TBT: Ed Gein - Murder and Mommy Issues

Summary

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Dumb Blonde Podcast

Episode: TBT: Ed Gein – Murder and Mommy Issues
Hosts: Bunnie XO and Mimi
Date: October 2, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Bunnie XO and regular guest Mimi dig deep into the infamous true crime case of Ed Gein, the "Butcher of Plainfield." Bridging dark history with their signature humor and candidness, they ask whether Gein should truly be called a serial killer or if he was a deeply disturbed, socially stunted psychopath molded by a traumatic upbringing and pathological attachment to his mother. The conversation weaves Ed Gein's biography, shocking details of his crimes, gruesome discoveries, psychological analysis, and their own reflections on parental influence and trauma.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ed Gein: Serial Killer or Psychopath? (04:00–05:37)

• Mimi's perspective:
  • "He's a psychopath. He's my favorite psychopath. I don't believe he was a serial killer. No. He got off on the idea of death, not the idea of killing." (04:08)
  • Gein only killed a few people, most of his activities involved grave robbing.
• Bunnie XO:
  • Agrees that Gein isn’t a typical serial killer but affirms he’s “a few grapes short of a fruit salad” (05:37).
  • Both discuss the technicality: By definition, killing three or more makes a serial killer, but context matters.

2. Mommy Issues & Religious Trauma (05:37–17:35)

• Gein’s overbearing, ultra-religious mother Augusta controlled his worldview, vilifying women and sexuality.
• Bunnie and Mimi reflect on how strict, religious or traumatic upbringings shape children:
  • “You get true qualities from your parents, even if you didn’t spend a lifetime with these parents.” (08:22, Mimi)
  • The hosts recount their own family dynamics and experiences with inherited behaviors and trauma.

3. Childhood Abuse and Upbringing (20:51–26:54)

• Ed’s father was an abusive alcoholic; Augusta was emotionally cold, controlling, and taught her sons that women (except herself) were evil.
• Sexual repression and abuse:
  • Mimi shares: “Augusta would often preach to them from the Bible, and she instilled into them that the beliefs of alcohol and all women, except for herself, of course, were the pinnacles of immorality.” (23:13)
  • Graphic story of Augusta scalding Ed’s genitals in boiling water after catching him masturbating—potential signs of deeper sexual abuse.

4. Isolation, Obsession, and Social Stunting (27:14–30:31; 32:02–35:51)

• Gein and his brother Henry were isolated on their farm, forbidden from forming friendships.
• Ed developed an extreme attachment to his mother; after her death, he was left entirely alone, socially underdeveloped, and unable to form other attachments.

5. The Crimes and House of Horrors (37:14–48:46)

• Grave-robbing and body art:
  • Ed exhumed corpses of women resembling his mother; skinned bodies to fashion suits and masks.
  • “His aim was to physically recreate a version of his mother, later admitting to authorities that he wanted to become her and crawl into her skin.” (37:14, Mimi)
  • Used body parts for furniture, clothing, and utensils: “A belt made of nipples, a lampshade made from a human face, bowls from human skulls...” (42:04, Bunnie)
• Notable crimes:
  • Murdered Mary Hogan (1954) and Bernice Worden (1957)—both were shot and bodies taken to his farm (43:28).
  • Bernice’s son (a deputy) grew suspicious, leading to the discovery of horrifically mutilated remains.
  • Ed denied sexual contact with corpses, stating, “they smelled too bad” (44:20, Mimi).

6. Psychological Analysis: Nature vs. Nurture (48:52–53:18)

• Debate over empathy for Gein’s circumstances:
  • “I just... I feel like it’s one of those situations. Had he not been brought up that way, do you think he would’ve ever done it?” (50:18, Mimi)
  • Bunnie is unswayed: “You morally know what’s right or wrong.” (50:32)
• Mental illness and legal outcome:
  • After his arrest, Gein was diagnosed with schizophrenia and declared not guilty by reason of insanity.
  • Lived out life in psychiatric institutions until death in 1984.

7. Cultural Impact & Horror Inspiration (18:12–19:02; 52:07)

• Gein’s crimes inspired movies like "Silence of the Lambs," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "House of 1000 Corpses."
• “Otis... kind of, you know, channeled Ed Gein when creating that character...” (18:34, Mimi)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mimi (on Gein’s psyche):
  • “He got off on the idea of death, not the idea of killing.” (04:08)
• Bunnie XO (on religious trauma):
  • “Those are the real weirdos, are the people whose parents... were super strict and super just, like, overbearing and, like, shoved religion down their throat. It’s like a different fear it creates.” (05:54)
• Mimi (on parental influence):
  • “You get true qualities from your parents, even if you didn’t spend a lifetime with these parents.” (08:22)
• Bunnie XO (recounting Ed’s confession):
  • “His aim was to physically recreate a version of his mother, later admitting to authorities that he wanted to become her and crawl into her skin.” (37:14)
• Mimi (on Ed’s “craftsmanship”):
  • “He was an artsman... crafted body parts into household items, as well as pieces of clothing, such as a pair of gloves made from human flesh, a belt made of nipples.” (40:56)
• Bunnie XO (on empathy):
  • “I have none. I already have a distance disdain for men in general, so to know that he may just... abusing women like this, I’m like, dude, off.” (49:00)
• Mimi (on the question of nurture vs. nature):
  • “Had he not been brought up that way, do you think he would ever have done it?” (50:18)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:00 | Mimi and Bunnie debate serial killer definition and Gein’s motivations | | 05:37 | Deep dive into religious trauma and parental control in Gein’s upbringing | | 20:51 | Ed’s childhood, family violence, and beginnings of social stunting | | 26:23 | Sexual repression, disturbing childhood incidents | | 37:14 | The shift after Augusta’s death: grave-robbing and “mother suit” | | 41:15 | Discovery of Gein’s “artwork” and grisly trophies at his farmhouse | | 43:28 | Murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, police investigation | | 48:46 | Hosts’ reactions to the inventories of horrors | | 52:07 | Legal outcomes: Insanity defense, mental health, and Gein’s later years |

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Tone and Dynamic

• Bunnie XO and Mimi maintain their signature blend of irreverent, dark humor and empathy, balancing graphic crime details with personal asides and pop culture references.
• The conversation is conversational, unfiltered and engaging, mixing true crime fascination with relatable reflections on family and trauma.
• Bunnie tends to hold the hard boundary against empathy for Gein, while Mimi sometimes demonstrates an empathic curiosity regarding how childhood trauma shapes monstrous outcomes.

