed Gein, a sadistic killer who influenced fictional characters like Buffalo Bill from “The Silence Of The Lambs,” as well as characters in “Psycho” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Over a decade, Gein engaged in grave robbing near his isolated residence in Plainfield, Wisconsin, engaging in necrophilia and collecting body parts. Additionally, he brutally killed and mutilated two women, leading to a startling discovery in his home by the police in 1957.
The disappearance of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden raised suspicions, ultimately leading to Gein’s arrest. Inside his residence, authorities found Bernice’s decapitated body hanging in the shed, along with chilling artifacts made from human remains, such as bowls, chairs, noses, and lips.
Psychiatrists theorize that Gein’s gruesome acts were driven by a fixation on women resembling his deceased mother, Augusta. Gein’s disturbing desire to craft a “woman suit” resembling his mother was revealed during his confession, aiming to inhabit her persona.
The series also touches on Gein’s suspected involvement in the disappearances of two children, Georgia Jean Weckler and Evelyn Grace Hartley. Evelyn’s portrayal by Addison Rae in the Netflix production showcases Gein’s alleged second victim, resembling a scene from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Despite passing lie detector tests for some cases, Gein confessed to the murders of Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan, leading to a trial where he was deemed unfit due to schizophrenia. Following a decade in mental health facilities, Gein was eventually considered capable of standing trial and received a verdict of guilty but legally insane, resulting in a life sentence in a psychiatric institution.
Gein’s life ended due to lung cancer at the age of 77 in 1984, closing the chapter on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history.
