Milwaukee, Wisconsin Oct 16, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - As millions of viewers worldwide tune into the new Netflix series Monster: The Ed Gein Story, a key figure in the Gein saga has stepped forward with a definitive confession. More than two decades after the audacious crime made international headlines, artist and provocateur Shane Bugbee has released a definitive confession in his new book, I STOLE ED GEIN'S TOMBSTONE: My Obsession with America's Most Notorious Killer.
The memoir provides a stunning, unapologetic account of the 2000 grave marker theft, detailing the planning, execution, and complex psychological motivations behind the act that reverberated through the killers hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, as well as the world.
The books most shocking revelation centers on the raw, uncensored phone calls Bugbee recorded with the families still living in Geins shadow. These include the Worden family, relatives of Geins final victim Bernice Worden, and the Hill family. In a stunning twist, the book reveals a private admission of approval for the stone's removal from a member of the Worden family, significantly complicating the narrative of victimhood and community outrage.
"This wasn't just about a stolen rock; it was about confronting America's sick fascination with its own monsters," says Bugbee. "I wanted to hold up a mirror to the hypocrisy of the true-crime world and the commercialization of tragedy. The results were more chaotic and revealing than I ever could have imagined."
I STOLE ED GEIN'S TOMBSTONE is a document of provocation and a direct challenge to the true-crime industrial complex. It provides an unflinching look at the human cost of digging up ghosts and the ongoing struggle between historical memory and a community's desire for peace. The narrative includes: THE CONFLICT: The full story of Bugbees infamous 2005 showdown with the Mayor of Salem, MA, over an exhibit featuring the alleged Ed Gein "death truck."
THE OBSESSION: A deep dive into the psychology of the act, connecting Bugbees motivation to his life's work and his claim of an impossible, interview with Gein himself from beyond the grave.
THE HYPOCRISY: An exploration of the dark, often fraudulent world of "murderabilia" collecting and the outrage over the eBay auction of a truck alleged to have been Gein's.
About the Author: Shane Bugbee is a central figure in the transgressive art movement, a publisher, and a cultural provocateur. He co-founded The Satanic Temple and has spent his career exploring controversial aspects of American culture.
Available from Amazon or via the website: edgeinfanclub.com
Source :Ed Gein Fan Club
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