Was Ed Gein a Cannibal? Did He Give Human Meat to His Neighbours?

Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ tells the harrowing true story of Ed Gein and his crimes. The eight-episode season offers insight into his origins, beginning with his situation at home and exploring how his deeply sheltered upbringing may have influenced his actions. With each chapter, a new detail of his crime emerges, enough to send a shiver down one’s spine. The scale of his actions also makes one wonder how far he may have gone in his deeply disturbing crimes. His obsession with dead bodies is a significant part of the plot, and at one point, it is insinuated that he may have brought human meat to the dinner table. SPOILERS AHEAD.

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Ed Gein’s Cannibalism is Entirely Conjectural

When Ed Gein was interrogated following his arrest, he confessed to murdering two local women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, and grave robbing. At no point did he confess to eating his victims or giving human meat to his neighbours disguised as venison, or otherwise. The investigation also did not reveal any evidence of him indulging in cannibalism. However, he did use bowls made out of human skulls to eat regular food. Following the death of Bernice Worden, Gein became a prime suspect when his name was found on the last receipt that the victim had signed before she went missing. The day he was arrested, the cops went to his house, and one of the officers found Worden’s decapitated body hanging in the barn.

At his house, the officers found several human heads and skulls. They also found what appeared to be masks made by removing the skin and hair from the heads. They found lampshades, chairs, and a wastebasket made from human skin, as well as a belt made from female nipples. They also found other body parts, like noses, lips, and female genitals, collected in separate boxes, and Worden’s heart, among other things. The nature of his crimes sent a shockwave through the town, where Gein was seen as a quiet and solitary person. The discovery of human body parts in his house led the people to wonder if he did more than just kill people.

Stories about him eating human flesh started to circulate, adding yet another thing to the list of his grotesque crimes. Reportedly, Gein was not known to be a deer hunter, but he had, occasionally, given venison to several people. When the news about his alleged cannibalism broke, the people who had accepted his venison and eaten it were appalled by the possibility that it may have been human. They are reported to have rushed to the doctor to have themselves checked out. As the lore surrounding Gein gained notoriety over the years, details about him eating humans were adopted in pop culture, particularly in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ However, there is nothing concrete to prove that cannibalism was among the crimes for which he was found guilty.