In 1957, two years before Robert Bloch published his terrifying novel, Psycho, a man named Ed Gein actually committed the terrifying crimes the author described in his pages.
The gruesome, true story inspired both the book and the Alfred Hitchcock film. Although Robert began writing the novel before all of Ed's horrifying actions were revealed to the public, he was surprised by just how much his plot mirrored the man's real life — and just how close he was to the scene of all his crimes.
By the time Robert was finished with the book, he included a line specifically referencing Ed in the final chapter.
However, the author was just the first of many to take details of Ed's chilling murders and transform them into terrifying tales of their own.
Take a look to learn more about how one real-life man inspired so many hair-raising horror movies and other fictional stories — and how the real story is even more grisly than each of them.
[H/T: ThoughtCo]
Ed Gein was born and raised in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Like Norman Bates, his mother, Augusta, was very controlling of him and his older brother, Henry.
When they weren't at school, Augusta kept the boys isolated on their farm home.
Much like Norman's mother in the fictional story, Augusta held a warped view of religion and the immorality of society — especially when it came to other women.
She would spend her afternoon with Ed and his brother, reading passages from the Bible, choosing the most graphic verses that dealt with death and murder.
After Ed's father died, he and his brother took over all of the chores on the farm. Henry frequently spoke ill of their mother, something that greatly upset Ed.
In the 1940s, they were burning off marsh grass when the flames when out of control. The fire department arrived and Ed reported that his brother was missing.
Henry was found dead, but authorities believed he choked on the smoke. While studying Ed's later crimes, it became clear that this was likely one of his earliest murders.
After Henry's death, Augusta suffered a paralyzing stroke. Ed became devoted to caring for her, but she died after a second stroke in 1945.
He was devastated by the loss, and his behavior grew even more erratic.
Ed boarded up any room frequently used by his mother, including the entire second floor. The rest of the home became consumed by filth.
In 1957, hardware store owner Bernice Worden went missing. Her son told authorities that Ed had been in the store the evening before her disappearance, claiming he planned to return the next day for a gallon of antifreeze.
Police found blood stains on the floor and the last receipt Bernice wrote that morning: one gallon of antifreeze.
Authorities arrived at Ed's home and were horrified by the gruesome "paraphernalia" they found — made of human remains. Bernice's decapitated body was also discovered.
Ed confessed to killing Bernice and another woman, tavern owner Mary Hogan. He also described robbing fresh graves, choosing those of deceased women who resembled his mother. He claimed to have been in a "daze-like" state during his excursions.
His plan was to create a "woman suit" in order to "become his mother."
Ed was diagnosed with schizophrenia and ultimately found "not guilty by reason of insanity." Instead of going to prison for his crimes, Ed spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital.
Robert Bloch was also living in Wisconsin when news began to spread about Ed's crimes — in fact, he was only 35 miles away from Plainfield.
The author had already begun writing Psycho, but he was struck by how many of the details he'd already used for his evil protagonist were similar to Ed.
Before publishing, he included a more overt reference to Ed in the final chapter.
Alfred Hitchcock adapted Robert's novel in 1960, just a year after the book's release.
The famously secretive director purchased the rights to the story and even bought as many copies of the novel as he could to keep the twist ending from being revealed.
Alfred and Robert weren't the only ones who found chilling inspiration in Ed's crimes.
A 1974 film called Deranged was a more heavy-handed interpretation, while others like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs used aspects for their villains: Leatherface and Buffalo Bill.
Several other movies, television shows, and various fictionalized versions have been made over the years.
Did you know the true story behind Psycho?
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