Most true-crime fans have heard the name Ed Gein—the real-life figure who inspired horror classics like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But here’s a question that often sparks curiosity: how old was Ed Gein when he started murdering? His story isn’t just chilling—it’s also deeply tragic, rooted in a lifetime of isolation, control, and obsession.
The Making of a Monster: Ed Gein’s Troubled Childhood
Ed Gein’s early years set the stage for the darkness that would follow. Born on August 27, 1906, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Ed grew up under the iron rule of his fanatically religious mother, Augusta. She despised women (except herself) and preached that sex and sin were one and the same.
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His father, George, was an alcoholic who failed to hold steady work.
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The family lived on an isolated farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin.
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Ed and his brother Henry were forbidden from making friends or socializing.
Their mother’s twisted teachings created a psychological cage that Ed never escaped. After his father’s death in 1940 and his brother’s mysterious death in 1944, Augusta became Ed’s entire world—until her death in 1945. That loss shattered him completely.
How Old Was Ed Gein When He Started Murdering?
Ed Gein was around 51 years old when he committed his first confirmed murder.
His first known victim was Mary Hogan, a tavern owner who disappeared in 1954. Her remains were later found among the grotesque collection of human body parts in Gein’s farmhouse.
His second known murder was Bernice Worden, killed in 1957 when Ed was 51. Her disappearance led to Gein’s arrest—and the horrifying discovery that made headlines worldwide.
Did You Know?
When police entered Ed Gein’s home, they found furniture made of human skin, skulls used as bowls, and even a “woman suit” crafted from human remains. It was like stepping into a real-life horror movie.
So while Gein was middle-aged when he started killing, his obsession with death and the female body had been brewing for years. Long before the murders, he had been robbing graves and experimenting with corpses to “recreate” his deceased mother.
The Obsession That Turned to Murder
What drove a quiet, polite handyman to become one of history’s most disturbing criminals? Psychologists believe Ed Gein’s actions stemmed from a mix of mental illness and severe emotional repression.
After Augusta’s death, Ed began visiting cemeteries at night, digging up bodies that reminded him of her. He reportedly brought home body parts to create keepsakes and even tried to fashion a “female body” so he could “become” his mother.
Some disturbing but telling facts:
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He admitted to making masks and clothing from human skin.
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He claimed he visited graveyards in a trance-like state.
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Gein was declared legally insane and committed to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison.
Common Questions About Ed Gein
Q: How many people did Ed Gein actually kill?
A: Only two murders were ever confirmed, though he admitted to grave robbing and possibly more crimes.
Q: What happened to him after his arrest?
A: He was found mentally incompetent and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution, where he died in 1984 at age 77.
Q: Did Ed Gein ever show remorse?
A: Reports suggest he didn’t fully grasp the horror of his actions, treating them as strange “projects” rather than crimes.
A Human Reflection
I’ve always found Ed Gein’s case both terrifying and tragic. It’s easy to label him a monster—but it’s also a haunting reminder of what can happen when mental illness, isolation, and obsession go unchecked. Gein’s crimes shocked the world, but they also changed how we understand the psychology of killers today.
Ed Gein was 51 years old when he started murdering, but his descent into madness had begun decades earlier. His story serves as a grim lesson about the dark corners of the human mind—and the dangers of repression, loneliness, and obsession.
What do you think—was Ed Gein born evil, or was he made that way by his upbringing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.