The Life & Crimes of The Butcher of Plainfield | Ed Gein: MurderousMinds

The names Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill and Leatherface are all heinous, psychotic characters in some of the most horrific horror movies of all time. All despicable human beings that commit monstrous acts against their fellow humans, surely these heinous characters could never exist in real life?

Well, that is where you are wrong, all of these characters and many others were inspired by the real-life serial killer Edward Theodore Gein, and although none of them is directly based on his character, they all exhibit parts of Geins nature and personality and the shocking way he committed his murders. Let’s take a step into the mind of the real American Psycho from his birth to his death to try and understand what drove a seemingly timid little local man to commit some of the most gruesome crimes ever reported….

Episode narrated by Top5s
Music by CO.AG

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Transcript

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the name's Norman Bates, Buffalo Bell and Leatherface are all he is. Psychotic characters in some of the most horrific horror movies of all time, all despicable human beings that commit monstrous acts against their fellow humans. Surely these characters could never exist in real life. Well, that is where you're wrong. All of these characters and many others were inspired by the real life serial killer Edward Theodore game on. Although none of them are directly based on his character, they all exhibit part of Gene's nature on personality on the shocking way he committed his murders. Let's take a step into the mind of the real American psycho from his birth to his death to try and understand what drove a seemingly timid little local man to commit some of the most gruesome crimes ever reported. The roots of jeans murders mind can be traced back to his parents. His father, George, had a rough life, having been orphaned at the age of three after his mother, father and older sister was swept to their deaths in a flash flood. George was brought up by his maternal grand parents and grew up with low self esteem, becoming heavily dependent on alcohol. As he drifted through life, however, things changed him when he met Ed's mother, Augusta, a fear stocky woman who was fanatically religious and obsessively outraged by the loose morality off the world. She lived in the unlikely pairing. Married on December the 4th 18 99 Their marriage was far from perfect, with Augusta dominating the weak and unreliable George. And it wasn't long before his life human misery. This'll resulted in his reliance on alcohol, which often ended in violence between the pair. But despite this loveless union, Augusta gave birth to their first child on January the 17th 19 0 to a boy they named Henry, who Augusta did not bond with because of a detachment from Henry, Augusta longed for another child in the hope it would be a girl. When she fell pregnant again, she prayed every night that the Lord would bless her with such. However, this was not to be. On October, the 27th 1906 in the Cost County, Wisconsin Edward Theodore game was brought into this world. Augusta was aghast and felt betrayed by the Lord, but later decided to embrace the child and in her own words, vowed that he would not grow up like the usual lustful foul mouth males who used a woman for their own perverted pleasure. She was confident that Ed would be different. In Ed's early life, his parents owned a local grocery store, which they later sold on briefly moved to a small dairy farm near Camp Douglas before making the permanent move to a farm in the town of Plainfield, Wisconsin. Augusta kept the household Christine on the extreme remoteness of the farm when she could keep herself on her sons away from what she described as the scandalous, low moral standards of the Plainfield townsfolk. As a Lutheran, she took it upon herself to take care of her son's religious and moral training. The two boys only left the farm to go to school. The rest of the time, they were kept isolated from other Children. Neither of them, fitted in on any attempt to make friends, was soon objected to by Augusta, who would be uphold that they could associate with common people. Ed had a miserable time at school. He was often made fun of due to his droopy eye, lopsided grin and effeminate manner and he quickly became an easy target for bullies. His home life was equally miserable, with his father regularly beating him in drunken rages on his mother, continually ranting about morality toe after there's the farm was failing on Edward's, retreating more and more into his own private fancy world. As adults, the two brothers took odd jobs around the town and worked on the farm. They were both hard working, reliable and trustworthy. Individuals on the pair were generally well liked. By this point, the father's acute alcoholism was taking its toll. On by 1937 he was a broken man, unable to care for himself and became entirely reliant on his wife and Children who detested him. It