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Takeaway

The episode offers a brutal, unvarnished examination of Ed Gein’s life, crimes, and legacy—raising tough questions about parental influence, religious repression, the roots of evil, and the complex dividing line between serial killer and psychopath. Bunnie and Mimi bring their signature realness, ensuring listeners laugh, squirm, and ponder, all at once.

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For further discussion and behind-the-scenes exclusives, check out the Dumb Blonde Patreon at www.dumblondunrated.com.

Transcript

[Host 1]

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[Bonnie]

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[Mimi]

Hey, guys.

[Bonnie]

Hi, me. So everybody is loving you on the podcast.

[Mimi]

I've come to find that out. I didn't think. I mean, I don't know. I just didn't think they knew enough about me to want me on here. All the comments. Everyone's so nice to. To me.

[Bonnie]

I know. So we might. We might be making Mimi the trusty steed. We don't know yet, though.

[Mimi]

We'll.

[Bonnie]

We'll definitely. We're getting a new studio, so when you guys see the new set, then you'll know if she's coming on or not.

[Mimi]

We'll do like a little reveal.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, for sure. Hold on one second. My husband's texting me. We're sexting right now.

[Mimi]

Oh.

[Bonnie]

Well, today we are going to dive into one of Mimi's favorite serial killers.

[Mimi]

I love him so much.

[Bonnie]

I'm reading this story and I'm just so sick to my stomach.

[Mimi]

You.

[Bonnie]

And she said the craziest thing to me because she's like, I don't feel like he was a serial killer. And I'm like, this dude is. Something's wrong with him.

[Mimi]

He's a psychopath. He's my favorite psychopath. I don't believe he was a serial killer. No. He got off on the idea of death.

[Bonnie]

Right.

[Mimi]

Not the idea of killing.

[Bonnie]

Right. And he only killed a couple of people. Right.

[Mimi]

It technically three people. And that's what makes you a serial killer.

[Bonnie]

Right?

[Mimi]

Three people.

[Bonnie]

But he dug up the corpses majority.

[Mimi]

Everyone else that he handled was already dead of natural causes.

[Bonnie]

Right. But to have compassion for a weirdo like this, it's gonna be hard for me to find.

[Mimi]

I feel like this is similar to the Eileen Moreno story.

[Bonnie]

No, she kind of, you know, had a heart. At least she loved, you know, girls and Only killed men. Completely different.

[Mimi]

They just weren't alive.

[Bonnie]

For those of you who don't know who we're talking about, we are talking about Geen.

[Mimi]

Ed Gein.

[Bonnie]

And he's pretty. Pretty spicy.

[Mimi]

I mean, I got her roped in by telling her a very key part of this story, and she said, oh, we're doing it. So when you guys get to the part, I'm gonna tell you guys, but this was. And, you know, I. When I was in high school, I became obsessed with studying serial killers. More for the psychological side of things. I wanted to know why these people chose to make these decisions in life. And Ed Geen happened to be one of them. And even in high school, I remember thinking to myself, like, I don't feel like he's a serial killer. I feel like he's a psychopath. He's one of the most iconic psychopaths of, you know, history. But serial killer? No.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. I don't know. Well, we're gonna let you guys decide for yourself. I don't think he's a serial killer either. I do agree with you on that. But I do feel like he's a few grapes short of a fruit salad. For sure. He's a few tacos short of a taco truck. Like this dude. And, you know, it's crazy because his mom was so super religious. So I feel like those are the real weirdos, are the people whose parents. I'm one of them, who were super strict and super just, like, overbearing and, like, shoved religion down their throat. It's like a different fear that it creates.

[Mimi]

And it's all he knew, you know, like, it's one. If. If some. If I had a child and as that child was being raised, if I told them that the color red was blue, that's the name of it, and they got older, they would know no different. Right. They would think the color red is named blue.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And I feel like in these incidents, that's exactly it. I feel like he knew no difference.

[Bonnie]

Right.

[Mimi]

He was almost, like, brainwashed, for sure.

[Bonnie]

Definitely brainwashed. Yeah. I would definitely agree with you on that.

[Mimi]

You think they can see the hair on my legs from here? I just realized I didn't.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, I mean, I'm looking right at you on the TV screen, and it's all up front and personal. Listen, when you're married, you don't shave your legs. I shaved today for the first time just because I was like, you know what? It's almost winter. Maybe I should shave my Ewok.

[Mimi]

And I'M just growing my winter coat out.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. I had to do it one last time. I was like, I just want to see what she looks like without hair. Just one last time. I forget. I. I miss her. I forget what she looks like without hair sometimes. Although I don't like hair. I'm very. Like, my hair is not very hairy anyways. You don't have hair.

[Mimi]

Hair at all. You don't even have hair on your eyebrows.

[Bonnie]

Being around my dad, I've realized he's not hairy.

[Mimi]

No.

[Bonnie]

So that's why. Thank God my mom was a bushwacker.

[Mimi]

No hair. Really?

[Bonnie]

Oh, yeah.

[Mimi]

She was funny that you'd get the dad's jeans.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

That's crazy. Normally you get the mom's jeans.

[Bonnie]

I have a lot of my dad's jeans, actually.

[Mimi]

You're so much like your dad.

[Bonnie]

Oh, it's crazy. We were over there. Not. We'll get. I swear we'll go to the murderer soon. But we were over there the other day, and my dad just. When he's over something, he's over it. And I'm the same way. Literally, I'm the same way. I'm like, all right, I gotta go. Like, that's literally what I'll do. And that's what my dad will do. He'll be like, all right, well, it was really nice seeing you. And, you know, come and see me tomorrow.

[Mimi]

I'll be like, I know.

[Bonnie]

I'll be like, billy, you just asked me to fucking sit here and show you something. Yeah, but I'm tired. We'll deal with that tomorrow. And I'm like, okay, well, see you later. But Kayla was like, dude, you are just like your dad. You made the same facial expressions. Like, truly, I have my dad's hand. Oh, no, no, I'm sorry. I have my mom's hands, my dad's feet, my dad's arms. I was like, dad, can you grow any muscles? Because I can't. No matter how hard I work out, my upper body just stays the same. He's like, nope, Never could.

[Mimi]

That's crazy. But this. This kind of ties into the story that we're talking about is, like, you get true qualities from your parents, even if you didn't spend a lifetime with these parents.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, for sure.

[Mimi]

Truly, like, we. You talked about once, you kind of, you know, reconnected with your mom. You're like, wow. Yeah, wow. There was little things that she would do that you do. And, like, you guys weren't raised together, though.

[Bonnie]

She showed me everything. I didn't want to Ever become.

