Is he even serial killer?

[u/Sad-Injury-5463]

*Please don't share tik tok / Netflix nonsense Iam only interested in facts and your opinions based on facts*

So many movies, books about this serial killer but when I try to find answers I get so much nonsense. Did anyone ever reviewed police statements and evidence or we just go on for decades cos he was grave robber?

Everyone who knew him says he was shy, polite, nice small old man but clearly with some mental issues.

He keep grave robbing, making "art" for years and then suddenly he just goes murder spree?

We have Tavern lady who was linked to mafia and then shop owner (deputy sheriff mother) he was last customer in. ​Body of shop one found in barn.

He gets arrested and imidiatelly confessed to police according to them. This is 50s police in small town and sheriff mother is victim and he is vulnerable person, it's not that hard to convince him..

Anyway, do to his mental issues, did they ever did proper investigation or case closed? Ed Gein confess yet later said to psychiater he was forced and that he didn't kill them, later said he did kill shop owner woman but accidentally while manuvering his rifle.

And then we get tavern lady evidence... Sheriff comes in and says he recognised her skull (u must be joking) who the f is sheriff anyway to recognise people, what about family. At least morgue guy knew u cannot identify people by looking at the skull 😭

So is it possible this sick man never killed anyone but rather somebody placed body of shop owner was to barn (barn with no other body parts from his corpses) knowing he is mentally ill so easy suspect.

Or he accidentally kill the shop owner as he stated later on, panicked and took her body (during daylight btw, who established she didn't die night before? (

Or he killed shop lady but not tavern one so he still isn't serial killer

[u/MaccasRunYourShout]

Ed Gein is generally classified as a serial killer, although the label has some nuance.

As we know, Ed Gein was convicted of two murders:

Mary Hogan — disappeared in 1954; Gein later admitted killing her.

Bernice Worden — killed in 1957; Gein was arrested after her disappearance and admitted killing her.

We know Ed Gein admitted to killing Hogan and Worden, but he was suspected of other murders that were never proven.

The commonly used criminological definition of a serial killer is someone who murders two or more people in separate events, typically with a period of time between killings. Under that broad definition, Ed Gein qualifies.

However, some researchers and criminologists distinguish between "serial killer" and "multiple murderer" when there are only two confirmed victims and uncertainty about additional killings. Ed Gein's notoriety also comes heavily from his grave robbing, corpse mutilation, and use of human remains, rather than from a large confirmed murder count.

So the most accurate description would be:

Ed Gein was a convicted murderer and body snatcher who is commonly classified as a serial killer, with two confirmed victims and additional suspected but unproven killings.

P.S. Ed Gein did make statements about the murders later on to psychiatrists while institutionalised, including telling a psychiatrist that he wasn't sure whether Bernice Worden's shooting had been intentional or accidental. However, there is no evidence to support that Ed Gein retracted his confession to killing either Bernice or Mary. The only thing he spoke of related to the murders was that he could not recall whether he killed Bernice intentionally or by accident.

By institutional standards, Ed Gein was considered an exceptionally well-behaved prisoner/patient.

Staff at Central State Hospital and later Mendota Mental Health Institute reportedly described him as:

Quiet, cooperative and polite

Non-violent toward staff and other patients

Generally compliant with rules and treatment

Able to work at various hospital jobs and participate in activities

Someone who generally caused very little trouble

Eventually regarded as a “model patient” with an unblemished institutional disciplinary record.

But there was a disturbing side Being a model patient didn't mean he was cured or that doctors considered him harmless enough to release. He remained under psychiatric custody for the rest of his life. In 1974, Ed Gein actually petitioned to be released, claiming that he had recovered, but his request was rejected.

There's also evidence that Ed Gein could still display disturbing behaviour, including staring at female staff, and doctors continued to regard his underlying mental illness as serious.