would be a further three years before George was released from his miseries, when, on April the 1st 1940 he succumbed to heart failure. His loss was not apparently mourned by his wife and sons. In fact, they were relieved they didn't have to look after him anymore. At the time of their father's death, the Second World War was well underway. Although neither of the brothers were involved, Henry was too old on ads, droopy, I meant he did not pass the physical exam due to slightly impaired vision. Despite this, the brothers started to get more and more work outside of the farm on. Henry, in particular, had a good reputation for being a grafter. Add even babysat for local families on the Children loved his company. The two generally had a good relationship, although there was animosity between them regarding how close Ed was to their mother On On several occasions, Henry question the whole jihad over him. I was concerned they were too close, thes remarks, shocked and as he couldn't believe, that his brother did not share his view that their mother was a perfect human being who he regarded as a saint on Earth. The criticism off their mother affected add on his opinion of his older brother. It was not long after this realization that on May the 16th 1944 Henry died Sudden Onda, unexpectedly at the age of 43 story girls that Henry Ned have been fighting a blaze on marshland near their farms. There was a bit of dispute about how the police started, with some claiming it was accidental. Another saying that Dean started it to burn off some dry grounds, although after Henry's death had declared it was his brother who started the blaze had claimed that a gust of wind grew the fires out of control proportions. Ondas, the two brothers, tried to extinguish the flames. Henry went missing Edwin for how, on a search party was sent out. However inexplicably, as soon as they arrived had led the searchers straight to his brother's corpse, as if he knew exactly where he lay. Dad Henry was found lying face down on, stretched out with no apparent signs of burns. But what was observed with some strange bruising to his head despite there's the official cause of death, was expectation due to being overcome by smoke falling and then hitting his head. Although it seems obvious today, other time no foul play was suspected, and it was only years later that it was realized that Henry may well have bean heads first victim. Similarly to the passing his father. There was no outpouring of grief from aired or Augusta, and it mends that Ed finally had his beloved mother all to himself. Ad adored her. She was the backbone of his life on had always kept everything going both inside and outside the family farm. Ted, she was invincible. So when she suddenly became unwell, it came as a huge shock to add. He rushed to the hospital in his pickup truck, and it was confirmed she had suffered a massive stroke. Ed stayed out of bedside in the hospital for hours in the hope she would recover. Eventually she was discharged, but she was not the same formidable strength she used to be. A Ned had to give her a round the clock care, catering to her every need its thorn that seeing his mother in his helpless stained gave him a strange sense of exhilaration, thinking it was a chance to prove to her that he was a dutiful son on, perhaps for her to show him some affection. However, this was not the case because although Augusta did make a reasonable recovery, she did not show the son who devoted on her one ounce of appreciation for the care he had given her. Thanks, Ted Care is now healthy. Mother was back on the warpath, and in the winter of 1945 she accompanied her son to a nearby farm to pick up some strong. As they drove into the yard, the farmer and his wife were having a furious argument after he beat a puppy to death. The sight of the man's wife, who Augusta believed with the harlot upset, is so much that less than a week later she suffered another catastrophic strong. This time she did not survive. And on the 29th the December 1945 at the age of 67 Augusta was dead. An ad was all alone at her funeral. He cried uncontrollably and was totally unable to control his grief. He had lost the only thing in life that he loved. Ed would spend the rest of his life trying to replicate his mother in the most horrific ways imaginable. After her death, those living in the tight knit community of Plainfield could see little change in Ed. Apart from looking slightly more rough than usual, he was still the plight, slightly awkward but helpful tramp they had always known if you could realize what madness was rustling around in his brain. Many of the locals felt sorry for him living in solitary bachelor life in the nail rundown farm. Although some of the local women had said they felt a little uneasy around him as he had a tendency to stare at them with his droopy eyelid on lopsided smirk. He also became the target for many practical jokes with the local farmers he helped out who considered him the perfect pack C to pick on back in his farmhouse, add boarded up rooms used by his mother, including the