Kriti Mehrotra
The crimes committed by serial killer and body snatcher Ed Gein were haunting in every sense of the term. Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ shines a light upon the motivations behind his actions, his mental health issues, and more. However, another character who plays an integral role in the series is the man who ultimately arrested the killer in November 1957 — Waushara County Sheriff Arthur “Art” Schley.
Arthur “Art” Schley Dedicated His Life to Serving His Community
Born on February 19, 1925, to Ella Harke Schley and William Frederick Schley in Richford, Waushara County, Arthur “Art” Schley was a true Wisconsin native. As the youngest of their four children, he was likely surrounded by the immense warmth and care of his loved ones. However, his childhood was marred by the passing of his mother the same year he came into this world, leaving him to grow up without knowing the love of his mother. Nevertheless, thanks to a sound support system, Art was raised with strong values, and he managed to build a good life for himself. He tied the knot with the woman he referred to as the love of his life, Nita Marie Straw, on May 9, 1943, following which they happily settled down in Wautoma.
They welcomed three daughters into their world as the years passed by, all the while he built a career for himself as a proud law enforcement official. In fact, he served as the Sheriff of Waushara County by the time the 1950s rolled around, meaning he knew everybody’s business. According to records, Art always considered Ed Gein to be an odd individual. Still, he never paid much attention to him because he had no prior criminal history or known violent streaks. Yet, when Bernice Worden went missing from her hardware store on November 16, 1957, he decided to pay Ed a visit on the grounds that he was likely the last person to see the 58-year-old alive.
After all, Bernice’s son Frank was Art’s Deputy Sheriff, and he was the one who had not only reported his mother’s disappearance but also the fact that a sales receipt indicated Ed was the last client there. What Art could have never imagined was that a search of Ed’s farmland would reveal it to be a house of horrors, containing human remains in various forms at nearly every corner. The officials found Bernice’s mutilated remains in the shed, her head in a box, and her heart in a bag in the kitchen, along with nine vulvas in a shoebox, remains of another local woman who went missing in 1953, bone fragments/skulls of exhumed bodies, and much more. Therefore, that same evening, Art arrested Ed from a nearby grocery store, ultimately leading to the killer’s brutal confessions.
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Arthur “Art” Schley Sadly Passed Away in 1968
According to records, Art not only arrested Ed on the fateful day but also interrogated him in the time to follow, but he made a mistake that resulted in his first confession being tossed out. In frustration, Art allegedly assaulted Ed by banging his head and face into a brick wall during the questioning. As a result, the killer’s ensuing initial admission of his crimes was ruled inadmissible in court, so the entire process of his interrogation had to be redone a while later. Nevertheless, the reported incident didn’t affect Art’s career as he was soon promoted to the position of Waushara County Highway Commissioner. During this time, his wife served as the Sheriff and Under-Sheriff for the County.
However, it’s imperative to note that according to Art’s loved ones, he was personally left traumatized by the horrors of Ed’s crimes – he couldn’t fathom how anyone could be so brutal. Therefore, by the time 1968 rolled around and Ed was finally deemed fit to stand trial, the idea of testifying not only against him but also about his alleged assault haunted him. But alas, shortly before the trial commenced, Art sadly passed away from heart failure. It was March 25, 1968, and he was 43 at the time. Those close to him have reportedly always attributed his untimely death to Ed’s disturbing case.
