In this episode, we delve into the life of Ed Gein — the isolated Wisconsin boy whose descent into necrophilia, murder and grave-robbing would ripple through popular culture to become the blueprint for some of horror’s most iconic monsters. We trace his roots: a domineering, religious mother whose moral fanaticism and isolation of her two sons planted the seeds of psychosis; a father whose abusiveness and alcoholism darkened the home; the death of his brother under mysterious circumstances; and the passing of his mother that left him alone and unmoored.
We follow his transformation — from sweet boy to corpse-collector — uncovering the macabre crime scene of November 1957, when authorities found human skin lampshades, skull bowls, a “woman-suit” stitched from corpse flesh, and the bodies of his victims. We explore the psychological fissures: his obsession with his mother, his attempt to become her, his exhumations of female corpses who reminded him of her.
Then, we pivot to his chilling cultural legacy: the way his crimes inspired the likes of Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs — how his warped psyche became fuel for Hollywood’s darkest nightmares. We ask: What about Gein’s story continues to haunt us? Why do we feel drawn to the horror that he spawned? And what does his case teach us about the thin boundary between the human and the monstrous?
Join us for a harrowing journey into rural horror, psychopathy, and legacy.
What you’ll learn:
How Gein’s family dynamics (mother, father, brother) shaped his descent.
The exact nature of his crimes — grave-robbery, body-mutilation, the two murders.
How investigators uncovered the scene and the legal outcome.
How Gein’s story echoed into pop culture, influencing cinematic villains and horror tropes.
Why his case still fascinates true-crime and horror communities today.
Ed Gein: Sources, Legacy & The Anatomy of Horror
This comprehensive source list compiles all references used throughout Monte Mader’s research and podcast scripting sessions on Ed Gein. It includes both the sources used for previous questions and the five key additional recommendations. Together, these represent the most authoritative foundation for understanding Ed Gein’s family, crimes, psychological background, and his lasting influence on horror and American culture.
Sources Referenced
1. Wikipedia – Ed Gein (birth, family background, crimes, legal outcomes).
2. Biography.com – “7 Horror Movies Inspired by Body Snatcher Ed Gein.”
3. Time.com – “Monster: Horror Movies Inspired by the Ed Gein Story.”
4. A&E; True Crime – “Ed Gein’s Dark Legacy.”
5. Deadline.com – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.”
6. Netflix Tudum – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story Unmasks the Origins of Modern Horror.”
7. Rolling Stone (2024) – “What Monster Gets Right and Wrong About Ed Gein.”
8. Life Magazine (Dec 1957) – “The Mad Butcher of Plainfield.”
Further Reading & Primary Investigative Sources
1. Harold Schechter, Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho (Pocket Books, 1989).
2. Robert H. Gollmar, Edward Gein: America’s Most Bizarre Murderer (Prairie Oak Press, 1981).
3. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – “Ed Gein’s Farm: The Fire, the Trial, and the Town That Never Recovered.”
4. Wisconsin State Archives – Plainfield Police Reports and Court Transcripts (1957–1968).
5. Life Magazine (December 1957) – “The Mad Butcher of Plainfield.”
We are back! Welcome to the second season and total revamp of Highway to Hell where we take you all across the country and the world telling the craziest true crime, the scariest paranormal stories and if you are a true crime fan like us, we give you the best places in the area to see, eat and drink. Who doesn't love a little spooky in their travels.
SO happy to welcome my cohost Andy Jones, my dear friend and the guitar player of my band for 4.5 YEARS. Today, we are talking about the Amityville horror.
The Amityville Horror story begins with a gruesome crime on November 13, 1974, when 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings in their sleep at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. Using a .35 caliber Marlin rifle, DeFeo shot each family member in their beds, later claiming that demonic voices urged him to commit the murders. He was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The shocking crime sent waves through the quiet Long Island community and set the stage for one of America’s most infamous paranormal legends.
In December 1975, just over a year later, George and Kathy Lutz purchased the DeFeo home at a discounted price, moving in with their three children. Within 28 days, they fled the house, claiming to have been terrorized by intense supernatural phenomena. According to their accounts, they experienced mysterious cold spots, foul odors, green slime oozing from walls, strange voices, and a pig-like demonic creature named “Jodie.” George Lutz reportedly woke up every night at 3:15 a.m.—the time of the DeFeo murders—while doors slammed, crucifixes turned upside down, and unseen forces moved objects throughout the home.
Their terrifying story became the basis for Jay Anson’s 1977 best-selling book The Amityville Horror, which launched a franchise of films, documentaries, and debates about the line between fact and fiction. However, the haunting claims quickly came under scrutiny. William Weber, Ronald DeFeo’s defense attorney, later admitted that he and the Lutzes concocted much of the story during a night of drinking, seeing it as a way to profit from the house’s dark past. Paranormal investigators found no credible evidence of supernatural activity, and subsequent residents reported no unusual experiences. Despite the skepticism and accusations of fabrication, the Amityville Horror endures as a chilling blend of true crime and American folklore—a haunting tale that continues to captivate believers and skeptics alike.
29 missing children and young people
29 bodies
Was Wayne Williams guilty? Or a scapegoat?
I wanted to do something lighter this week! a collection of some of the funniest "Florida Man" true crime ending with a "Florida Man Mayor"
VERY DISTURBING CONTENT.
The "Toy Box Killer," David Parker Ray, was an American criminal who is believed to have tortured and killed numerous women in the mid-1990s. Ray lived in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, and worked as a mechanic for the New Mexico Parks Department. His crimes came to light in 1999 when a woman named Cynthia Vigil escaped from his trailer, where she had been held captive and subjected to horrific torture.
Ray's trailer, referred to as his "Toy Box," was equipped with a variety of devices and tools designed for torture. He would often record his interactions with his victims, many of whom were drugged and had no memory of the events. The exact number of his victims is unknown, but it is believed to be in the dozens.
Ray was arrested and, despite the lack of bodies or direct evidence of murder, was convicted of several offenses, including kidnapping and sexual torture. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison. Ray died of a heart attack in 2002 while serving his sentence. The case remains infamous for the sheer brutality and sadism involved.
In 2010-2011, 10 bodies were dug up on the shores of long island. The body count of one killer hiding in plain sight.
Please subscribe and share!
Please like and subscribe!
Traveling to Wyoming to discuss the heartbreaking stranger murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student that shocked and changed the nation.
Follow me on IG @highwaytohellpod
Thank you to my sponsors!
Please Rate and subscribe!
Comments and questions to monteashleymader@gmail.com
The Children of God cult, also known as The Family International, is a religious group that originated in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California, founded by David Berg. It gained notoriety for its extreme beliefs and controversial practices under the guise of Christian fundamentalism. Key elements of the cult included its apocalyptic views, the practice of "flirty fishing" (using sex to attract new members), and communal living. Over the years, it faced widespread criticism and legal actions due to allegations of abuse, including child abuse. The group underwent several rebrandings in an attempt to distance itself from its past, but its core controversial doctrines and the negative impact on former members remain significant issues.