upstairs downstairs parlor on living room, leaving them untouched. For years while the rest of the house became increasingly squalling, thes rooms remained pristine. But as the years passed had retreated more and more from society, spending hours alone, reading his true crime magazines. Articles about cannibalism, grave robbing and sexual mutilation only occasionally did. Eventually I had to do the old draw or pick up supplies, although he was known to frequent Mary Hogan's Tavern, a place that was over seven miles from his home. The reason for this was this fixation on the owner, who bore a striking resemblance to his dead mother for and his life was painfully empty without Augusta, and his growing resentment of the Villagers who teased him was reaching boiling 0.1 afternoon In May 1947 a little girl named Georgia Wikler went missing. She was dropped off by a neighbor near Wisconsin home and was never seen again. She was just eight years old on. There was speculation that she had been snatched by a person of deviant mind. Over the next five years, there were four more unexplained disappearances in Wisconsin, including teenage baby sitter. Every Hartley who's heavily bloodstained clothing, was found, but her body never waas. Then there was Plainfield residents Victor Travis, Andre Burgs. The two disappeared after leaving Max Bar in Plainfield. On their bodies were never recovered. It, however, there was the disappearance of tavern owner Mary Hovan on the eighth of December 1954 but baffled the police. The most found on the floor of the Tavern Inn was a pool of blood on a spent 32 caliber cartridge, but no sign of Mary on. Despite appeals and searches a year on from her disappearance, the police had no clue about what had happened to her. In the years that followed marries his appearance, the locals often talked rotor on on the rare occasions that ad made an appearance in the town. Locals recall him making the same joke about her. She's not missing. She's down on the farm now. Of course, no one believed him thinking was just oddball ad making one of his inappropriate remarks, However, strange rumors started circulating the town of Plainfield. They were started by local youngsters who had visited Ed that is now dilapidated farmhouse. They claim they had seen shrunken heads in his home. Eddie was telling the Children that the heads have been sent to him by his cousin, who had fought in the Philippines during the war. No one thought too much all vent, just thinking it would be typical for him to collect such a carp souvenirs. And it became a running joke with the locals on the 16th of November 1957 the majority of the male residents of Plainfield or participating in the annual nine day deer hunting event that air did not participate in with all the locals at the way adventure into the town on paid a visit to Warren's hardware store that was run by widow. Beneath water, add knew very well, but the heavily built 58 year old Mrs Warden would be alone Initially, he bought some antifreeze, but he later returned to the shop on the pretense that he wanted to trade in his rifle. It was on this occasion that ad shot beneath Dad. When her son friend came home from the hunt, he discovered the blood splattered shop on realized something was terribly wrong. When the police arrived, the deeply distraught Frank immediately told police he's done something to her. When the inquired who had done something, he replied, Eddie G. The revelation caused a rush of activity in Plainfield as law enforcement officers converged on the town with one goal in mind to locate beneath Warden on Bring Gin in for questioning. After calling against Farm, they realized he wasn't there on made their way to the Hell's residence, a place gin was known to frequent. They were right. Gin had bean there. After helping to install a car battery, he had stayed for supper. I was just about to set off in his car with one of Hell's sons. After asking only a few questions, officers knew they had their mind. The sheriff in charge of investigating Mrs Wardens disappearance was Arthur Fly. He was aware that Dean had been apprehended. And so a company by Captain shall first are the pair headed out to Queens Farm to see if they could find anything. As the officer approached the dingy place that game called home, they could never have prepared for what they would discover. As they entered the property, shining their flashlights at the junk ridden floor, she felt something graze him as he turned around to see what it waas. He could see something hanging hanging by its feet. It had been slit down the middle, gutted like an animal and had no head. But this was no animal. It was the mutilated body of a female, itwas beneath water. Schlais could hardly believe what he had seen. He fled the house, filed to his knees in the snow. I was violently sick. Show first immediately radioed for how the two men then tentatively re entered the house. The smile was putrid, the filth was overwhelming, and it was hard to believe any human could live in such squalor. But worse was to come. This was, without doubt, a