The Butcher of Plainfield, Ed Gein, part 2....

Where it all started.

This is a followup post on a post I did in 2017, The real life Norman and Norma Bates.  This post generates over 80 views every single day from all over the world.  So I did a little more digging (no pun intended) and this is what else I came up with on this gruesome, grave-robbing psycho, Ed Gein.

On a side note, Gein is often labeled a serial killer but the definition of a serial killer is one who kills 3 or more people and even though he committed a lot of offensive, vile acts, he only killed 2 people so not a serial killer.

The jig is up.

When the authorities finally caught up with Gein, he confessed his motives for the murders and grotesque behaviors were so that he could fashion a "woman suit" so that he could literally become his mother.

In January 1958, Ed Gein was declared unfit to stand trial and was committed to Central State Hospital.  Ten years later; however, he was declared fit to stand trial which took place in November 1968.  At that point, he was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and found not guilty by reason of insanity and was returned to the mental institution (Mendota Mental Health Institute).

Gein was a man who made a lampshade from a human face, bowls made from skulls, had a collection of the heads' of ten women, had random organs in his refrigerator, and murdered 2 women but what I found just as peculiar and interesting as all of those points is the numerous reports of what an exemplary patient/prisoner Gein was during his time at Mendota.  Apparently, gruesome Gein was blissful, calm, did all kinds of odd jobs, and never needed to be tranquilized.

Gein at home doing his thing.

Gein died July 26, 1984 of respiratory and heart failure secondary to cancer at the Mendota Mental Health Institution.

This is, allegedly, the last know picture of Gein
taken in 1984 before his death.

He is buried in the Plainfield Cemetery.  His grave site has been vandalized repeatedly over the years so he now has an unmarked gravestone beside his mother, rightfully so.

A few other completely random Gein facts.
~The car Gein used to haul bodies and body parts was sold at auction for $760.  The new owner charged $0.25 for people to see the car.
~Believe it or not, he was a babysitter for a few children in town, can you imagine?
~He may have killed his brother.
~He was said to be very shy.
~He often expressed that he wished he knew what it would be like to be a woman.
~He never went on a date.
~In 1995 the band Blind Melon released a song about Ed called Skinned.  You can check that out here if you like.
~His hobbies included taxidermy and playing an accordion and flute.

Gein was definitely a hideously, interesting person.