The discovery of the Ed Gein crime scene on November 16, 1957, revealed a house of horrors that changed American true crime history forever. When authorities entered Gein’s farmhouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin, searching for missing store clerk Bernice Worden, they found her decapitated body suspended in a shed and an interior filled with furniture and clothing fashioned from human remains. This site remains the primary inspiration for iconic horror films like Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the forensic details of the farmhouse, the timeline of the investigation, the specific artifacts recovered, and the psychological profile of the man known as the “Butcher of Plainfield.”
Discovery of the Scene
The investigation began when Bernice Worden disappeared from her hardware store, leaving behind a blood trail and a receipt made out to Ed Gein. Sheriff Art Schley and Captain Lloyd Schoephoerster arrived at Gein’s property on a freezing Saturday evening to conduct a search.
The first discovery occurred in a dark, unheated summer kitchen (or woodshed). Using flashlights, the officers found Worden’s body hanging upside down from the rafters, dressed like a deer and extensively mutilated.
The Summer Kitchen Site
The summer kitchen was a detached or semi-detached structure where Gein performed the initial “processing” of his victims and exhumed bodies. It was littered with hunting tools, ropes, and pulleys used to hoist heavy weights, which Gein utilized for his macabre taxidermy.
Authorities noted that the environment was freezing, which partially preserved the remains found there. This area was the most immediate and visceral evidence of Gein’s transition from a grave robber to a serial killer.
Farmhouse Interior Conditions
The interior of the Gein farmhouse was a study in psychological duality, split between filth and eerie preservation. Most of the house was filled with piles of trash, old newspapers, and rotting organic matter, creating a nearly impassable labyrinth.
However, the rooms belonging to Ed’s late mother, Augusta Gein, were sealed off and kept in pristine, immaculate condition. This “shrine” suggested a deep-seated fixation and an inability to process her death, which occurred in 1945.
Kitchen Forensic Details
The kitchen was the center of Gein’s domestic life and served as the primary storage area for his “trophies.” Investigators found a pot on the stove containing what appeared to be human remains, and the table was set with unconventional materials.
Searchers discovered chairs upholstered with human skin and bowls made from inverted human skulls. These items were not hidden but were used as functional household objects in Gein’s daily routine.
The Bedroom Artifacts
In Gein’s own bedroom, the level of depravity escalated with the discovery of a “woman suit” crafted from tanned human skin. Gein admitted to investigators that he intended to step into this skin to literally “become” his mother.
The room also contained a collection of masks made from the dried skin of human faces, which were mounted on the walls like hunting trophies. These artifacts provided the clearest evidence of Gein’s severe psychosis and necrophilic tendencies.
Grave Robbing Evidence
During the interrogation, Gein confessed that the majority of the remains in his home did not come from new murders but from local cemeteries. He targeted the graves of middle-aged women who he believed resembled his mother.
Forensic teams later exhumed several graves identified by Gein to verify his claims. They found empty coffins or mutilated remains, confirming that he had made at least 40 nocturnal visits to three local graveyards between 1947 and 1952.
The Plainfield Hardware Store
The secondary crime scene was Worden’s Hardware Store in downtown Plainfield. This location provided the forensic “smoking gun” that led police directly to the Gein farmhouse.
Investigators found the store’s ledger, which showed the last entry was a half-gallon of antifreeze sold to Ed Gein. A trail of blood led from the counter to the back door, where Worden had been loaded into Gein’s truck.
Tools and Weaponry Used
Gein primarily used a .22-caliber rifle for his murders, a weapon common for small-game hunting in rural Wisconsin. This rifle was recovered from the farm and matched the ballistics of the bullet found in Bernice Worden.
Beyond the rifle, the “tools” of the crime scene included skinning knives, needles, and heavy-duty waxed thread. These items were used to “tailor” the skin artifacts found throughout the residence.
Disposal of Evidence
Unlike many serial killers who hide their crimes, Gein integrated his “evidence” into his living space. However, he did dispose of unusable remains by burying them in the fields surrounding his house or burning them in his stove.
The stench of the home was noted by neighbors for years, but most attributed it to Gein’s poor hygiene and the “eccentricity” of a lonely bachelor. This allowed the crime scene to grow in scale for over a decade.
Neighborhood Observations
Neighbors in Plainfield often visited Gein, and some even saw his “masks,” which he claimed were relics sent by a relative from the South Seas. The crime scene was hidden in plain sight because the community could not conceive of such horrors occurring in their town.