true house of horrors. It wasn't a curious things like a coffee 10 staffed with blobs of used chewing gum or the yellowing sets of dentures displayed his ornaments on a shelf. It was far, far worse. They were balls made from the sawn off tops of human skulls scattered around the place. He's also embellished the bedposts. There were four chairs that were covered in strips of human flash lamp shades, waste buckets and other artifacts. It's all home from human skin, about made out to female nipples on a shade Paul made with a woman's lips. Also discovered was a box for a female genitalia. Another containing four noses on a Quaker Oats box filled with scraps of human head skin was found as if this wasn't bad enough. They were also a number of items and clothing fashion from human body parts, leggings made from a female's legs and several pairs of skin. Patty's perhaps most disturbing item was a waistcoat made from the upper torso of a woman's body. Worst L was geens collection of masks that were actually the peeled off facial skin of nine women with hair still attached and some with lipstick applied to their lips. One poor officer had a shock when he uncovered a paper bag containing a mask honed from the skull of missing tavern ona Mary Hogan recently put, Should Mrs Wardens Heart was also found in a bag by the stove. Her still warm entrails were wrapped in newspaper. Onda head was discovered in a feed sack. It was spotted when an officer noticed steam rising from the sand when the head was retrieved. They noticed each year had a bent of nail sticking out with a length of twine connecting. Geen had obviously intended to hang it up, along with all of his other grotesque trophies. In fact, so many body parts were discovered. It was impossible to determine how many victims that were, although it was apparent they were an array of bones, skin breasts, genitals, noses, heads on lips belonging to females. All of these horrific bits and pieces were found in the confined area that Eddie lived in. Within the house. This was namely the kitchen on downstairs bedroom. As you know, the other parts of the house has been boarded up, and it was with some dread that officers removed these borns, fearing what would be behind them. But it wasn't what they were expecting. It was the untouched rooms of Augusta, and everything was in perfect order. All her clothes and possessions had been sealed up on untouched since the day she died. Dean was now in custody, unlocked up in a jail house close to a sheriff's. Lee and his family lived, although he was still not confessing during questioning, the sheriff became increasingly frustrated with that, and he lashed out, slamming his head against the jail war, trying to get a confession out of him. Although this seemed to have the opposite effect on G as he completely clammed up back in Plainfield, speculation was rife and the place was overrun with reporters. It wasn't long before the gruesome headlines started to appear. In the following days, Gin confessed the murder off beneath water. He also made an astonishing confession when asked where all of the body parts had come from. Admitted that over a five year period beginning in 1947 he had been a regular night visitor to cemeteries in the area. On down at least nine occasions had dug up freshly buried coffins, remove the body and then reburied the casket. Gin chose his fresh corpses by trawling the obituaries in the local newspapers on selecting middle aged women as his victims. He admitted that some of the women he had known in life as with the gruesome murder of Mrs Warden. He claimed the details off his grave robbing were hazy. By now, the press were in a frenzy, with fluid headlines of Dean being a depraved, sex crazed cannibal. There was also speculation that he had been responsible for the disappearance of other Wisconsin residents, in particular teenager Evelyn Hart. Me. In fact, the press were eager to pin every unsolved disappearance in recent years on end Andan soon's. That wouldn't happen Today. They seem to be allowed access to Dean's house. This is why so many Mkapa photographs off the crime scene are available. As more and more details were released, the headlines got more and more grotesque on many tales of encounters with Ed started to surface. One local spinster even claimed to have been dean sweetheart for the past 20 years, claim that was later attracted during interrogations and even a lie detector test. Gin would willingly amend to some of the more perverse things he did with the body parts, but was less forthcoming when it came to murdering anyone. Despite the overwhelming evidence, he also willingly explained his grave robbing, admitting that he would often dig up a body and just take the bits he wanted. This was usually the head and genitals. Then he would re bury the body as if nothing had happened. He also confessed to wearing the human masks on memory vest that he had created. People were confused as the weather. Ed was truly insane or a cunning manipulator of the truth. As throughout his interrogation, he remained the meek, mild little