Ed Gein

Ed Gein was an American murderer and body snatcher from Plainfield, Wisconsin, whose crimes became notorious in the 1950s.

Ed Gein was an American murderer and body snatcher whose crimes in 1950s Wisconsin shocked the public and later inspired some of horror's most iconic characters. He was convicted of murdering Bernice Worden and spent his final years in psychiatric care.

What it is

Edward Theodore Gein (1906–1984) was a Plainfield, Wisconsin, resident who killed at least one woman, confessed to a second murder, and robbed graves to create objects from human remains. His crimes came to light in 1957 after police investigated the disappearance of Bernice Worden.

Key details

Police found body parts and homemade keepsakes from exhumed bodies on Gein's property. He admitted to killing Mary Hogan and was convicted of murdering Bernice Worden. Found not guilty by reason of insanity, he was institutionalized until his death from respiratory failure due to cancer in 1984.

Cultural influence

Gein's disturbing practices directly influenced the fictional characters Norman Bates (*Psycho*), Leatherface (*The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*), and Buffalo Bill (*The Silence of the Lambs*). His story remains a touchstone in North American true-crime and horror culture, including for Canadian audiences.