Podcast Summary: Scams, Money, & Murder with Nicole Lapin (Crime House)

Special Episode: From Crime House – Your First Look at “Crimes Of Infamy: Ed Gein”

Release Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Sabrina Diana Roga & Corinne Vien (of "Two Girls One Ghost")
Theme: The Dark Inspirations Behind Hollywood’s Horror Villains

Episode Overview

This bonus crossover episode introduces the new podcast "Crimes Of," specifically the season "Crimes of Infamy," which examines the real crimes and killers who inspired iconic horror movie villains. Hosts Sabrina and Corinne dive deep into the life and crimes of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber whose shocking acts directly influenced films such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. Told with a mix of immersive storytelling, historical insight, and conversational candor, the episode explores Gein's troubled upbringing, his heinous acts, and why his story continues to haunt both pop culture and the public imagination.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing "Crimes Of" & Setting the Mood

Timestamps: 00:02 – 01:54

• Vanessa intro sets the scene for the new anthology, themed each season. First up: "Crimes of Infamy," focused on real criminals behind horror myths.
• “It’s the spookiest time of year, and at Crime House, we couldn’t resist getting in on the Halloween spirit...” – Vanessa [00:18]

2. Ed Gein: Two Truths and a Lie

Timestamps: 01:54 – 03:07

• Corinne and Sabrina play an icebreaker about Ed Gein, establishing basic facts and one popular myth—his supposed prison sentence.
• Key insight: Ed Gein was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and lived out his days in a mental institution, not prison.

Quote:

“Shockingly, number three is the lie. Ed did not spend the rest of his days behind bars, but in a hospital because he was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.” – Corinne [02:53]

3. The Gein Family & Small-Town Roots

Timestamps: 12:47 – 20:42

• Plainfield, Wisconsin in the early 20th century set the backdrop: a sleepy, rural farming community.
• The Gein household was marked by an alcoholic, passive father (George) and a fanatically religious, emotionally abusive mother (Augusta).
• Augusta’s teachings imprinted deep shame and a twisted worldview on Ed, instilling fear of women and sex except for herself.

Notable Moment:

• "Augusta forces her two sons to read the Old Testament over and over again. [...] Augusta also plants the idea in Ed and Henry’s minds that all women are basically sex workers sent to earth to tempt men. Except her, of course..." – Corinne [15:11]

• Ed’s social skills were stunted; he started school late, was socially isolated by his mother, and bullied for his odd mannerisms.

Quote:

“She broke Ed down so much that when he would return to the schoolyard the next day, he would avoid talking to or making eye contact with that new friend, which was also strange for the kids…” – Corinne [19:09]

4. Early Signs of Depravity: The Childhood Slaughterhouse Scene

Timestamps: 23:44 – 26:27

• Sabrina narrates a defining childhood memory for Ed: watching his mother butcher a hog, awakening a disturbing, complex sense of pleasure in him.
• This moment is cited (by Gein himself) as pivotal, later interpreted with a possible sexual charge and oedipal undertones.

Quote:

"A complicated feeling of pleasure. A feeling that will drive a lot of Ed’s behavior in the years to come." – Sabrina [25:30]

5. The Grown-Up "Child": Dependency and Tragedy

Timestamps: 27:00 – 32:34

• Ed and his brother Henry spend their adult lives caring for their mother and working odd jobs.
• Ed is bizarrely trusted to babysit for neighbors—a chilling fact in retrospect.
• Henry dies in a suspicious fire, with Ed strangely leading rescuers straight to Henry’s untouched, bruised body; Ed was never charged.

Quote:

"Ed seems to know exactly where to find his missing brother. And he leads the search party directly to where Henry is now, lying face down in the dirt..." – Sabrina [31:23]

6. Death of Augusta & Ed’s Descent

Timestamps: 33:15 – 34:40

• The loss of Augusta leaves Ed adrift and unmoored; the physical and psychological decay of the Gein house mirrors Ed’s unraveling.

Quote:

"If he wasn’t already broken inside, like that had to have destroyed him." – Corinne [34:01]

7. The Murders of Bernice Worden & Mary Hogan

Timestamps: 34:41 – 54:09

• Detailed storytelling recounts the abductions and murders: Ed’s fascination and obsession with middle-aged women reminiscent of Augusta (Mary Hogan, 1954; Bernice Worden, 1957).
• Bernice’s disappearance and the evidence trail (antifreeze sales slip) lead police to Gein’s home, which reveals a catalog of horrors:
  • Human remains turned into household items (lampshades, chairs, masks, belts, etc.)
  • Bernice’s decapitated, gutted body and Mary Hogan’s severed head.
• Investigators find dozens of body parts, surmising many more victims.

