The True Story of Evelyn Hartley, Ed Gein's Alleged Victim in Netflix's 'Monster'

This article contains discussions of kidnapping, abuse, and murder.

The Ryan Murphy television universe has become known for two things: shocking stories that fictionalize real-life events, and unexpected castings with pop-culture buzziest stars. These traits come together in the newly released Monster: The Ed Gein Story, which features the character of Evelyn Hartley, played by former TikTok star and rising pop princess Addison Rae.

In the eight-episode Netflix series, Evelyn is a local babysitter who's killed by Gein when their professional paths cross. Though the real Ed Gein did babysit children, as one of his many odd jobs, Hartley's real-life connection to the serial killer is more conjecture than fact. Below, we break down what we know about Evelyn Hartley's true story, and how it differs from the true-crime drama.

Who was Evelyn Hartley, the young woman played by Addison Rae in 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story?'

Introduced in episode 3 of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the fictional Evelyn Hartley is a young woman living in Wisconsin who leaves her babysitting gig as she struggles with a polio diagnosis. Her replacement is Ed Gein, after his girlfriend Adeline Watkins accepts his marriage proposal.

This goes as horribly as expected; Ed brings the kids to his barn of human horrors and is subsequently fired. But when the family rehires Evelyn, Ed deludes himself into thinking that she stole the job out from under him. Soon after, he kidnaps Evelyn and takes her to his barn, murdering her in a disturbing sequence that echoes the hammer scene from the classic 1974 horror movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The real Evelyn Grace Hartley was born in 1937, the daughter of a biology professor. In October 1953, the 15-year-old disappeared from a home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she was babysitting the 20-month-old daughter of another professor, Viggo Rasmussen. Though over 2,000 people were involved in her search party, Hartley was never found.

Did Ed Gein kill Evelyn Hartley?

In late 1957, Ed Gein was arrested following the murder of hardware-store owner Bernice Worden (played by Lesley Manville in Monster). Gein eventually confessed to killing both Worden and tavern owner Mary Hogan, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as well as digging up "nine or 10" graves to harvest body parts.

At that time, Gein was also reportedly questioned about the disappearances of more women and girls, including Evelyn Hartley and 8-year-old Georgia Weckler. Though Gein was visiting family near the Rasmussen home on the night Hartley vanished, Gein maintained his innocence, and none of Hartley's DNA was found at his barn. In November 1957, police announced that Gein was cleared of any connection to both Hartley and Weckler's cases. However, many still believed he could be involved (hence her inclusion in the fictional series).