man who never swore, was polite and well mannered while casually confessing to a string of unparallel perversions eventually get admitted to both the murder of Mary Hogan and Bernice Warden. I was charged with two counts of first degree murder on one of armed robbery. He was nicknamed the Plainfield head collector by the press, and they also noted that Ed seemed to be enjoying the attention. He was now clean shaven and smarter than usual on would smile broadly for the waiting press. Some even speculated that Ed had unburdened his mind on, was comfortable and happy with himself. Ed's attorney, William Balta, informed him that he would enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. In the aftermath of jeans confessions, the residents of Plainfield, we're finding it hard to grasp. But games capable of robbing graves on the thought of their dead mothers, daughters and sisters, bodies being ravaged in search of perverted away and then being used as part of Gin's McCarver dick or was unthinkable. And they wanted proof. So when Geen readily offered authorities a list of names on Danes of the Grace he desecrated, it was decided that two graves in Plainfield Cemetery would be exhumed. The first was 52 year old Allen Adams, whose grave was right next to gins parents Augusta on George. It was speculated that the second was gins Mother, although this was denied digging began to Exume, Mrs Adams Coffin. She had died on August the 29th 1951 on Dean had admitted exhuming her body shortly after she was buried. As the grave diggers dug down, it was soon apparent that the Great had being disturbed on. When the casket was opened. It was empty, apart from a 12 inch crowbar. Next was Mabel Everson, who died aged 69 on April the 15th 1951. The grave diggers did not have to dig too far before they came across a scattering of human bones. It was what was laughed of Mabel Everson. Her casket was empty. Geena taken what he wanted and left the rest crudely buried just 15 inches below the ground. Thes two exclamations were enough to verify that Ed was telling the truth about his confession of grave robbing. In another development, the ever helpful and agreed to show an officer with the rest of the remains of Mary Hogan were he accompanied the officer back to his farm on directed him to one Actually where, he explained he had cut Mary are and created her on his pot bellied stove, then put them on the actually. Later, another woman's body was discovered in a garbage trench on gains land. It was another off his dug up corpses. One question game denied any sexual activity with the corpse is claiming the smell. Too bad. In fact, Dean admitted he had never had a sexual relationship with a man or woman on, Despite speculation that he could not have dug the graves alone, he insisted he had. Geen also denied he had any involvement with the disappearance of Evelyn Hartley, Georgia Wikler or the two hunters, although it's why they believed that he was responsible for these as well. Ed was moved to Central State Hospital for the criminally insane. We underwent vigorous testing. I was considered to be physically in good shape. Although he frequently complained of headaches and nausea on a constant bad smell of what he described as rotting flash, however, his mental state was more complex on. He was just to have had a schizophrenic personality with neurotic manifestations on the inability to look at situations. Realistically, after extensive testing, it was concluded that Dean was indeed insane. This news anger the residents of Plainfield. After all, they had known at all his life, and although he was an oddball, they did not consider him insane. They believed he would escape punishment if this was ruled at his trial. Ed remained at Central State Hospital until his insanity hearing on November 21st 1957. The courtroom was packed, and many remarked that hospital life was suiting it as gone was the corn skinny man. At the hearing, gin was declared too insane to stand trial, and he was recommitted to Central State Hospital indefinitely. The town of Plainfield would never be the same again on pressing sightseers flocked to the area to catch a glimpse of Dean's farm on the cemeteries. Gins possessions on the farm was set to go toe auction on March 30th 1958 on people flocked to view the items. The proceeds of the sale were to go to meet the lawsuits from gins Victimsfamilies against his estate. However, on March, the 20th Gins farm was set ablaze and burnt to the ground. Although Aston was suspected, it was never proven. I never properly investigated. When Ed was told of the fire, he simply said Justus well. The auction of his vehicles and other possessions, including his car, still went ahead and in a ghoulish moneymaking bed, it was purchased by sideshow exhibitor Bunny Gibson. Bunny went on to turn the car into him, a carb exhibition charging 25 cents ago on its first show, over 2000 people decided to take a look. The total proceeds raised by selling what was left of jeans possessions, was $5375 $300 was put aside for teens. Funeral on the rest went to the