Deviant
Harold Schechter
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1954–1957 · Plainfield, Wisconsin
Ed Gein
Multiple & serial murders
The disappearance of shopkeeper Bernice Worden in 1957 led police to Ed Gein’s Wisconsin home, where they found her remains and evidence of grave robbing. He was also linked to Mary Hogan’s death. His case inspired horror fiction, which should be distinguished from factual accounts.
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The Story
When1954–1957
WherePlainfield, Wisconsin
In this collection41 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
Ed Gein (2000)
IMDb · Screen title
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
13 O’Clock — Ed Gein (Episode 186)
youtube.com
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- George Philip Gein
- Augusta Wilhelmine Lehrke
Ed Gein
Siblings
- Henry George Gein
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Book of Dread
Deranged – Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby – 1974
A horror-film blog reviews Deranged, a fictionalized film inspired by Ed Gein.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
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Books
3 itemsHarold Schechter
Deviant
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
BookAccess Varies · Check Source
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View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Paperback · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Robert Bloch · Fictional inspiration · Abrams edition
Psycho — a novel
A fictional horror novel inspired by Ed Gein’s crimes, as identified by its publisher. Norman Bates and the Bates Motel are fictional; the plot is not a biography or a reconstruction of Gein’s case. The publisher’s page includes edition details and retailer links.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Deluxe Hardcover · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Harold Schechter and Eric Powell
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
A true-crime graphic narrative about Ed Gein, combining Schechter’s research with Powell’s illustrations. The publisher describes it as a fact-based dramatization; reconstructed scenes should be distinguished from primary records.
BookAccess Varies · Check Source
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View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Hardcover · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Movies & TV
Movies
4 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
IMDb · Screen title
Ed Gein (2000)
Scripted dramatization. IMDb title reference connected to the Ed Gein case. Listed release: 2000. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Actors, dialogue and reconstructed scenes should not be treated as documentary evidence.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
DVD · Ed Gein / Gacy / Dahmer Collection · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Alfred Hitchcock · 1960 · fictional film
Psycho
An adaptation of Robert Bloch’s novel, not a reconstruction of Gein’s crimes. Bloch described the inspiration as the situation of hidden crimes in a small community, rather than a portrait of Gein. Norman Bates and the motel story are fictional.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Tobe Hooper · 1974 · fictional film
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Loose horror inspiration associated with Gein’s crimes. Leatherface, the Texas setting and the film’s family and events are fictional; this is not an account of what happened in Wisconsin. The BFI link supplies film information, not a promise of U.S. streaming access.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Blu-ray · Steelbook · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Jonathan Demme · 1991 release · fictional film
The Silence of the Lambs
Adaptation of Thomas Harris’s novel. Gein is associated with aspects of the fictional Buffalo Bill character, not the entire plot or a biography of Hannibal Lecter. The BFI link is a film reference page, not a U.S. streaming offer.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Collector’s Edition · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Apple TV
Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & episode details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Netflix · 2025 · scripted series
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Charlie Hunnam portrays Ed Gein in the third Monster installment. Netflix’s production guide connects the dramatization to Gein and his influence on horror fiction. Keep the show’s invented scenes and cultural connections separate from verified case facts.
Fiction / DramatizationFree Production Guide · Not Playback
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Deviant
Unabridged
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
Fiction Audiobook
Psycho
Narrated by Richard Powers
Unabridged
A fictional horror novel inspired by Ed Gein’s crimes, as identified by its publisher. Norman Bates and the Bates Motel are fictional; the plot is not a biography or a reconstruction of Gein’s case. The publisher’s page includes edition details and retailer links.
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
Check Audio Formats For This Book
These books are in this case’s collection. An audiobook version has not been verified for the listings below.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkHarold Schechter and Eric Powell
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
IMDb · Screen title
Ed Gein (2000)
Scripted dramatization. IMDb title reference connected to the Ed Gein case. Listed release: 2000. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Actors, dialogue and reconstructed scenes should not be treated as documentary evidence.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
DVD · Ed Gein / Gacy / Dahmer Collection · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Robert Bloch · Fictional inspiration · Abrams edition
Psycho — a novel
A fictional horror novel inspired by Ed Gein’s crimes, as identified by its publisher. Norman Bates and the Bates Motel are fictional; the plot is not a biography or a reconstruction of Gein’s case. The publisher’s page includes edition details and retailer links.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Deluxe Hardcover · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Netflix · 2025 · scripted series
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Charlie Hunnam portrays Ed Gein in the third Monster installment. Netflix’s production guide connects the dramatization to Gein and his influence on horror fiction. Keep the show’s invented scenes and cultural connections separate from verified case facts.
Fiction / DramatizationFree Production Guide · Not Playback
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Alfred Hitchcock · 1960 · fictional film
Psycho
An adaptation of Robert Bloch’s novel, not a reconstruction of Gein’s crimes. Bloch described the inspiration as the situation of hidden crimes in a small community, rather than a portrait of Gein. Norman Bates and the motel story are fictional.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Tobe Hooper · 1974 · fictional film
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Loose horror inspiration associated with Gein’s crimes. Leatherface, the Texas setting and the film’s family and events are fictional; this is not an account of what happened in Wisconsin. The BFI link supplies film information, not a promise of U.S. streaming access.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Blu-ray · Steelbook · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
Jonathan Demme · 1991 release · fictional film
The Silence of the Lambs
Adaptation of Thomas Harris’s novel. Gein is associated with aspects of the fictional Buffalo Bill character, not the entire plot or a biography of Hannibal Lecter. The BFI link is a film reference page, not a U.S. streaming offer.
