Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, released on October 3, 2025, has become one of the most talked-about true-crime shows of the year. As the third instalment in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster anthology series, it follows the life of the infamous murderer and grave robber Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam. The series not only explores Gein’s crimes but also delves into the deep psychological and cultural effects of his legacy. However, one particular storyline — Ed Gein helping the FBI catch serial killer Ted Bundy — has sparked curiosity among viewers. Many are wondering if that event ever really happened.
In the series, Ed Gein is shown receiving letters from other notorious killers while he is institutionalised in a psychiatric facility. One of the letters, supposedly from Richard Speck, contains a cryptic clue related to a series of killings in Washington State. Later, FBI agents John Douglas and Robert Ressler — the real-life pioneers of criminal profiling — visit Gein to better understand the minds of serial killers. Gein, in turn, claims to have found something significant in one of the letters and passes it on to the agents, who eventually use the information to catch Ted Bundy. The storyline paints Gein as a strangely cooperative figure, contributing to law enforcement efforts from within his confinement.
However, this dramatic moment in Monster: The Ed Gein Story is purely fictional. In real life, Ed Gein had no connection whatsoever to Ted Bundy or to the FBI’s investigation into him. The real Gein was arrested in 1957 — long before the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit was established in the 1970s. By the time Ted Bundy began his crimes, Gein had already been confined to a mental institution for nearly two decades and had no involvement in any active investigations.
According to reports, the series’ creators took creative liberties with this plot point to represent Gein’s deteriorating mental state and his blurred sense of reality. The scene functions symbolically rather than historically — it reflects Gein’s schizophrenia and delusional perception of his place in the world. In the show, this imagined collaboration with the FBI serves to show how Gein believed he was finding redemption or a greater purpose, even though, in reality, such events never occurred.
The real Ted Bundy was captured through traditional police work. He was first arrested in Utah in 1975 after attempting to flee a traffic stop. Later investigations connected him to a string of murders across several U.S. states. The FBI did not rely on Ed Gein or any other imprisoned killer for information related to Bundy’s crimes.
The series also includes a surreal scene near its conclusion, where Gein is depicted on his deathbed being praised by other serial killers, including Bundy. This, too, is not factual but rather a thematic device — a commentary on how Gein’s horrific acts and psychological profile became a twisted inspiration for future criminals and for the horror genre itself.
In summary, while Monster: The Ed Gein Story is rooted in real events, the subplot about Gein helping the FBI catch Ted Bundy is entirely fictional. It was crafted to illustrate his delusions and to deepen the narrative rather than to reflect any real collaboration between the two infamous figures.