Ed Gein
Savannah Lee
Biography Information
- Born on August 27, 1907 in Plainfield, Wisconsin.
- Died on July 26, 1984 in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Mother- Augusta Wilhelmine Gein
- Father- George Philip
- Brother- Henry George Gein
Details of Crime
- Geins downward spiral into deviance and murder began with his relationship to an overbearing and domineering mother.
- He developed "approach-avoidance" feelings towards her, he was always trying to please her, but lived in fear of upsetting her.
- It is commonly believed that Geins murders did not start until after his mothers death.
Childhood
- Gein's father was an alcoholic, who would enraged when drunk. His mother was the opposite actually, she was hard working and religious with rigid morals. Henry, his brother, died in a marsh fire. People believe Ed lured Henry into the marsh, then sit it ablaze, trapping him. But, no one could prove it.
- In Gein's high school days, he got along well with his classmates and participated in social activities and sports, such as archery, basketball, and skiing. He enjoyed adventure movies about cannibals and head hunters and old music.
- Gein was mostly educated at home, due to his over bearing mother. His mom was very religious, she thought every other woman was the devil. She didn't believe in some forms of education. So what Gein did learn, wasn't all that much or great.
Interesting Findings
- Bowls made of human skulls.
- On the walls hung masks made of real flesh from real people.
- Lamps made of human skin
- A fresh human heart
- Lastly, a dead body hung by her feet, headless, belonging to his last victim, Bernice Worden.
Victims
- On December 8, 1954, 51-year old Mary Hogan went missing from a tavern she managed in Pine Grove, Wisconsin. Police found a pool of blood on the floor, an overturned hair, and one spent cartridge from a .32-caliber pistol. Deputies recall Ed Gen as a suspect in the case, but no charges were placed at the time.
- On November 16, 1957, 58-year old Bernice Worden went missing from her Plainfield hardware store. There was a thin trail of blood leading out back where the victim's truck had last been seen. "The previous day, Gein had asked her on a date," her son states. A sale receipt for antifreeze was found inside Worden's Store, and police went looking for their suspect. Which they later connected it to Ed Gein.
Trial
- On January 16, 1958, a judge found Gein deficient for trial and moved him to Central State Hospital at Waupun, Wisconsin. Years later Gein was ordered up to trial, with the proceedings held in mid November 1968. The judge found Gein innocent by reason of insanity and sent back to Waupun, where he died of respiratory failure on July 26, 1984. Before he died, Gein willingly confessed to 2 murders and was tried for one.
Significant Event
- November 16, 1957, Okla's NCAA win streak ends at 47 after losing to Notre Dame 7-0.
- November 18, 1957, Tunisia refuses Russian weapons.
Interview
Q: "It seems this item is from a leg, or probably two. Is that sewed into two places?"
A: "That's from a person from the grave."
Q: "What about the face masks?"
A: "When I made those masks, you see, I stuffed them all out with paper so they would dry."
Q: "Was there a resemblance in some of these faces to that of your mother?"
A: " I believe there were a few."
Works Cited
(BLC)
"Ed Gein." World of Criminal Justice. Gale, 2002. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
"Ed Gein." Almanac of Famous People. Gale, 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
(Psycho)
Woods, Paul A. Ed Gein--psycho! New York: St. Martin's, 1995. Print.
(The Killer Book of Serial Killers)
Philbin, Tom, and Michael Philbin. The Killer Book of Serial Killers: Incredible Stories, Facts
and Trivia from the World of Serial Killers. Naperville, IL: Source, 2009. Print.
(The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers)
Newton, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, 2000. Print.
(Deviant)
Schechter, Harold. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of the Original "psycho" N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.