Quote:

"Bracelets, a wastebasket, lampshades and chairs, all made from human skin. And boxes filled with other discarded body parts like noses, sex organs... Masks and clothes made of real human flesh designed to be worn." – Sabrina [48:14]

Memorable moment:

"Somebody framed me."
"Framed you for what?"
"Well, Mrs. Worden, she’s dead, ain’t she?" – Ed (quoted by Corinne) [45:57]

8. Grave Robbing, The Psychology & Legal Outcome

Timestamps: 54:09 – 63:53

• Ed confesses to grave robbing, motivated by his obsession with his mother and loss/failure to replace her.
• He denies sexual acts, claims perpetual virginity, and details making body suits to feel like his mother.
• Diagnosed with schizophrenia; ruled not competent to stand trial; spends life in a state hospital.
• The Gein farmhouse is destroyed by fire, widely seen as the town’s closure.

Quote:

“He told detectives that those body parts actually belonged to people who were already dead. Because it turns out he was super obsessed with grave robbing, and he would crack open caskets…” – Sabrina/Corinne [59:08]

9. Horror Movie Legacy: Ed Gein's Influence on Pop Culture

Timestamps: 63:56 – 76:01

• Ed Gein’s legacy is traced through horror movie history:
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Leatherface's skin masks and rural horror directly parallel Gein’s acts.
  • Silence of the Lambs: Buffalo Bill’s “woman suit” is ripped from Gein case files.
  • Psycho: Norman Bates' maternal fixation and murder spree eerily mirror Gein—even down to geographical coincidence with author Robert Bloch writing nearby, unwittingly channeling real events.
• Discussion on why true crime fascinates and terrifies us: the foreignness of “monstrous” minds, the blending of nature/nurture, and the proximity of evil to everyday life.

Quote:

“At the center of these horror movie muses lie very real people living very real lives. There’s no one calling cut on a scene. There’s no heading back to the trailer to remove the costumes…” – Corinne [76:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ed’s psychiatric state:

“Despite what many investigators believed, he insisted that his crimes were not sexually motivated. That he never engaged in any acts of sex with the deceased or even the living... he claimed to be a virgin his whole life.” – Corinne [61:11]

• Pop culture impact:

"Leatherface was clearly inspired by Ed Gein and his horrific crimes. Plus also the, like, old farm in the middle of nowhere... There’s the desecration of bodies, the trophies made of human remains..." – Sabrina [66:04]

• Reflection on true crime and horror fascination:

“There are plenty of people who have traumatic childhoods... who then don’t become serial killers... For some killers, they have a perfectly normal childhood.” – Corinne [75:56]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:54] Two Truths and a Lie: Ed Gein’s facts
• [12:47] Rural Wisconsin & the Gein Family Dynamic
• [23:44] The Childhood Slaughterhouse Memory
• [27:00] Ed’s Adolescence, Social Isolation, Babysitter Reputation
• [31:23] Henry’s Suspicious Death
• [34:41] Death of Augusta; Gein’s Unraveling
• [43:28] Murder of Bernice Worden
• [46:52] Police Discover the Grisly Crime Scene
• [48:14] List of Human Remains & Items Found
• [54:09] Ed’s Confessions, Grave Robbing
• [63:53] Ed’s Fate, House Burned, and Death
• [64:58] Texas Chainsaw Massacre & Ed Gein
• [69:13] Silence of the Lambs & Ed Gein
• [70:56] Norman Bates, Psycho, the Geographical Coincidence
• [74:28] The Real Monsters, Psychological Reflections

Tone & Style

The episode deftly balances dark humor, chilling detail, empathy for victims, and genuine existential unease. Sabrina and Corinne are conversational and relatable, mixing pop culture references and classic horror motifs with careful, respectful narration of real events. Their tone ranges from macabre fascination to outright horror at Gein's acts, taking care to remember the real human suffering behind the headlines.

Final Thoughts

This masterful episode not only recounts the Ed Gein case in vivid, immersive detail but also dissects its pervasive influence on horror cinema and American culture. It addresses why true crime stories like Gein’s continue to fascinate (and terrify) us, while reminding listeners never to let the spectacle of horror overshadow the devastating human loss at its heart.

For more chilling stories about financial crimes and their impact, subscribe to 'Crimes Of'—new episodes drop every Tuesday on all major platforms.