[Mimi]

Yeah. And. But now that you're with your dad too, and having him so close again later on in life, you realize there's so many qualities we don't realize that we get from our parents.

[Bonnie]

Oh yeah, for sure. So glad I turned out more like my dad. I. I have my mom's anxiety and I have her like nervous tics.

[Mimi]

Things I feel like that were passed on genetically versus. You have mannerisms of your father.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Yeah. And thank God, because my mom was white trash hillbill dude. She had no couth, dude. Rest in peace, Vanessa. But you're a lunatic. She came on the Bailey. Bailey sky posted or. I'm sorry, I always call her Bailey sky because that's her name on Tick Tock. But Amy Bale sky, the psychic on Tick Tock did a reading for Jay and I and in that reading my mom decides to come through. Nobody else from my side of the world wants to come through. All of Jay's family members did. But here comes my mom and the first thing she's. She asks is me to take her ashes on the tour bus with her. She wanted to go on tour. And I was like, you know I'm never going to touch your ass. Yeah, like, you know I'm never going to touch your ashes. Not happening.

[Mimi]

Yeah, that's when we're moving the other day my mom comes out and she's like. I was like, what's wrong? She goes like, I just found grandma. She's like, can someone go get her, please?

[Bonnie]

Oh, fuck. I hate that dude.

[Mimi]

I didn't even know we had her. I'm.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, that's how I'm so weird about ashes in our house. We keep.

[Mimi]

You talked about that. Yes.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, because I want. I don't want them in our house because. Yeah, I have a crazy story about something that happened with me with ashes. So should I tell it?

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

Okay.

[Mimi]

I was waiting. Did you see me?

[Bonnie]

Yeah. So I was living with my ex boyfriend at the time and this dude had lost his mom. This is the craziest story ever. But this dude lost his mom and we were having kind of like a get together, a barbecue or something, and he brings this urn with her ashes over to the barbecue. And I'm like, what the fucking does that happening? Like who does that? Right? But I mean, who are we to judge anybody's way of grieving or whatever? Well, everybody ends up getting smashed at this little house party, barbecue, whatever. And I wake up the next morning and this woman's ashes are in my kitchen. And I'M like, he left. Okay. And at this time, I didn't have quite a diversion to ashes, but this is why I do now because those ashes sat on my counter for at least two weeks. And the dude we kept calling him like, hey, come get your mom. Come get your mom. Come get your mom. Like, we don't want these ashes here. We'd want to make sure that you get them back. And he was just like, oh, just keep them there, you know, like, just completely like blowing it off that his mom, his dead mother was in my kitchen. Well, for those two weeks, I kept getting the most severe headaches and like, it would start in my neck and like, be in my head and my throat. I kept feeling like weird, like, suffocation feelings and like, I just felt like this woman died a violent death and I could not figure it out. At first I thought there was something wrong with me. I was like, what is going on? I'm picking up on something like, what's happening? Because I've always been like, really susceptible to anxiety and stuff like that. So I brushed that off. And then one day I was like, it's these ashes. And I'm like, call him and ask him how his mom died. You guys know me. I'm all about saving money where I can, especially on boring stuff like phone bills. I got tired of those jaw dropping wireless bills every month. Hidden fees, overages, contracts. No thank you. That's when I made the switch to Mint Mobile. And let me tell you, it has been a game changer with Mint Mobile. I'm paying just $15 a month for premium wireless. Yep, you heard that right. $15. And I still get high speed data, unlimited talk and text, all on the nation's largest 5G network. The best part, I didn't have to buy a new phone or change my number. I just popped in the mint sim and kept all my contacts easy. Honestly, compared to my old provider, I'm saving so much it feels like I've been getting scammed all these years. If you're still overpaying for wireless, just stop. Mint makes it simple. And once you switch, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Ready to say yes to saying no? Make the [e-mail] bunny. That's mintmobile.com bunny b u n n I e upfron of $45 required equivalent to $15 a month limited time. New customers offer for first three months only. Speeds may slow above 35 GB on unlimited plan taxes and fees. Extra cement Mobile for details.

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[Bonnie]

And so my ex calls his mom, calls him. Sorry. My ex calls the dude, and he's like, my mom died a severely violent death. Her. She died from domestic violence. Her boyfriend stabbed her in her neck and strangled her. And I'm like, this woman doesn't want to be in these ashes, dude. Like, she's screaming for to. To be let out of these ashes. She doesn't want to be in this box. You know, I was like, do you want to sprinkle your mom's ashes anywhere? And he's like, no, you could just keep, you know, pretty much. I don't know. We were partying back then. He might have just been a drug addict.

[Mimi]

And who knows if this is mom, right?

[Bonnie]

We're like, I don't know who we ended up with. But anyways, so I took her ashes to the nearest graveyard. And in the. In Vegas, there's a graveyard out there that has a lake in it. And I opened up her ashes and I spread them all over the lake. And I just kind of, like, said a prayer for her and just kind of released her into the earth again. And I tell, when I tell you the relief that was lifted off of my shoulders when these ashes were released, I didn't have a headache, my neck didn't hurt. The next day, nothing. And I could feel her, like, thanking me. I could see a visual of, like, a woman just thanking me, you know? And ever since then, I don't keep ashes in my house because I just don't, you know, people are like, oh, well, it's. They're just remains. There's no energy there. There's energy wherever people want their energy to go.

[Mimi]

Lauren taught us that they will follow themselves.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. For sure.

[Mimi]

Wow.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. So that's my story of why I don't keep ashes in my house. If anybody else has any weird ashes stories, let me know.

[Mimi]

Yeah. For reals. That's so scary. And now that I want to think back, like knowing that grandma was in our house all time. Like, damn.

[Bonnie]

Grandma's probably peaceful though. She's probably happy where she's at and watching the kids grow up and stuff like that.

[Mimi]

He's exactly that. We love Grandma Vera. We adore.

[Bonnie]

I love the name Vera. I've always loved that name of Vera.

[Mimi]

Vera Nicole. So Olivia is Olivia Sunicole. So for my mom and Nicole for grandma Vi. But she was a beautiful woman. I loved Grandma Vera. She was very hard headed. I'm talking very hard headed.

[Bonnie]

We love a spicy grandma, man.

[Mimi]

She was like 5 foot and would kick anyone's ass.

[Bonnie]

That's how my Volvo was.

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Bonnie]

4:11. And would beat my dad with brushes, literally.

[Mimi]

Like her son back talked her one time. Jason said they were driving down the road and she said something. He disagreed. She pulled over on the highway, said, get the out of my car and kick Donnie out of the car.

[Bonnie]

Good. I love it. I love a spicy grandma. She.

[Mimi]

She was so like. She lived in the hood too. Like in the hood. And she was so damn nosy. She would stand out there in her bathrobe, smoking her cigarettes, just watching everybody deal drugs and stuff. She'd be like, he's.

[Bonnie]

I love it. Moves to the hood, pissed off whenever drug deals are going down.

[Mimi]

Exactly.

[Bonnie]

That's hilarious. All right, well, let's dive into this disgusting story.

[Mimi]

Lower your mic just a little bit because I think it's covering your face.

[Bonnie]

No worries. Let's dive into this. Listen, if you're eating right now, do not eat. I'm just gonna give a disclaimer if you're eating right now, which we're about to eat too. So I don't know how I'm about to do this, but if you're eating right now, hurry up and eat. And then listen to this. Pause the.

[Mimi]

Come back.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, come back. Because it gets really gross and it's so. I don't know if you guys know the story of Ed Geen. It's pretty. Pretty or warning. Yeah, for sure.

[Mimi]

Also like religious trauma warning.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mimi]

Because like, you already touched on that. But like, I gotta really touch on that.

[Bonnie]

No, for sure. It brought some stuff up for me when I was reading this story. Yeah. I was just like, oh, God. I could. I could relate to that.

[Mimi]

Yeah, for sure.

[Bonnie]

All right. So Ed Gein, the House of Horrors. He's also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul.

[Mimi]

So let me just say I, my favorite movie in the whole wide world is House of a Thousand Corpse.

[Bonnie]

Yes.

[Mimi]

I actually have a House of a Thousand Corpse tattoo.

[Bonnie]

House of a Thousand Corpses.

[Mimi]

Corpses. I, I, I love this movie.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, I mean movies that were made after him were House of a Thousand Corpses, Silence of the Lambs and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[Mimi]

Those are movies. Well, there was like, there was like a huge list of them too. So if you guys died deep, there's like a big list of them. These were some of the main ones. But Otis, which is played by Rob Zombie, kind of, you know, made some things.

[Bonnie]

Channeled him.

[Mimi]

Yeah, channeled him. That's a great word. Channeled Ed Gein when creating that character. And when you guys are done listening to this story, go watch one of those and you will totally pick up on the little thing. So when I was in high school learning about Ed Gein, it was cool because I was able to relate it to that. House of a Thousand Corpse, Ed Gein.

[Bonnie]

House of a Thousand Corpses.

[Mimi]

Corpses, sorry. Always say corpse. Ed Gein. Edward Theodore Gein, also called the Butcher Plainfield, was born on August 27.

[Bonnie]

Virgo.

[Mimi]

Oh6.

[Bonnie]

They say that Virgos, Geminis and Pisces are the main. Really serial killer. Birth signs. Yes.

[Mimi]

No way. That's crazy. I wonder why. Do you think. It's their temperament.

[Bonnie]

Pisces men are very violent, so. Yeah, I could see that. And very emotional. Which makes them violent. Can be. Not all of them. And then Virgo. I have a lot of Virgo placements and I'm extremely just mean. So I could only imagine a Virgo man. Look at Cash.

[Mimi]

Cash is a wild card. So yeah, I totally see that man.

[Bonnie]

He's got a little serious baby serial killer.

[Mimi]

Oh, I love it. It's either Joe Dirt or a serial killer. So you know, two. He's a wild child, man. Like last night he, he was not. I ended up being, I was like, you're a bad boy. Cuz he like wouldn't, he kept like running and jumping off the bed and waking up his sister. And I was like, will you just lay down, please? I was like, you're being a bad boy. And he looked at me, he's like, I'm being a good boy. Like, please don't do that to me.

[Bonnie]

So Ed was born in July of 19. No, I'm sorry.

[Mimi]

August.

[Bonnie]

August of, of 1906. And he lived until 1984. Like, this dude lived a long life.

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

Evil always lives long for some reason.

[Mimi]

Into your 80s back in that day.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Crazy to think about.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, that's nuts. How old was he? He was about, what, 82? Yeah.

[Mimi]

Crazy like that's a long life to live and you lived a crazy life at that.

[Bonnie]

And the he's seen, like, why would you want to be alive to see that?

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

Reminisce about it.

[Mimi]

That's so wild. Yeah. Oh, Lord.

[Bonnie]

Let's get into his childhood.

[Mimi]

So he was born to a religious mother, Augusta Gein. He was Augusta's second born child following the birth of a baby boy, Henry George Gein, in January 1901.

[Bonnie]

I wonder if Henry was a Capricorn or an Aquarius. I wonder which one he was.

[Mimi]

Oh, let's look that up real fast.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Can you get like a real date on him? Because that would under. That would. I was reading the story, you know, and we'll get into it later on. But that would explain why some things happened between the brothers.

[Mimi]

Okay. Because January 17th.

[Bonnie]

Oh, okay. So he's right on the same cusp as me. He's a Cap. Aquarius. Yeah. He wasn't putting up with that.

[Mimi]

No.

[Bonnie]

He was like, what the is wrong with you, Ed? Yeah, yeah, something's wrong with you, bro. So the boy's father, George Gein, drank alcohol excessively and was unable to hold down a job for long periods of time. This infuriated Augusta, who harbored deep resentment towards her husband, but she never pursued a divorce due to her beliefs on the subject. Probably like religious beliefs, right?

[Mimi]

Yes, absolutely.

[Bonnie]

As a result, Edna's older brother Henry were raised within a temperamental household. I wonder if that means. Is if that's a good wording for violent.

[Mimi]

That's. Yeah. I really feel like those two probably endured a lot with their father because they. They talk about how unhealthy the relationship was between the mother and the father. That back in that day, you have an alcoholic father, he's definitely beating the shit out of you.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, for sure.

[Mimi]

For sure.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Because child abuse wasn't a thing back then. They believed that you should beat your children back for sure.

[Mimi]

My. My grandfather on my dad's side, raging alcoholic, and there was five children and like to the point that he would break the kids bones like the shit out of these children. So, so, so, so bad.

[Bonnie]

That's terrible.

[Mimi]

I could never do that. And I. Back then, you know, my dad was born in the 40s. Like that. They don't. They just kind of, like, kids deserve to be beaten. Yeah.

[Bonnie]

That's terrible. I. I understand a little swat on the butt every now and then, but to break a kid's bones.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Like, hurting those children, like, that's crazy.

[Bonnie]

I grew up in a very violent household, so I don't. We don't. Like. Bailey has never been spanked in her life. The child doesn't know what it's like to be spanked, you know, But I understand, like, when you're raising a child, if you, like, swat them on the butt, like, if they go to, like, touch a hot stove or something like that.

[Mimi]

Exactly. But not.

[Bonnie]

Listen full on beat your child.

[Mimi]

Absolutely not.

[Bonnie]

No, I couldn't do that.

[Mimi]

So Augusta rarely showed affection towards the two sons. She believed that they were condemned to be disappointments, just like their father. Augusta would often preach to them from the Bible, and she instilled into them that the beliefs of alcohol and all women, except for herself, of course, were the pinnacles of immorality.

[Bonnie]

Immorality, for sure. She. It sounds to me like she was extremely narcissistic and she probably had a God complex.

[Mimi]

Oh, the fact that they only can, like, praise her.

[Bonnie]

Right.

[Mimi]

As a woman. Like, God forbid, should you find affection in any other woman but your mother.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

How did she expect them to, like, continue on their bloodline?

[Bonnie]

I don't think she thought of that. Yeah, I think it was. That's why I think she was narcissistic, because it was always just about her. And I think she felt so bad about the dad because the dad probably didn't give her the attention she wanted. So she had these two boys and was just like, worship me.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Do you think. Do you think that she had some type of. I don't know. This is just how I feel. Like, psychotic tendencies, possibly that then you know, trickled into.

[Bonnie]

I'm sure the dad was beating on her, too. So I'm sure the only thing that she could control was her two kids. She couldn't control the father. Yeah. So she, you know, came up with you. When you're in situations like that, you try to find other things that you control, can control, because everything else is so out of control in your life.

[Mimi]

Oh, that makes so much sense.

[Bonnie]

From early childhood, Ed developed a very close relationship with his mother. Strong beliefs about women, considered as an instrument of the devil, and a total aversion to any form of transgression became ingrained in him. So that means, like, anything sexual, he was not allowed to think or touching, do or anything.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Outwardly speaking about other Women and his thoughts.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, I couldn't imagine raising a little boy to hate women like that.

[Mimi]

No.

[Bonnie]

That's so weird.

[Mimi]

Like, you're also telling someone a natural feeling that you have. You know, like a teen boy when he hit puberty. Imagine, like, how much trauma that was.

[Bonnie]

Oh, that's how religion is, though, because I was raised the same way that you're not supposed to talk about sex or, you know, until marriage and all that stuff.

[Mimi]

Because, like, going through puberty and stuff, like, that's literally a rush of hormones, and you're being told that you are bad for that. Like, and it's such a natural thing to be happening within the body. Not saying that they should be acting on sexual things, but, like, how do you control those and, like, open up about those feelings? And, like, that's just insane.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

So Ed begins to exhibit signs of disordered sexuality. At the age of 10, he had an orgasm watching his parents slaughtering a pig. Once. He. Once while he was masturbating in the bathroom, his mother saw him, and an outburst of anger grabbed his genitals and immersed him in boiling water. Ed was not allowed to think about sex. On the contrary, he must remain a virgin for life, like he promised his parents.

[Bonnie]

First of all, how do they know he had an orgasm watching this pig get slaughtered? Did he tell somebody about this?

[Mimi]

Maybe in court, he opened up about his life story and, like, because, you know, he. Well, I don't want to skip ahead, but, like, later on in life, he had to speak about these things, you know, so he had to confide in someone about that. And maybe, you know, who knows? But can you imagine, like, the. The. The thought on a child's brain that that's what turns you on?

[Bonnie]

Guess what? I ordered the food to my house.

[Mimi]

I'm gonna die.

[Bonnie]

Oh, my God. I shouldn't be in charge of anything.

[Mimi]

Dude, we ordered food before this podcast started, and we were gonna eat, and then we were gonna start the podcast, and then as we. She's sitting there, she's like, man, our food is taking so long. This has been like 30 minutes since. And she goes, oh, my God, I never ordered it, dude.

[Bonnie]

I'm, like, having the. The hardest day ever today. My brain is, like. I left my brain somewhere.

[Mimi]

Order again. Maybe change the address once you go to check out.

[Bonnie]

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[Mimi]

He has orgasmed watching his parents slaughter a pig and then got caught masturbating.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. And then she puts his genitalia in boiling water. Like something was really wrong with her. I think maybe she might have gone through some sort of sexual abuse or something happened to her to where she's just passing this on to her children. Because you don't get like that unless something happened to you.

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Bonnie]

You know, Absolutely. So she's just traumatizing him back.

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

You know, because she didn't.

[Mimi]

I think. I think she's. There's a little touch of the. The psychotic in that bloodline.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, A little. Little tinge. Little tinge. During their upbringing, Ed and Henry were prohibited from spending any leisurely time away from the family. Family's rural farming property in Plainsville, which meant their only physical escape was attending school. However, Augusta would discipline her sons if they attempted to make any friends at school, which significantly impeded their social interactions. And Ed, in particular, became a victim of bullying. The brothers only had each other for Friendship throughout their childhoods. Instead of spending their spare time playing with other kids their age, they were confined to doing chores on the farm. And despite these restrictions, Ed continued to show unwavering love and admiration for his mother. However, Henry was not so accepting. Henry was like, yeah, no, this ain't, this ain't it. That's how I was. I grew up in a really strict household and I was like, this, I'm not and this isn't right.

[Mimi]

So Ed has now developed like an obsession.

[Bonnie]

You know, I wonder if she sexually abused him.

[Mimi]

Had to. I mean, she's grabbing him by the genitalia.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Like, that's weird.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

You know, and I'm wondering how old he was when this happened. You know, like how old were you when you're master, you're found masturbating because it said, you know, he's a little bit older.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

You're just grab. You're just manhandling your children like that.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Like, you don't. I would feel weird grabbing a child's wiener whether it's my kid or not, you know, that's weird. Yeah. And putting it in boiling water. That's evil.

[Mimi]

Yeah. No, so you're right. He. She could have been, you know, around with him or something.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

That caused that sick obsession.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And maybe Henry was just like, nah, you, you're not gonna touch me in those places.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And. Yeah. So now going into teen adult life, you know, in 1940, their father has now died suffering a heart attack back. So in order to gain some additional family income, they took odd jobs as handymen for local residents. Ed and his brother managed to build a reputation as hard working and trustworthy members of the community, which led Ed securing himself a babysitting work. He enjoyed it because he liked being around children more than he died he did adults. It had been pointed out that his, his preference may have been due to a lack of social development early in life. So he, you know, he kind of had that. Was it the Michael Jackson effect?

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Something was stripped away from him as a child and he was doing anything.

[Bonnie]

He could to hold on to that childhood or try to create a childhood.

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Bonnie]

That's so crazy that, you know, you have this guy watching your kids and you don't even realize how up he is in his head.

[Mimi]

Could you imagine later on when like that this story came to light and.

[Bonnie]

You'Re like, that dude used to babysit me.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Or the parents who left the kids with him. That's crazy.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, that's crazy. Henry rejected his mother's ideals and expressed his concern with how attached Ed was to their mother. Henry began to openly criticize their mother, their mother, which pissed off Ed, and we don't want to piss off Ed. So In May of 1944, a fire broke out close to the family home, and both brothers went out to tackle it. The fire was extinguished, but Ed claimed to have become separated from his brother during. He contacted the police and reported Henry's disappearance. But when the authorities arrived, Ed was suspiciously able to lead them directly to his brother's body. Although Henry had not been burnt by the fire and his head showed signs of bruising consistent with being struck, police ruled out murder, and the cause of death was noted as asphyxiation. So look, what sounds to me like what happened was Ed was trying to kill his brother and the brother was fighting back.

[Mimi]

Yes, exactly.

[Bonnie]

But Ed's a psychopath, and one I.

[Mimi]

Read somewhere that they believe that it was, like, trauma from, like, a rock or a very hard, solid object.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

So either you beat the. Out of him uncontrollably, but why did the. The examiners and stuff not look into this subject a little bit further?

[Bonnie]

This was like, 1940, right? 1940. So they probably.

[Mimi]

So we're having 1944 at this point.

[Bonnie]

So they probably didn't have, like, DNA. They probably, like, you know, they probably knew the family was already. Weird.

[Mimi]

Yeah, they're probably, like, they had to. It's a small town. I had to have, like, a reputation or something within the town.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mimi]

Those two. But, like, it was that considered one of the deaths that he killed them, like, did that.

[Bonnie]

It probably gave him a. His. His first taste of blood. So that's probably what triggered it. And he was like, oh, if I can get away with this, what else can I get away with?

[Mimi]

True.

[Bonnie]

And it gets weirder, ladies and gentlemen.

[Mimi]

Oh, yeah.

[Bonnie]

Like, this is mild.

[Mimi]

Very tip of the iceberg.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

One year after Henry's death, Augusta suffered a stroke and her health began to deteriorate. She spent most of her time confined to a bed and acted more erratical than ever. Ed served as her only carrier carer. Ed served as her only care, but was also the sole victim of her vicious mood swings. In a continued cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, Augusta would compare her son to his useless father, but would then contrast contrastingly then. But then contrastingly show a softer maternal side and allow Ed to sleep in her bed.

[Bonnie]

That's weird. They were definitely doing something.

[Mimi]

She was touching them.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, something's going on. Yeah, definitely snuggling or like, you know, something that's probably just crossing the line.

[Mimi]

Absolutely. Like that's so weird and creepy and like borderline. Just. Ew.

[Bonnie]

Ed continued living with his mother until she died in 1945 following multiple strokes, leaving him devastated. Gein had spent 39 years under his mother's roof and lived to serve her every need. And suddenly she was gone, leaving him on his own for the first time in his life.

[Mimi]

He now lost his brother.

[Bonnie]

Well, he killed his brother.

[Mimi]

Well within a year.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

So you have nobody. And like the dad passed away in the 1940s. So this is honestly just a five year gap. He lost his whole family.

[Bonnie]

That. And he just doesn't know how to bond with anybody else. So he doesn't have friends. He has no one.

[Mimi]

So Augusta had spent years embedding into her boys that feelings of sex and lust were absolutely immoral and to be avoided at all costs. Ed's only compassion until adulthood was from his mother. So that's just. To me, this is where my empath sets in of like the Eileen Warnos is he really didn't know any different.

[Bonnie]

Right. And I understand that.

[Mimi]

And it just like that's all he knew.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Was love from his mother. So he had no like. So social cues and such. Which I feel like this plays a role later on in the story of just. He didn't know how to control his emotions.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Either. Which I feel like is where the brother incident happened. I don't feel like he went out there with intentions of killing his brother. But I'm sure in a fit of rage that incident then came to light.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. For sure. You can read the next one.

[Mimi]

His mother's death was the tipping point. Gein would later say. A force built up within me. In reference to losing his mother. He began visiting local cemeteries and digging up the bodies of deceased women with the intentions of creating a woman suit that he would then wear around. His aim was to physically recreate a version of his mother, later admitting to authorities that he wanted to become her and crawl into her skin. This was the leg. Oh. The leggings and torso found by Schle. The leggings and torso found by Schley and his team. And Edging admitted to dancing in them in a cemetery on a full moon. It is.

[Bonnie]

See a witch. Like, what's happening?

[Mimi]

It is getting weird now.

[Bonnie]

Warlock.

[Mimi]

So he has now obsessed over the death of his mother that he wanted to become his mother.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And I feel like the idea of saying that he. Like when he had openly admitted that he wanted to crawl into her skin is something she forced upon him to. Yeah, like she couldn't bring him close enough to her. That's weird.

[Bonnie]

And he's still a virgin right now?

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, weird. Eighteen months after his mother's death and intense loneliness, Geen's visits to his mother's grave developed into nocturnal trips to Plainfield Cemetery and other nearby burial grounds. With a pry bar, he dug up his mother and removed her head, which he took home to shrink. Just as he had read about in his books. It was believed that the first woman Ed Gein took from her grave was his mother. Ed would carve out vaginas, anuses, and skin the breasts from the torso. The rest he would cut up for meat. Except the face. Wait, he would cut up for meat? Is he eating them?

[Mimi]

That was never brought to light, whether he ate them or not.

[Bonnie]

What's he cutting it up for? Meat, though?

[Mimi]

Maybe he was eating them.

[Bonnie]

The rest he would cut up for meat. Except for the face. Ed painted his mother's vagina silver because hers was special. They were definitely doing something.

[Mimi]

Oh, he wanted to remember that. Vagina.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Because hers was special. It was believed that he placed a bow on it as he hung it on his wall proudly to be displayed. He would peel off the face or save the entire head to keep him company. And he would put lipstick on them the way they would be dressed up for dinner. This way they would be dressed up for dinner. Ed would use the skin to upholster chairs, decorative masks, and even had full body suits to wear. Ed would read the obituaries in the local paper and get them late at night, just after they were buried. Fresh bodies. That way the dirt was softer and easier. Dude. So this dude went from loving his mom to digging up bodies because he's lonely?

[Mimi]

Yeah. It was also said that he would cuddle the bodies.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And he liked the fresher ones because they were still warm more.

