Monster: Ed Gein

Ed Gein – infamously dubbed the “Butcher of Plainfield” – was a seemingly unremarkable farmhand turned ghoul whose 1950s crimes shocked the world. In the sleepy town of Plainfield, Wisconsin, police discovered that Ed Gein’s ramshackle farmhouse was a real-life house of horrors: a collection of human remains stolen from graveyards and the bodies of his victims, grotesquely fashioned into furniture, clothing, and keepsakes. Gein confessed to the murders of two women and claimed dozens of late-night grave robberies, ultimately being declared insane and spending the rest of his life in a mental institution. His ghoulish story inspired legendary horror movie characters in films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, cementing Ed Gein’s place among America’s most notorious real-life serial killers. Tune in to hear how this quiet loner’s gruesome obsessions blurred the line between madness and evil – and spawned a monster more terrifying than any fiction.What you’ll hear:→ Troubled upbringing: Ed Gein grows up in Plainfield, WI under the fanatical rule of his religious mother, Augusta. An alcoholic father (who dies in 1940) and an older brother’s suspicious death in 1944 leave Ed utterly isolated – a reclusive “mama’s boy” fixated on pleasing his domineering mother.→ Grave robbing obsession: After Augusta’s death in 1945, the now-isolated Gein spirals into a morbid fascination with the dead. Between 1947 and 1952 he secretly exhumes freshly buried women who resembled his mother and hoards their body parts, crafting ghastly keepsakes from bones and skin that turn his farmhouse into a personal house of horrors.→ 1954 & 1957 – victims vanish: Plainfield tavern owner Mary Hogan vanishes without a trace in 1954, and three years later hardware store owner Bernice Worden goes missing. A trail of blood and a receipt for antifreeze (the last item Worden sold) point police to Gein’s farm as suspicion mounts.→ November 1957 – house of horrors discovered: Investigators searching Gein’s property find Worden’s mutilated, decapitated body hanging in a shed like a slaughtered deer. Inside the house, they uncover an unspeakable collection of human remains – skulls, organs, and even furniture made of human skin – confirming the legend of the “Plainfield Butcher.”→ 1968 trial & insanity verdict: Gein readily confesses to murdering Hogan and Worden, but in 1958 he is declared mentally unfit for trial and committed to an asylum. A decade later, in 1968, he finally stands trial for Bernice Worden’s murder and is found not guilty by reason of insanity – avoiding prison and spending the rest of his life in psychiatric custody until his death in 1984.→ Legacy of horror: Ed Gein’s case sparked a media frenzy and an enduring public fascination, fueling debate about the insanity defense and how to deal with the criminally insane. His grotesque story inspired famous horror movie characters (from Norman Bates in Psycho to Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), ensuring that the real-life “monster” of Plainfield lives on in pop culture.⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts.Speakers:→ Adrienne Barker — Host→ Joseph Lobosco — Host→ Angie aka Angiesworld — Guest Contributor→ Leslie — Guest Contributor→ Mariana Thomas — Guest Contributor→ Hillary Marek — Guest ContributorCredits:"Debate The News: True Crime"Created by: Jonathan Bing, Adrienne Barker and Joseph R. LoboscoProducers: Adrienne Barker, Joseph R. Lobosco, Danielle Paci, Jonathan BingWriters: Adrienne Barker & Joseph R. LoboscoEditor: Joseph R. LoboscoCover Art: Joseph R. LoboscoSpecial Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social teamTheme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: ncs.io/karmaWatch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production📍 Recorded Live on Chatter Social Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS / for Android)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp