Adeline Watkins knew about Ed Gein, as she admitted in a 1957 interview to dating him for a period of time. She described Gein as "good and kind and sweet" and said they often discussed murders in the news, analyzing what mistakes the killers had made. Watkins recalled that Gein proposed to her in 1955, but she declined, fearing she could not meet his expectations. However, she later retracted some of her earlier statements and clarified that their romantic relationship lasted less than a year and was intermittent, rather than a long-term romance. She also denied being complicit in Gein's crimes and claimed she never entered Gein’s home, where his crimes took place. Despite the publicity, Watkins maintained some emotional connection to Gein, stating she loved him even after his crimes became known.
