Shivangi Sinha
Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden shared many similarities. In the 1950s, both women lived in Wisconsin and were in their fifties. They had families, children, and each ran her own small business. In 1957, their remains were discovered in the same house, revealing the horrifying fate they had met. Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ portrays the supposed circumstances of their disappearances and the shocking discovery of their bodies in a dramatized manner. It sheds light on how their lives were intertwined through the crimes of one person.
Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden Were Last Seen at Their Respective Businesses
Mary Hogan was born in 1901, either in Germany or Austria. She and her sister, Matilda Kosmach, were reportedly not very close to their mother, Antonia “Anna” Hofbauer. In 1914, the sisters immigrated to the United States with their father, Ignatz Cuvan. Mary eventually built a life for herself in Wisconsin, where she spent most of her years. She married Joseph Medved in 1922, and the couple had a daughter, Christine, whom Mary considered the greatest joy of her life. In 1925, she married Joseph Hogan and remained with him until 1935. She later married Louis Peck, with whom she lived until 1939. Eventually, Mary opened and operated her own tavern in Bancroft, Wisconsin and became a beloved member of the local community. She was well known and well liked by the townspeople. On December 8, 1954, she went missing, and the last place she was seen was at her tavern.
Born on May 9, 1899, Bernice Conover Worden was the second-oldest child of Frank and Agnes Conover. She and her siblings, Burrell, Lloyd, Lester, and Glady, were raised in Canton, Illinois, though she eventually built her life in Wisconsin. Bernice married Leon Francis Worden, and together they completed their family with two children, Frank and Miriam. After Leon’s death in 1931, Bernice worked tirelessly to provide the best life possible for her children. She took over and managed Worden Hardware in Plainfield, Wisconsin, earning a reputation as a hardworking and respected businesswoman. Her son Frank later became a deputy sheriff with the Waushara County Sheriff’s Department, and she was quite close to him.
Bernice opened her store as usual on the morning of November 16, 1957, but later that day, she mysteriously disappeared. It wasn’t until around 5 pm, when her son Frank returned, that he noticed bloodstains on the floor and the cash register left open. That same evening, police discovered Bernice’s remains at a farmhouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Her body was found in a shed, where she had been mutilated, decapitated, and hung upside down from a crossbar. Investigators determined that she had been shot with a .22-caliber rifle and that the mutilations were inflicted after she was killed. Inside the same house, police also uncovered remains belonging to Mary as well. Her skull was found in a box, and a mask made from her face was stored in a paper bag. The sheer brutality of the scene horrified everyone who witnessed it, leaving behind more questions than answers.
Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden’s Killer Was Diagnosed With Multiple Mental Health Issues
The house where the remains were recovered belonged to Ed Gein. It was Bernice Worden’s son, Frank, who realized that his mother had met Gein the previous morning and that he was supposed to return the next day to purchase a gallon of antifreeze. The last receipt Bernice had written was for Gein, and around 9:30 am, her car was seen leaving from the back of the store. Later that evening, on November 16, 1957, Gein was arrested at his property, where police discovered the remains of several people. During questioning, he admitted to robbing graves from at least nine burial sites and also allegedly confessed to shooting Mary Hogan.
Gein’s crimes were driven by a disturbed psyche rooted in childhood trauma and an intense attachment to his mother. His mother, Augusta, had been domineering and highly religious and she reportedly shaped Gein’s worldview around sin, death, and the role of women. After her death in 1945, Gein became increasingly isolated, preserving her room in their house like a shrine. He developed a compulsive urge to exhume the bodies of middle-aged women who reminded him of his mother, using their remains to fashion objects. Among these creations was a “woman suit,” which he intended to wear so he could “become” his mother. Gein was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and deemed legally insane, with his actions reflecting severe psychosis rather than a rational criminal plan.
Gein later recanted his confession regarding Mary Hogan’s death, claiming that he had no memory of the events. On November 21, 1957, he was arraigned on one count of first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. At the time, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent significant time in medical facilities. In 1968, he was found competent to stand trial, and a doctor testified that Gein had told him he had accidentally shot Bernice Worden while handling a weapon in her store, but claimed no other memory of the incident. He was found guilty of Bernice’s murder, yet legally insane, and was returned to medical institutions.
Read More: Evelyn Hartley: How Did She Die? Did Ed Gein Kill Her?
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