Edward Theodore Gein, infamously known as the “Butcher of Plainfield,” was an American murderer, suspected serial killer, and body snatcher. Born into a small farming community in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1906, Gein lived an isolated and repressive childhood with little social interaction. His mother, Augusta, fervently preached about the innate immorality of the world, the evil of drinking, and her belief that all women were naturally promiscuous and instruments of the devil.
Despite the abuse, Gein idolized and became obsessed with his mother. Augusta hated her alcoholic husband, who struggled to keep a job. The family eventually moved to a 155-acre farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, where they lived in isolation. Augusta’s influence continued as she read verses from the Bible to her sons daily, focusing on death, murder, and divine retribution.
Gein’s life took a dark turn after his mother’s death. In 1954, he killed tavern owner Mary Hogan, and in 1957, he murdered hardware store owner Bernice Worden. Authorities discovered that Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned keepsakes from their bones and skin. His crimes shocked the nation, and he became infamous as the “Butcher of Plainfield.”
Initially found unfit to stand trial, Gein was confined to a mental health facility. By 1968, he was deemed competent to stand trial and was found guilty of Worden’s murder. However, he was also declared legally insane and remanded to a psychiatric institution. Gein died from lung cancer at the Mendota Mental Health Institute on July 26, 1984, at the age of 77. He is buried next to his family in the Plainfield Cemetery, in an unmarked grave123.
Edward Gein’s twisted life and gruesome crimes continue to captivate the public’s imagination, inspiring numerous books, movies, and horror films based on his disturbing legacy.
