In Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Arthur ‘Art’ Schley is one of the police detectives who is working to catch the killer responsible for the deaths of Bernice Worden, Mary Hogan, and a few other suspected, but not proven, murders.
The character Art, played by Shameless’ Tyler Jacob Moore, was inspired by the real-life policeman who resided in Waushara County, Wisconsin, with his wife and three daughters. In the show, we are introduced to Art and Frank Worden when they’re investigating the deaths of bar owner Mary and Frank’s own mother, Bernice. The evidence inevitably points to Ed Gein, and upon searching his property, they come across vile trophies, including Mary’s skull, nine vulvae, four noses, a lampshade made from human skin, and countless other oddities.
Art is there to help Frank through the brutal death and dismemberment of his mother, inviting him round for Thanksgiving dinner in a scene that is gross enough to have people swearing off meat forever. Though as a minor character, we don’t get to see Art’s storyline in its entirety, that might have been a blessing in disguise – Arthur’s real life did not have a happy ending.
What happened to the real Art Schley from Monster: The Ed Gein Story?
Credit: Netflix
As per books about Ed Gein’s crimes, Arthur ‘Art’ Schley was a real policeman who was important to the capture and imprisonment of the serial killer. He allegedly always believed that Ed was a bit of an odd character, but it wasn’t until the disappearances of Mary and Bernice that he was able to investigate his hunches.
Notable biographies about the case showed that Art was the one to initially interrogate Ed Gein, but in a fit of rage, he got a confession by slamming Ed’s face into a brick wall. The evidence was deemed inadmissible in court, and Ed had to be questioned all over again. Despite that, he was later promoted to Waushara County Highway Commissioner.
Credit: Netflix
In the years that followed, when Ed was unable to stand trial because of his mental faculties, Arthur found himself traumatised by the case, according to his family. Ed was finally deemed ready to stand trial a decade later, and while Art was haunted by the prospect of testifying, he died before taking the stand.
At just 43 years old, Art died from heart failure in May 1968. His family attributed his sudden death to the trauma of Ed Gein’s crimes, and specifically, the thought the reliving them in court.
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Featured image credit: Netflix/FindaGrave
