When Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story introduced Evelyn Hartley as a victim, it blurred fact and fiction—recreating her kidnapping and murder in a visually stylized narrative. But Evelyn Hartley was no fictional character. A straight-A teen, beloved by friends and family, she vanished from La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1953 while babysitting, sparking one of the largest searches in the state’s history. In this episode, we uncover her life, the massive search for her, and how myths about Ed Gein have overshadowed the truth. Join us as we separate Hollywood storytelling from reality and remember Evelyn as the girl she truly was.
This is her story.
📍 La Crosse, Wisconsin | October 1953
📖 Featuring an original poem written in her honor, read, this time, by Aimee.
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