Fact or fiction: Did Ed Gein kill his brother, Henry, as shown on Netflix’s Monster web series?

Producer Ryan Murphy struck gold again with Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The web series is ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 list this weekend.

Similar to the hit 2022 show on Jeffrey Dahmer, this latest season mixes fact and fiction. The eight-part Netflix show dramatizes the life of Ed Gein, a real Wisconsin murderer who inspired several horror films.

However, the storyline includes fictional details not found in police reports or confessions. Some scenes and characters were exaggerated for entertainment.

Though the Netflix web series shows him as a strange outcast, locals saw Ed Gein as harmless, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He occasionally babysat children in his hometown.

Ed did small jobs and even helped neighbours by watching their kids briefly. However, he never took children to his house or frightened them, as shown on Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

However, Gein later admitted to making bowls and other items from human skulls and bones he dug up from cemeteries.

The “monster” confessed to wearing human skin. According to him, it was linked to his troubled feelings about his mother. He wanted to feel more like a woman, which inspired his behaviour, the publication added.

Most verified facts about Gein’s crimes and trial come from sources like The Ed Gein File by John Borowski and Ed Gein: Psycho by Paul Anthony Woods.

Monster: Did Ed Gein kill his brother, Henry?

Monster Episode 1 shows Ed Gein killing his brother, Henry, after an argument about their strict mother. On the Netflix show, Gein hits Henry with a wooden log, drags his body into the woods and sets a brush fire to hide the evidence.

In reality, such fires were common. However, the fire happened in spring, not winter. Henry’s body had burns, and doctors said he died from asphyxiation that caused heart failure.

Police suspected his role in Henry’s death. Some marks did look dubious. But, investigators found no proof of murder. Gein never admitted to killing Henry, according to the publication.

However, Ed Gein confessed to killing two women: Bernice Worden (58) in 1957 and Mary Hogan (54) in 1954. Both murders are shown in the series.

Though suspected in other cases, he denied more killings. Cops found no proof. They later discovered body parts from several graves. It confirmed that Gein had dug up the remains of 9-10 women.