On November 16, 1957, while investigating the disappearance of local hardware store owner Bernice Worden, authorities stumbled upon a sight straight out of their worst nightmares.

Deputy sheriff standing outside Ed Gein's house
Deputy sheriff standing outside Ed Gein's house. (LIFE Photo Collection)

A Waushara County Sheriff’s deputy discovered Worden’s decapitated and mutilated body in a shed just a few miles southwest of Plainfield, Wisconsin.

Worden's body was hung upside down and "dressed out like a deer."

Ed Gein’s neighbor, Bob Hill, looks on in horror while standing in the interior doorway of Gein’s house
Ed Gein’s neighbor, Bob Hill, looks on in horror while standing in the interior doorway of Gein’s house. (LIFE Photo Collection)

Trooper Dave Sharkey looks over some of the musical instruments found inside Gein's farmhouse
Trooper Dave Sharkey looks over some of the musical instruments found inside the farmhouse. (Getty Images)

The culprit behind her murder was Ed Gein, a seemingly average Joe who made a living from odd jobs.

Filthy, cluttered bedroom of Ed Gein
Filthy, cluttered bedroom. (LIFE Photo Collection)

Little did authorities know that Worden’s slaying wasn’t the only secret Gein was hiding.

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