[Bonnie]

Do you think he would sleep with them?

[Mimi]

They did, like, ask him a couple times if he had any sexual anything with these bodies. And he has always claimed that he did not, but I don't think that's true.

[Bonnie]

I wonder if his wiener's okay, though, because if his mom put it in boiling water, maybe something was wrong with it. I don't know.

[Mimi]

Shriveled nugget.

[Bonnie]

Maybe he was, like, asexual.

[Mimi]

I don't know any. Not an Audi.

[Bonnie]

I don't know. Belly button. I don't know.

[Mimi]

He also crafted. He was an artsman, guys. He also crafted Body parts into household items, as well as pieces of clothing, such as a pair of gloves made from human flesh, a pair of lips attached to a window shade, pool cord, and a belt made of nipples.

[Bonnie]

What did his house smell like?

[Mimi]

Death.

[Bonnie]

All these bodies. Like, how are you just living around that?

[Mimi]

That is crazy. I did tell Bunny about the belt of nipples, and she's like, I'm in.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, let's.

[Mimi]

Let's cover this.

[Bonnie]

That. And when you told me about the pig, I was like, all right, he's a real weirdo.

[Mimi]

Yeah, yeah. This has now developed into, like, an art form for him. Essentially, his whole entire. And you know what's crazy is, like, it wasn't like, a clean home that just had, like, a pair of lips hanging from the shades. He was a hoarder, so there was stacks of books everywhere. He did love to read. That was his escape. But there was just everywhere in this place. So it took a second, you know, for people to realize when they went in there, like, holy. This is what we're looking at. These chairs that this guy is sitting in are made out of skin.

[Bonnie]

They would go also go on to find a collection of female genitalia. Four chairs with woven cane seats replaced by tanned human skin, tattooed skin, lampshades and limbs and heads in boxes. Geen had made a tom tom drum from a can, covered top to bottom with stretched human skin and a skin purse with a handle. He had cut an inverted skull in half to make a bowl and made an armchair with human arm bones. I mean, you gotta admit, the dude's creative.

[Mimi]

He is an artist.

[Bonnie]

He's an artist. Yeah.

[Mimi]

It did say when you read the tanned skin, he tanned the skin. Oh, so it wasn't that he was digging up people with tan skin? Yeah, he was actually, like, doing things to the skin afterwards, leaving it outside.

[Bonnie]

If I can get a little sun tan. What if he was laying out with these bodies, like, just chilling, putting them in bikinis and, like, I love that.

[Mimi]

He dressed them up and put lipstick on them for his dinner party.

[Bonnie]

That is so weird, dude.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Skulls were fastened to the posts of Ed Gein's bed, and he had a human skin waist basket. The officers also found a pair of leggings fashioned from the skin of a human legs and a vest made of a woman's torso and breasts. So that's what he would wear around the house. This is crazy.

[Bonnie]

As well as grave digging, Geen also targeted the living and murdered. Wait, hold on. As well as grave digging, Geen also targeted the living and murdered two women named Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden. In 1954, a local tavern owner, Mary was shot and killed by Gein, and he loaded her body onto a sled and dragged it home.

[Mimi]

So this is where we fall into the serial killer, the serial killer thing. And that's where I. When I bring up the fact that I feel like he was just so socially awkward that he was put into incidences that he didn't know how to get himself out of, and that's where the rage came. So, like he didn't know how to control himself or control his feelings and emotions and urges.

[Bonnie]

But I'm wondering why he killed these ladies. Like, there's no reason.

[Mimi]

Ed denied having sex with the bodies. He assumed, explaining that they smelled too bad.

[Bonnie]

Ed, that's where you draw the line.

[Mimi]

He's like.

[Bonnie]

He's like, all stuff will chop their meat up. I will use them as a chair. I will wear their bodies, but I'm not sticking my dick in that.

[Mimi]

Gross.

[Bonnie]

And I mean, dudes will anything. So that's pretty shocking. Ed.

[Mimi]

He admitted killing Ms. Warden, who was shot in the head with a.22 caliber rifle and then dragged outside to his car and transported back to the farmhouse. He confessed to the murder three years earlier of Plainfield innkeeper Mary Hogan. He who had vanished in a mysterious circumstance.

[Bonnie]

No, but he's not giving a reason why he did what he did.

[Mimi]

Bernice Worden is the local, like, general store owner.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

And he had made sexual advances towards her, and she denied him because she was married.

[Bonnie]

Oh, gotcha.

[Mimi]

And in a fit of rage is when he lashed out, grabbed a gun and shot her.

[Bonnie]

Wow. So he was trying to get his willy wet.

[Mimi]

He was, yes. And like. And from my understanding, that's what happened at the tavern also. So both of the incidences of the woman, the women that he did admit murdering were in ways that he was trying to make sexual advances towards them. They were not having it. One of them being married with like a whole ass family. And he didn't know how to take that denial.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

In it.

[Bonnie]

Good lord.

[Mimi]

So in November 1957, Geen robbed Bernice at the nearby hardware store she owned and killed her. Bernice's son, a police deputy, grew suspicious of Gein, and a search of his remote farmhouse was carried out. So when he had murdered her, he drug her body out to the car, put her in there, and he wanted it to make it seem like. Like a robbery. Right. So he went back in and actually took the money. So technically, he did rob the store Right. But that.

[Bonnie]

I wonder if. Did he really need the money or was he just doing it?

[Mimi]

I think he was literally just like, how can I get out of this?

[Bonnie]

Right.

[Mimi]

And this is how I'm gonna get out of it.

[Bonnie]

You can read the next one.

[Mimi]

So while searching the property, investigators discovered horrific scenes. Organs were stored in the refrigerator. A heart sat atop above the kitchen stove, and skulls had been made into soup. Soup and cereal bowls. Bernice's body was also found inside of a shed. She had been suspended upside down, decapitated, disemboweled, like a hunted animal. He was trying to replicate the feeling he had watching his parents slaughter that pig so that he would actually use these bowls from human skulls and eat his cereal, soups and cooking utensils. Type things out of them. That's crazy. Yeah.

[Bonnie]

The thought alone is just so.

[Mimi]

So like, you wouldn't them but let me eat out of them.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, Yeah. I won't stick my dick in you, but I'm gonna eat your brains.

[Mimi]

Pretty much.

[Bonnie]

I'm gonna eat your head. Searching the house, authorities found four noses, whole human bones and fragments, nine masks of human skin, bowls made from human skulls, 10 female heads with the tops sawed off, human skin covering several chair seats. Mary Hogan's head in a paper bag, Bernice Warden's head and a burlap sack. Nine vulvas and a shoe box. Okay, I gotta just pause right here. You just cut the vulvas off. Like not the whole, but you just cut the vulva. Like, that is weird.

