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The Gruesome American Killer who Inspired Three Classic Horror Films
Although known as a brutal murderer, Gein’s kill count was surprisingly low
More than just a murderer
Theodore “Ed” Gein actually killed just two people—both of them women. While this is still too many, its way fewer than mass murderers such as Bundy or Gacy (who killed dozens).
Regardless of this fact, Gein transformed his farmhouse into a personal collection of human remains, which he exhumed from the local cemetery, and repurposed into household items. These included gloves made from human hands, bowls from skulls, and masks from human faces and scalps.
Maybe the most twisted and shocking of all was a suit that he had crafted from the skin of a dead woman, which he would wear (along with a female face mask) around the property, pretending to be his dead mother. This all might remind horror fans of some famous movie antagonists.
These characters, based on the iconic madman, popularized three classic films, all of which became successful franchises. It’s truly surprising how much of an impact Gein has made on popular culture.
