Edward Gein

Gein was an extremely disturbed individual - even by serial killer standards. There have been countless books and articles written about him and his crimes. Most of them are based on Newspaper accounts of the time, and are therefore more sensationalist in nature, giving way to many myths. The following passage has been taken from books which include transcripts of psychiatrists reports, the D.A.'s reports, and the court-room trial. Edward Theodore Gein was born to George and Augusta on 27 August 1906, in a small town called La Crosse, in Wisconsin. He had a brother Henry, four years his senior. Life for the brothers was hard, their father was a drunk, who was henpecked by their intimidating, religious, mother until he had enough liquor inside him to return her taunts with violence. Edward was a quiet and obedient son, whom Augusta favoured. All Edward wanted was a little of her attention each day in return for his total devotion. When Edward started school, Augusta sent him with his brother to the local primary school. Edward not being the most attractive child was the subject of children's jibes. When Edward was 8 years old his mother nagged his father into buying a 275 acre farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin. The farm was 6 miles outside town and surrounded by woodland. One summers day, Augusta and George were working inside an wooden outhouse that George had built to store meat and groceries. Augusta had made it very clear that Henry and Edward were never allowed to enter. Edward had accepted this, and had neither the inclination or the courage to disobey her. This day however, Edward tired of waiting for his mother peeked through a crack in the door. The sight that met him was not what he was expecting. His mother and father were slaughtering a pig. At seeing this, it is said, Edward became sexually aroused and had his first orgasm. On April 1st 1940 George Gein died of pneumonia, leaving Augusta with Henry aged 38, and Edward 34. Four years later Henry died in a forest fire. The local sheriff noted that Henry had some injuries to his head, but upon examination it was determined that these had not been the cause of death. A point of interest is that only his head was seriously burned. In December 1945 Augusta Gein died in Hospital, having been ill for some time following a stroke. She was buried on 31 December. It was around 18 months later that Edward started to visit the local graveyards at night. In an interview whilst under investigation in 1957, Gein stated to Earl Kileen, the District Attorney, that after his mother died he began to have strange visions. He confessed to wanting to see a woman's body. So he went to the cemetery to talk to his mother. He then dug up the body of a woman who had just been buried, and took it home. He stated that after that, he would watch the newspapers for obituaries of woman and go and open their graves. He did this for around 10 ten years, and raided many many graves. During this time Gein became virtually a total recluse. It has been said that Edward had been experiencing signs of agoraphobia. On December 9 1954, Mary Hogan, a 54 year old tavern owner of Pine Grove, Wisconsin disappeared. She was never seen alive again. On November 16 1957, Edward Geins farmhouse was entered by Law Enforcement Officers. They were investigating a disappearance of another woman. They were then joined by the Pine Grove Police, who were still working on the case of Mary Hogan. Edward Gein was locked up while the officers entered the farmhouse. Led by Sheriff Arthur Schley they found what appeared to be masks made out of human faces. There was also many heads, some stuffed with newspaper, some soaked in oil. The police thought that the oil was to keep the skin from decaying. Then in a brown paper bag a deputy found the head of Mary Hogan. The Sheriff from nearby Portage County was convinced that Gein was a mass murderer, saying that even though the masks had traces of formaldehyde on them, so did Mary Hogan's and they knew he killed her. He also raised the point that Gein could not have moved the heavy headstones to get to the caskets. The Portage County D.A. Kileen then ordered a body of Mrs Eleanor Adam's, who was in the grave next to Augusta Gein exhumed. They found the casket had been placed in a much larger box starting two feet underground. They concluded that the grave had been tampered with. They conceded that Gein would not have had much trouble digging up the casket if the grave had been freshly dug. Other things reported to have been found at the house included the genitalia of many women (which he kept in salt); a can of Doctor Pepper containing congealed liquid believed to be blood; a belt made of nipples; a skull made into a soup bowl (Gein claimed to have got the idea from a Norwegian custom); and a mobile made of noses. There were also lampshades and chair seats made from human skin. I have read that the fridge was stocked with human organs. The sensationalists of the day claim that Gein would eat them. However, when asked about cannibalism Gein is quoted as saying " Eating the flesh and drinking the blood? ..... I never felt capable of doin' that. That's a catholic thing isn't it? I don't think my mother would have approved." On November 22 1957, Edward Gein stood before Judge Herbert A Bunde. He was charged with robbery and a $10 000 bail set. The murder charges were held off until his sanity was proved. The Judge determined that Gein should be held at Central State for 30 days, for an evaluation. And on 23 December 1957 Judge Bunde announced that the psychiatrists had declared Gein insane. He was committed to Central State and stayed there until 1968, when he was found fit to stand trial. He was charged with first degree murder, but his lawyer put in the defence of insanity again and was found to be insane again. He returned to Central State. Edward Gein was said to be a model prisoner and was well liked by the staff. In 1978 Central state was turned into a prison so Gein was moved to the Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin. On 26 July 1984 Edward Gein died of heart and respiratory failure, he was suffering with cancer. He died aged 77. He was laid to rest in the only available plot in Plainfield - next to his mother Augusta Gein.