Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story has been a, well, monster smash on the streaming giant—despite mixed reviews, which have prompted conversations about our collective desensitization to such gruesome viewing. Nevertheless, those of us who have tuned in have pretty much become Ed Gein experts since watching, digging into all the information we can get.
Between sifting through the fact vs fiction of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, uncovering how many people Gein actually killed and revealing photos from inside his former home, we have truly done all the research on the Gein case so that you don't have to. Which, ultimately, means you've got more time to find your next true crime obsession. Thank us later, of course.
While Gein is, obviously, the most fascinating character in the true crime series, he's not the only person that viewers (us included) have questions about. From Ilse Koch to Richard Speck, Christine Jorgensen and Adeline Watkins, there's a web of people surrounding Gein in the show and real life, and one has a particularly tragic story: Sheriff Arthur “Art” Schley. Here, we take a look at who Schley was, his connection to Gein, and the sad end of his life.
Who was Sheriff Arthur “Art” Schley?
Arthur Schley—who went by the name “Art”–was the Sheriff of Waushara County, Wisconsin. He was born and raised in the state, where he lived with his wife and three daughters. In Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Schley is played by Tyler Jacob Moore (Shameless, Perry Mason).
What did Sheriff Schley do on the Ed Gein case?
As Sheriff of Waushara County at the time Ed Gein was active, Schley had an integral role in the killer's capture. According to reports, Schley—who was familiar with all the locals in the area—always thought that Gein was a bit of an odd character, but it wasn't until Bernice Worden was reported missing in November 1957 that Schley had grounds to investigate him.
As we see in the TV series, Worden—who happened to be the mother of Schley's Deputy Sheriff, Frank Worden—is murdered by Gein. During their investigation, Schley and his deputy discovered that Gein was the last person to shop at the 58-year-old's hardware store, which prompted them to visit his house for questioning. When they arrived, they were confronted with unimaginable horrors, finding not only Worden's mutilated body, but also body parts from numerous women who had been dug up from their graves by Gein.
Schley and Worden arrested Gein that same day, with Schley going on to interrogate the killer in the time that followed. Notably, however, Gein's confession from his initial interrogation was deemed inadmissible in court, per two biographies (Edward Gein: America's Most Bizarre Murderer and Deviant: The Shocking True Story of the Original 'Psycho'). This is because, in frustration, Schley allegedly banged his head and face against a brick wall. As a result, Gein had to be interrogated again, although the alleged incident did not have an impact on Schley's career, and he was later promoted to Waushara County Highway Commissioner.
How did Sheriff Schley die?
Due to Gein's mental health conditions, he was deemed unfit to stand trial until nearly a decade later, in 1968. As Gein's trial approached, Schley—who was, according to his loved ones, traumatized by the horrors he saw during the case—was haunted by the prospect of testifying. But he never made it to the stand. At just 43 years old, Schley passed away from heart failure in May 1968, shortly before Gein's trial got underway. At the time, those close to Schley attributed his premature death to Gein's gruesome case.
Schley is buried in Wautoma Union Cemetery in Wautoma, Waushara County.
All episodes of Monster: The Ed Gein Story are available to stream now on Netflix.