Fiction / DramatizationFilm Details · Check Viewing Options
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Collector’s Edition · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
youtube.com
13 O’Clock — Ed Gein (Episode 186)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 1)
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released April 8, 2024. About 76 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 2)
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released April 11, 2024. About 72 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Morbid
Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 3)
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released April 15, 2024. About 81 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 172: Ed Gein Part I - Oddball
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released April 30, 2015. About 67 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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True Crime All The Time
Ed Gein Part1
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released June 3, 2019. About 71 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Show 9 more podcasts
Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 173: Ed Gein Part II - A Living Rainbow
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released May 6, 2015. About 59 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Murder With My Husband
290. Ed Gein's House of Horrors
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released October 13, 2025. About 64 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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RedHanded
Ed Gein: America’s Real-Life Psycho | #417
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released September 18, 2025. About 79 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 174: Ed Gein Part Three - Salted and Treated
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released May 13, 2015. About 70 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Lights Out
Netflix Botched Ed Gein… Here’s the Terrifying True Story
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released November 3, 2025. About 112 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Rotten Mango
#15- The REAL Silence of the Lambs Killer *he wears skin (seriously) Case of Serial Killer Ed Gein
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released September 16, 2020. About 82 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Lights Out
Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released October 23, 2020. About 60 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Psychopedia: True Crime & Criminal Psychology
EP153: Ed Gein: Skull Bowls and Nipple Belts (Part 1)
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released November 5, 2025. About 78 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Psychopedia: True Crime & Criminal Psychology
EP154: Ed Gein: Skull Bowls and Nipple Belts (Part 2)
Podcast coverage of the Ed Gein case. Released November 12, 2025. About 68 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
6 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
Deviant — Ebook
Harold Schechter. Related reading for Ed Gein. Check participating libraries for this edition. Borrowing requires an eligible library card; availability and waits vary.
Check Library Access ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
OverDrive · Library Access
Deviant — Audiobook
Harold Schechter. Related reading for Ed Gein. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.
Check Library Access ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Ed Gein, psycho by Paul Anthony Woods
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Deviant
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Everand · Subscription Access
Deviant — Ebook
Harold Schechter. Related reading for Ed Gein. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
View Subscription Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsLos Angeles Times
Reporting on Ed Gein
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The La Crosse Tribune · 1958-11-16 · Page 12
Plainfield revisits the Gein discovery one year later
An anniversary report reconstructs the discovery of Bernice Worden’s body and the investigation.
Historical coverage contains graphic descriptions.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Leader-Telegram · 1960-05-07 · Page 1
Further remains discovered at the Gein property
A report describes newly discovered bones and the forensic questions investigators hoped to answer.
The suggested identity was unconfirmed when published.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Plainfield, Wisconsin. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Plainfield, Wisconsin
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 1 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 1 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →Site of Ed Gein's farmhouse
Original building goneSecond Avenue and Archer Avenue, Plainfield area, Wisconsin
Gein's farmhouse was part of the 1957 investigation. Fire destroyed the original building in 1958.
The original structure no longer exists. Present-day land or replacement buildings are not open attractions; no visitor access was verified.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
12 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Real Crime
Behind Ed Gein's Case: Catching America’s Most Brutal Killer
Video from Real Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 50:00.
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Kallmekris
The Most INFAMOUS Killer In History | Ed Gein
Video from Kallmekris covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 1:30:06.
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Real Crime
Ed Gein: The Killer That Inspired Many Horror Films | World’s Most Evil Killers | Real Crime"
Video from Real Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 42:46.
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Emma Kenny
ED GEIN - THE REAL LIFE LEATHERFACE - The Butcher of Plainfield
Video from Emma Kenny covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 1:43:25.
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FilmRise True Crime
World's Most Evil Killers - Season 1, Episode 15 - Ed Gein - Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from FilmRise True Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 42:50.
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Real Crime
Ed Gein: Unseen Confessions From The Real-Life Psycho
Video from Real Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 49:40.
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Show 6 more social media
Real Stories
The Secret Life of Ed Gein: Inside a Killer's Mind
Video from Real Stories covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 42:41.
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Absolute Crime
Ed Gein: America's Strangest Killer | World's Most Evil Killers | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 42:45.
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Absolute Crime
Is This America’s Most Disturbed Killer?
Video from Absolute Crime covering the Ed Gein case. Length: 50:00.
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Reddit · r/LPOTL
Discussion: Side stories taught me that my two favorite boys were in an Ed Gein documentary series
Public community discussion connected to Ed Gein. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
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Reddit · r/LPOTL
Discussion: Ed Gein pt 2.
Public community discussion connected to Ed Gein. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
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TikTok · Creator channel
Lights Out — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Netflix Botched Ed Gein… Here’s the Terrifying True Story.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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