Ed Gein photographed following his arrest in November 1957 in Wautoma, Wisconsin.

The subject of a new Netflix true-crime offering was a quiet, isolated farmer to the outside world in the 1950s, but he was hiding a grisly nightmare house that would go on to inspire horror movies.

Ed Gein, who became infamous for crimes committed in rural Plainfield, Wisconsin, admitted to the killing of two women and stealing corpses from graves. His facade unraveled in late 1957 when a local hardware store owner went missing, leading authorities to Gein's door. In his farmhouse, they discovered her mutilated body along with the body parts of several others. He had fashioned furniture and clothing out of human skin and other remains, which he kept around his house of horrors.

The saga is recorded in the newly released "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" by producer Ryan Murphy, the latest installment in the series that previously chronicled Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez Brothers. The series took some liberties to dramatically retell Gein's story. Here's what we know about the true, shocking story of the so-called Butcher of Plainfield:

Who was Ed Gein?

Gein was born Aug. 27, 1906, to parents George and Augusta Gein. He had one brother, Henry. The Gein family moved to the farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, when Ed Gein was young, where they lived in mostly isolation. Ed Gein attended school but was said to be punished by his mother if he tried to make friends. He grew up in a strict and religious household.

Ed Gein later told investigators he and his brother were abused by his father, who died in 1940 of heart failure. Four years later, Henry Gein also died. Though Henry Gein's death in the series is portrayed as murder by his brother, in real life, investigators ruled out foul play at the time, and Ed Gein never admitted having a role in the death.

Ed Gein idolized his mother and took care of her after she had a stroke, soon after Henry Gein's death. She died after having a second stroke in 1945.

The Butcher of Plainfield: What crimes did Ed Gein commit?

Gein was first arrested in 1957 when authorities were investigating the disappearance of Bernice Worden, who owned a hardware store. Investigators found a receipt for a purchase made by Gein along with blood in the store, leading them to Gein and his property. In a shed, they found Worden's mutilated body, hanging from hooks with her head severed.

Gein, 51 at the time, admitted to killing Worden. Inside his farm house, investigators found Worden's head and a slew of other nightmarish discoveries: human skulls; a lampshade made from human skin; more than a half-dozen masks made from the flesh of female faces; a wearable corset made from the skin of a female torso; and more.

They also found remains belonging to Mary Hogan, a tavern owner who had been missing for three years. Gein also admitted to killing Hogan.

Other body parts Gein said he got from robbing at least nine graves in a cemetery.

Gein reportedly told investigators the desire to kill and keep human flesh was driven by his deep connection with his mother, and a desire to become more like a woman, by wearing their skin.

His grisly crimes were loose inspiration for some of the most notorious horror films, including "Psycho" and "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

What happened to Ed Gein?

Gein was charged in Worden's murder, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and found unfit to stand trial in his first trial. He was sent to psychiatric facilities and at a second trial in 1968 found guilty of murder – but at a follow-up proceeding was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

He was never tried for Hogan's death or for the grave robberies he also confessed to.

Gein died in 1984 at the age of 77 of respiratory failure related to lung cancer while still at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Wisconsin.

Contributing: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This is the true, horrific story of Ed Gein, the 'Butcher of Plainfield'

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci and Chris Foran, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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