The Ed Gein File: A Psycho's Confession and Case Documents

by John Borowski, Stephen Giannangelo (Foreword)

In November of 1957, serial killer Ed Gein was arrested for the murder of Bernice Worden. Her body was found decapitated and hanging like a gutted deer in Gein’s barn. When investigators searched the rest of Gein’s house they found furniture made from human skin and many more horrifying items which Gein created. For the first time in print, The Ed Gein File presents Gein’s full confession and other official case documents. Ed Gein’s Full Confession, Gein’s Psychological Report, Autopsy Report of Bernice Worden, and Foreward by Stephen J. Giannangelo, Author of Real Life Monsters. Illustrations and artwork by Lou Rusconi, Roger Scholz, Sam Hane, Charles D. Moisant, and Nicolas Castelaux.

Genres: True Crime

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Simon Zohhadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ed Gein File is different to most books about notorious murderers, in that, it includes the post-mortem of one of his two murder victims and Ed Gein's drawn out confession for murder and manslaughter and his perverse acts of grave robbing, as well as psychiatric reports. The confession is particularly interesting as it shows how careful and incisive questioning can lead to an full confession. However, by modern day standards, I'm not sure that the questioning, which is very suggestive in most parts in the way that information is fed to the individual being questioned, would meet the guidelines. For anybody who doesn't know, Ed Gein was the killer who inspired the Norman Bates character in Hitchcock's film Psycho and one of the characters in Silence of the Lambs. He was diagnosed insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution. There can be no doubt that Ed Gein was guilty of the horrendous crimes he was found guilty of committing but the reasons suggested and accepted in his confession may not have been the real reasons behind his crimes. Technically, Ed Gein was not a serial killer but when you read about his crimes, you will understand why he was quite possibly the most notorious of all; what he did with the body parts robbed from graves is particularly disturbing.

My rating: 4/5.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering it took me over 9 months to read a 323 page book, 2 stars is generous. This isn’t really a book, but a paperback binding of photocopied articles, drawings, and interview transcripts. The material is interesting, but some of the hospital files must have been photocopies of photocopies of photocopies. It was so blurry that the editor of the book should have at least included a translation. Of course, the editor wasn’t that great since 2 pages repeated themselves. Interesting read, but skip it unless you are really interested in Gein.

[Allie MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting in parts, especially how deeply it dives into such an unhealthy, disturbed man. But it’s a tough read at times-the police interview transcripts get pretty repetitive, and the writing can be hard to follow. Still, it’s fascinating in its own weird, unsettling way

[Cortney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly pages and pages of his confession and psychological evaluation. It gave me a headache when Ed Gein just talked in circles. I can’t imagine how the doctors and investigators must of felt during this process, it sounded exhausting.

[David Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

In some parts absolutely fascinating, but with this being the transcript from police interviews, there is some monotony to the questions and response given!

[Michele M. Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Gein

Very hard to read. This could have been written on computer. Great coverage of a very unhealthy man. Very hard to get through the book.

[Zoe Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. That was a lot… maybe too much.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Ed Geins words

I found the ability to read Mr. Gein actual words informative, horror flying, and at times humorous. Very interesting way of telling an old story