Ed Gein was a deeply disturbed American criminal known for his gruesome crimes, which included murder, grave robbery, and the macabre use of human body parts. His psychological problems were rooted in a troubled childhood marked by an abusive father and an overly religious, domineering mother, who instilled in him a strong aversion to women and sex. After his mother's death in 1945, Gein's mental state deteriorated severely. He was responsible for the murder of at least two women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, both of whom resembled his mother. Gein also exhumed numerous corpses from graves to collect body parts. He used these parts to create bizarre and horrifying artifacts such as furniture upholstered with human skin, masks made from faces, and a "woman suit" made of preserved female flesh, which he reportedly wore to "become" his mother. Gein's acts were driven by psychosis and schizophrenia. He believed he could bring his mother back to life by using body parts and maintained that he did not engage in sexual acts with the corpses because "they smelled too bad." Legally, Gein was found guilty of murder but declared not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent the rest of his life in psychiatric institutions until his death in 1984. In short, Ed Gein was profoundly mentally ill, with delusions and psychotic behavior stemming from trauma and isolation, leading him to commit horrific acts including murder, grave robbing, and the mutilation of human bodies to satisfy his disturbing obsessions and fantasies related to his mother.