Monster: The Ed Gein Storyâ â What Really Happened and Whatâs Made Up
The Real Ed Gein:
Victims:Â Gein confessed to killing two women: hardware-store owner Bernice Worden (1957) and tavern owner Mary Hogan (1954). Both are depicted in the show. He was never linked to other murders, though his home contained body parts from 9-10 additional women he exhumed from cemeteries.
Relationship with Victims:Â The show's portrayal of a romantic affair between Gein and Bernice Worden is fabricated. Gein admitted to wanting to possess her because she resembled his mother, and he consistently denied any sexual experience in his life.
Mother's Body: While Gein regularly visited his mother Augusta's grave, her body was not among those he unearthed and kept in his house, contrary to a scene in the show.
Brother's Death:Â The show depicts Gein murdering his brother Henry. In reality, Henry died in a brush fire, and while some suspicion arose after Gein's crimes, foul play was officially ruled out at the time, and Gein never confessed to it.
Appearance and Mannerisms:Â Actor Charlie Hunnam studied rare audio of Gein to cultivate his voice for the series.
Wearing Body Parts:Â Fact. Gein confessed to wearing parts of bodies he exhumed, driven by a desire to become more like a woman due to his conflicted connection with his mother.
Human Skull Bowl:Â Fact. Gein did make a bowl from human skulls.
Vulvas in a Box:Â Fact. Gein did keep vulvas in a box in his house.
Cannibalism:Â Gein denied eating human flesh, and there was no evidence to suggest he did, despite the show implying he might have.
Babysitting:Â Fact. Gein did occasionally babysit children for locals in his younger years, though the show's depiction of him scaring them at his home is fabricated.
Necrophilia:Â Gein repeatedly denied having sex with corpses, citing the smell as a deterrent. The show implies otherwise.
Post-Arrest Auction:Â Fact. An auction was held for Gein's belongings, and his car was famously purchased and exhibited for profit before being banned.
Major Fabrications & Exaggerations in the Show:
Ted Bundy Connection:Â The final episode, depicting Gein helping FBI agents catch Ted Bundy, is entirely fictional. Bundy was arrested fleeing a patrol car. The episode appears to be an homage to "Mindhunter."
Adeline Watkins:Â Gein was friendly with Adeline Watkins, but the show greatly exaggerates her role, portraying her as a girlfriend and confidante who even suggested avenues for his perversion. The real Watkins insisted their closeness was intermittent and short-lived, and she never entered his house.
Ilse Koch Influence:Â The show suggests Gein modeled his actions after Holocaust war criminal Ilse Koch. While Gein might have known of Koch, there's no indication he held her in high esteem or based his behavior on hers. A scene depicting a radio conversation between them is a fictional schizophrenic episode.
Killing a Nurse:Â The show includes a sequence where Gein kills a nurse at the hospital, later revealed as a schizophrenic episode. In real life, Gein was a model patient.
Evelyn Hartley:Â The show portrays Gein stalking, kidnapping, and killing babysitter Evelyn Hartley. This is completely fabricated. Hartley disappeared from a different county, and Gein, though questioned, was cleared of any connection to her unsolved case.
Killing Hunters:Â The show features Gein murdering two hunters with a chainsaw. There is no evidence of this; Gein's MO involved knives, not chainsaws (a film invention).
Alfred Hitchcock/Anthony Perkins:Â The show's scene of Hitchcock telling Perkins he's "like Ed Gein" to play Norman Bates is creative license, likely referencing Perkins' closeted sexuality rather than homicidal tendencies.
In essence, while "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" touches on some factual gruesome details, it heavily dramatizes and invents significant portions of Gein's life and crimes for dramatic effect.