In the Netflix series "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," it is depicted that Ed Gein kidnapped and murdered Evelyn Hartley, a young babysitter, but in reality, there is no evidence linking Gein to her disappearance or murder.
What did Ed Gein do to Evelyn?
- In the series, Ed Gein kidnaps Evelyn Hartley after she is fired from her babysitting job and later kills her in his barn, similar to the fictionalized scenes inspired by horror films.
- The show dramatizes that Gein followed her, abducted her, and murdered her, which is a fictional element added for storytelling purposes.
What is known from real-life investigations?
- Evelyn Hartley disappeared in 1953 at the age of 15 while babysitting in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and her body was never found.
- Ed Gein was considered a suspect initially and was questioned about her case because he was visiting family nearby at the time of her disappearance, but he was never linked to her or convicted of her murder.
- Gein passed lie detector tests regarding her case, and no DNA or physical evidence connected him to her disappearance.
- Despite being cleared, her case remains unsolved and one of Wisconsin's most famous disappearances.
Summary
- The series takes creative liberties, depicting Gein as Evelyn's murderer, but factual evidence indicates that Ed Gein was not involved in her case, which remains unresolved.
In conclusion, the character of Evelyn Hartley in the series is a fictionalized version based loosely on her real-life case, but Ed Gein did not do anything to Evelyn, as her disappearance is unsolved and she was never linked to him by evidence.