Children in the area reportedly looked through the windows of the farmhouse and saw “shrunken heads,” but their stories were dismissed as childhood imagination until the 1957 raid.
The 1958 Fire
In March 1958, shortly before the Gein estate and the “House of Horrors” were to be auctioned off, the farmhouse burned to the ground. The cause was listed as “undetermined,” though arson was widely suspected by locals who wanted the “evil” gone.
When Gein learned of the fire while in a psychiatric hospital, his only recorded response was, “Just as well.” Today, only a vacant lot and a few overgrown trees remain where the house once stood.
Forensic Impact on Law
The Ed Gein case was one of the first to receive intense national media coverage focusing on forensic pathology and psychological profiling. The sheer volume of biological evidence forced local authorities to adopt more rigorous evidence-handling protocols.
It also highlighted the need for better communication between cemetery officials and local police. The fact that dozens of graves were desecrated over years without detection led to reforms in how rural graveyards were monitored.
Psychology of the Scene
The layout of the crime scene provided a “map” of Gein’s fractured mind. The filth of his living quarters contrasted with the “pure” shrine of his mother’s room, illustrating his internal conflict between his base urges and his mother’s puritanical teachings.
Psychiatrists who visited the scene or reviewed the photos noted that the objects were “fetishistic substitutes.” Gein was not killing for sexual pleasure in a traditional sense, but to recreate a lost maternal presence.
Practical Information and Planning
While the original Ed Gein farmhouse no longer exists, many true crime enthusiasts visit the area of Plainfield, Wisconsin, to understand the geography of the events.
- Location: Plainfield is located in Waushara County, approximately 75 miles north of Madison.
- The Site: The property is now privately owned. There are no markers or museums on the site of the former house.
- Visitor Etiquette: Residents of Plainfield generally discourage “dark tourism.” Visitors are asked to be respectful and avoid trespassing on private property.
- Plainfield Cemetery: This is a public site where many of Gein’s victims—and his family members—are buried.
- What to Expect: A quiet, rural farming community that has largely moved on from its dark history.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did Ed Gein kill?
Ed Gein was only officially linked to two murders: Mary Hogan in 1954 and Bernice Worden in 1957. However, the remains of several other unidentified individuals were found in his home, which he claimed were stolen from graves.
Is the Ed Gein house still standing?
No, the farmhouse burned down in March 1958. Many believe it was arson committed by locals to prevent the house from becoming a macabre tourist attraction.
What was found in the Ed Gein crime scene?
Authorities found human skin chair covers, skull bowls, a “woman suit” made of skin, a belt made of nipples, and various organs stored in the refrigerator. The house was filled with the remains of at least 15 different women.
Where is Ed Gein buried?
Ed Gein is buried in the Plainfield Cemetery, next to his mother, Augusta. His gravestone was frequently vandalized and stolen, and today it is kept in storage by the historical society, leaving the plot unmarked.
Did Ed Gein have any siblings?
Yes, Ed had an older brother named Henry. Henry died under suspicious circumstances during a marsh fire in 1944 while with Ed, though no charges were ever filed.
What movie is based on Ed Gein?
Ed Gein’s crime scene inspired the character of Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.
Why did Ed Gein keep his mother’s room clean?
Gein idolized his mother and viewed her as a saintly figure. Keeping her room immaculate was a way for him to preserve her memory and appease the “voice” of her influence in his head.
How was Ed Gein caught?
He was caught after the disappearance of Bernice Worden. A receipt for antifreeze in her store led police to Gein’s farm, where her body was discovered in his shed.
What was Ed Gein’s sentence?
Gein was initially found unfit for trial due to insanity. After ten years in a mental institution, he was tried, found guilty but insane, and spent the rest of his life in the Mendota Mental Health Institute.
Can I visit the Ed Gein farm today?
The land is private property and the house is gone. While you can drive past the general location in Plainfield, there is nothing left of the original structures to see.
Final Thoughts
The Ed Gein crime scene remains a singular point of study in the intersection of criminal justice and cultural psychology. It forced a transition in how society perceived rural safety, proving that the most extreme depravity could exist within a quiet, familiar neighbor. While the physical farmhouse is gone, the forensic photographs and inventory lists continue to serve as a haunting blueprint for the “slasher” genre and psychological thrillers.
Ultimately, the investigation into the Gein farm provided a grim but necessary advancement in behavioral science. It offered the first major public glimpse into the mind of a “collector” and “skin-wearer,” categories that would later become staples in FBI profiling. The site serves as a permanent reminder of the thin veil between domestic normalcy and the darkest depths of the human psyche.
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