lawsuits. With Ed Safety locked away, he became a local legend, was the subject of many jokes and scary stories. The Children had their very own real life boogeyman, however, what brought the name of Ad Deen while and truly into the public eye was in 1960. Alfred Hitchcock released the original slasher film Psycho, a movie that was inspired by a novel by Robert Blanche that was based on the heinous crimes of Ed Dean and his obsession with his mother. In the same year, men Working begins, Farm noticed that dogs were digging at a patch of land. After they went to investigate, they dug up a pile of human bones, including ribs, arms, legs and the pelvis. These were added to King's other pile of bones that were still at the crime lab. Thes remains were quietly reburied in 1962. Meanwhile, gin had adopted while to his new life in Central State Hospital, he had spent days reading on doing our jobs. Considered a model patient, Dean was one of the few at the hospital that did not require drugs to keep his Martin's under control. He had also become a bit of celebrity, with journalists, magazine writers and sociologists clambering to get an interview with him. Unbelievably, he even received fan mail on had women requesting locks of his hair. However, authorities denied all requests, and during his time in confinement, Head did not receive a single visitor. Hence, there are no public interviews, however. News of Keane's comfortable life angered Plainfield residents on lead to even more claims that Dean was not crazy after all, and that he should be tried in a court of law for his heinous crimes. In 1968 psychiatrists, Dean Joaquin had recovered enough to stand trial. So in January 1968 Geen appeared in public for the first time in 10 years when he attended preliminary proceedings leading up to his trial date. His appearance came as a shock. He was now a clean shaven, smart, healthy looking man who was a far cry from the scruffy, gaunt man previously seen in public. Trial was set for November on lasted just a week in which several witnesses gave evidence and Dean himself took the stand. When questioned, he maintained that Mrs Warden was shot by accident on what happened next. He can't remember as the sight of blood causing to black out and everything was hazy. He also said he couldn't remember butchering Mrs Wardens body and hang it on a hook. Ed was found guilty of the first degree. Murder of Mrs Warden, however, was now declared insane at the time of the killing, so was deemed not guilty by reason of insanity. Meanwhile, he was convicted and acquitted on the same day and sent back to Central State Hospital for another undefined period. Before game was taken back to the hospital, the press were granted their interview with that too many. It was incomprehensible that the shy, polite man could be capable of the atrocities he committed. When asked how he found, he replied. He was relieved and looking forward to going back to hospital, saying they treat you pretty well there. He also laid the blame for his actions on a place he lived under. The locals have been friendly to him. He wouldn't have acted the way he did. It was Thorn that this was the end of one of the most heinous crimes in history, but they were wrong. In a shock move in 1974 Dean filed a petition to be freed, claiming he had now fully recovered and there was no reason for him to be in hospital at game. Want to Die? On June 27th 1974 he attended a hearing in a bid to be released back into society As he laughed and joked with reporters on his way to court. To the outside world, Dean did, in fact, appear to be normal. But chillingly, experts deemed that beneath the calm, polite exterior, there was still a seething mad mind lying within, and Dean was still deemed to be a threat to society. His bid for freedom had failed, and he was returned a central state to resume his life. He stayed there until 1978 when he was moved to Mend Daughter Mental Health Institute. By this time, he was 72 on his health was failing. He lived another six years before finally succumbing to senility. Cancer on ultimately respiratory failure. Ed King died on July the 26 1984 at the age of 77. Dean's death left a lot of unresolved mysteries. It was never established exactly how many women on possibly men fell victim to, but it was almost certainly more than the two he confessed to. Another one talked to her death was also attributed to G. Sheriff Art HSI Lai, who died of heart failure at the age of 43. It was said he was so traumatized by what he had seen in Ed's home on the stress of interviewing him had led to his early demise. Many still believe Dean was also responsible for the disappearance off those two girls on the hunters Edward Theodore Gene, a man who singlehandedly caused Hera to a small town in Wisconsin. A man who is the baseline for some of the most terrifying horror movie characters we see today was buried in Plainfield Cemetery. The scene off his grotesque grave robbing laying beside him is perhaps the one responsible for molding ed into what he became. He was finally reunited with his beloved mother