12/14/14
Practical Law
Essay
Edward Theodore Gein was born in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1906. He was an American murderer and a body snatcher. His crimes were committed around his home town Wisconsin. Authorities found out that he would go to local graveyards and keep their bodies for his self. At his hometown hardware store, their was a woman, Bernice Worden, that was reported missing. Because of Gein's crimes, they had no other choice but to suspect him. Investigators went to search Gein's apartment, and they discovered Worden's body hanging upside-down with her torso dressed out like a deer. She was shot with a rifle and all of the other torturing occurred after her death. Investigators continued to search the house, and were surprised about what they found. They found: whole human bones and fragments, a wastebasket made of human skin, human skin covering most of his chairs, skulls on his bedpost, bowls made from human skulls, a corset made from a female torso, leggings made from human leg skin, masks made from skin from a female head, nine vulvae in a shoebox, four noses, a pair of lips, a lampshade made from the skin of a human face, and finally, a belt made from human female nipples. Gein told investigators that he had made 40 visits to 3 different local graveyards. He also stated that he was in a daze like state during the time he was getting the bodies. He dug up recently buried women who seemed to resemble his mother. Gein admitted to robbing several graves which gave the investigators a clue where their location would be. The authorities had no clue if Gein's could actually dig up the graves single handed. Gein would literally dig up a grave right after the funeral, while the casket isn't complete and it isn't hard to dig up. Later his mother died, and he thought that he should make a woman suit, so he could actually crawl into her skin. Gein's was questioned about was he having sex with the bodies, and he denied, explaining that they smell too bad. Gein admitted to the killing of a woman named Mary Hogan, she was missing since 1954. They found her head in his house. A 16 year old told police that Gein kept shrunken heads in his house. As Gein told police a different story, they found out that these were actual human facial skin used as masks. As he was questioning Gein, sheriff Art assaulted Gein by slamming his head into a brick wall. Right before Gein's trial, the sheriff died of heart failure. There were rumors that the sheriff died of fright because he thought Gein would try to get revenge on him. On November 21, 1957, Gein was arraigned for first degree murder in his home town. he pleaded not guilty because of reason of