[Mimi]

There had have been like, that seems like his trophy.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. Skulls on his bedpost, organs in the refrigerator, a pair of lips on a drawstring for a window shade, A belt made from human female nipples, and a lampshade made from the skin from a human face. I swear I just got. When I was reading this entire list. You know that song? On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave me four noses. Just sneezing, you know, Like, I. I literally just started singing that in my head. Like, there's so much that they found here. This is crazy. Like, ugh. If you're eating right now, I'm sorry. I'm glad we don't have our food here. It's a reason that happened.

[Mimi]

This is literally. But this. Oh, like, I'm.

[Bonnie]

I'm tongue tied.

[Mimi]

I'm a little tongue tied with this situation. Because again, I. I kind of like, I don't know. I have a little empathy.

[Bonnie]

I have none.

[Mimi]

Guy was like, he's cutting vulvas off.

[Bonnie]

I have none I already have a distance disdain for men in general, so to know that he may just.

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

Abusing women like this, I'm like, dude, off crazy, bro.

[Mimi]

But I don't know. I don't believe the idea that he didn't have sexual advances towards them. I. I feel like there was definitely.

[Bonnie]

Like, you don't cut a. Off and hang a on the wall if there's not something. Yeah, there.

[Mimi]

Sure.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

I wonder if someone ever did have sex with him later on in life. Like, I wonder if he died a virgin or not.

[Bonnie]

I don't know. I can't believe nobody asked him that. I would have been the first person been like, hey, did you actually get some puss or was it living puss or only dead puss? Which one was it? Oh, yeah.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Because he didn't know how to connect, his mother had frequently instilled into him that women are instruments of the devil. And vessels of. Of skin likely played a significant part in his choice of victims and the demeaning way in which he treated their bodies. So they feel like his rage and what he did was directly correlated to how his mother raised him.

[Bonnie]

Yeah. I mean, you think the shit's. He's. He's got a few screws loose. This dude's weird, man.

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

I don't empathize with him at all. He gives me gross, gross feelings.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Like, I. I don't know. I just. I feel like it's one of those situations. Had he not been brought up that way, do you think he would ever done it?

[Bonnie]

I mean, you know, he seems like a wild card. His brother was brought up the same way and was fine.

[Mimi]

Yeah.

[Bonnie]

You know, knew that was wrong. He had discernment. So. I don't know. I think, you know, everybody chooses their own path, whether it be, you know, maybe he did get like some genetic from his parents, but you morally know what's right or wrong.

[Mimi]

That's true. So that maybe that's where it falls into, like, the idea that he. He wasn't right in the head.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, for sure. Definitely. Something was going on.

[Mimi]

Special needsy.

[Bonnie]

We're going to move on to conviction and sentencing. Although Gein was only charged with the murder of Bernice, he also confessed to the murder of Mary during questioning. It is believed he was also responsible for other deaths, although this has never been proven. After his arrest, Gein was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which resulted in him pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. He was consequently deemed unfit for trial and sent to the Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He Was later transferred to Mendota State Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. After a decade, Gein's doctors declared him sane enough for trial, and within a week, he was found guilty of murder. However, as he was still considered legally insane, he remained in the hospital. While hospitalized, Gein proved himself to be a model patient and enjoyed reading accu. Enjoyed reading occupational therapy and the radio. Up until his death in 1984, he was not known to display violent tendencies or cause any trouble with other patients or staff. Ed passed away from lung cancer.

[Mimi]

What a model citizen.

[Bonnie]

What? Like. Like. So, I guess in Silence of the Lambs, if you think about it, they portrayed him very calm and very like. But he was like. Like, you know, getting to wear people's skin, but he was a killer. Yeah.

[Mimi]

Yeah. It. It's. It's crazy to me because, again, once he got the help, and I'm sure they medicated him within the mental hospital and such, once he was given the help that his brain and the chemically unbalanced part of him needed, yeah, he was fine.

[Bonnie]

I wonder if the schizophrenia caused him to disassociate from reality. So him not knowing what he. Or what, was he really schizophrenic? Did they just do that so that he would just. Just not get put to death?

[Mimi]

I don't know. Like, who would have had his back and all this?

[Bonnie]

I mean, there's.

[Mimi]

There was so much evidence. I feel like it was like, nah, bro, you insane. Because you don't do those things and not be that chemically unwell.

[Bonnie]

Right.

[Mimi]

He had to have been so far gone, and the isolation of it all didn't make it any better. So once he got that help that he needed and medicated, maybe that side of him really was just the schizophrenia. Like, someone literally in his head being like, yo, go. Go do those things.

[Bonnie]

Yeah.

[Mimi]

His mother in his head saying, yeah, yeah, possibly.

[Bonnie]

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I feel gross.

[Mimi]

I'm hungry.

[Bonnie]

Oh, my God. I. The thought of eating food right now grosses me out. Dude.

[Mimi]

I would just stick it in a skull.

[Bonnie]

You're so gross. Well, what do you guys think about Ed Gein? Do you guys sympathize with him or not? Because I don't. Mimi does think he's a serial killer.

[Mimi]

I don't.

[Bonnie]

I don't think he's a serial killer. I do agree with you on that, but I do think there's something.

[Mimi]

I think he's a psychopath for sure.

[Bonnie]

Yeah, something's definitely wrong with him, but I don't think he should be considered a serial killer.

[Mimi]

No, not at all. I. I don't. I feel like someone who would be within, like, the serial killer vibe would be someone who.

[Bonnie]

Jeffrey Dahmer.

[Mimi]

Yeah. Sought out the death and the thrill of the kill. This guy was literally just mentally unwell.

[Bonnie]

Jeff Dahmer kind of seems like he might have idolized Geen a little bit.

[Mimi]

Maybe he, you know, knew about Geen or something.

[Bonnie]

Maybe he was getting reincarnated. Oh, you never. On that note, we're gonna go eat. Love you guys. Thanks for tuning in to another episode and we will see you guys next week. Bye. Shopify helps you sell at every stage of your business. Like that. Let's put it online and see what happens.

[Mimi]

Stage and the site is live that.

[Bonnie]

We opened a store and need a fast checkout. Stage thanks. You're all set. That count it up and ship it around the globe. Globe. Stage this one's going to Thailand. And that. Wait, did we just hit a million orders? Stage Whatever your Stage Businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 a month [e-mail]. listen.