Man Who Stalked Ex For 13 Years Had Piece Of John Wayne Gacy's Brain In Basement: Police

FOND DU LAC, WI — A rural Wisconsin man charged in a harrowing stalking case had a piece of John Wayne Gacy’s brain in his basement, authorities recently discovered while executing a search warrant, law enforcement said.

Benjamin C. Larson, 47, of Fond du Lac, faces a Class 1 felony charge of stalking, according to a lengthy and detailed criminal complaint released last week by authorities.

The Case

Larson dated his victim for about two months in 2013, according to the complaint, which stated that Larson was married at the time and that the victim characterized the relationship as being very intense and Larson as being obsessed with the serial killer Ed Gein, death and gore.

The victim moved to Canada in the fall of 2013 and did not give Larson her address, but he continued to mail her letters at her mother’s home, attempted to send her gifts and repeatedly emailed her, including sending her a message in 2015 that was 15 pages long, the complaint stated.

In 2025, Larson’s therapist repeatedly tried to contact the victim, who is also a therapist, and in one voicemail stated, “frankly, there are some things that concern me about him and I really would like to have contact with you so that I can get these issues resolved as fast as possible,” according to the complaint. The victim did not respond, the document stated.

In December, the victim received a card from Larson at her home in Dane County, according to the complaint, which noted he had given her a “The Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed card that contained the phrase “Season’s Creeping.” In the card, Larson named the victim’s husband and their child, whom they intentionally had not posted about on social media, the document stated.

The victim was notified of a complaint filed against her by Larson, who had never been her client, with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, authorities said.

On July 31, the victim contacted law enforcement to report Larson’s behavior, according to the criminal complaint.

The Basement

Fond du Lac County and Madison law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant Aug. 14 at Larson’s home in the W4000 block of County Road Q, the complaint said.

In his basement, they found a rubbing of Gein’s grave, 10 binders labeled “Edward Gein Book,” items from Gein’s grave or home, and what was labeled as a piece of John Wayne Gacy’s brain in a jar, among additional serial killer memorabilia, according to the complaint.

Gacy’s crimes horrified Chicagoans and the nation in 1978 when the bodies of 29 young men were exhumed from the crawl space of Gacy's nondescript tract house in unincorporated Norwood Park Township. Four other bodies were discovered elsewhere, when it is believed that Gacy started running out of room on his property and began disposing of his victims' bodies in rivers. Gacy was executed by lethal injection for his crimes at the Stateville Correctional Center in 1994.

Other discoveries in Larson's basement included a mummy, a set of skeletal remains in a glass casket, a case of bottles — some labeled as various poisons, and a life-size mannequin of Jason Vorhees from the horror film franchise “Friday the 13th,” authorities said.

The Padlocked Room

Also in the basement was a padlocked room with a large, lifelike silicon doll covered by a blanket with its head on a pillow, according to the complaint, which added that above the bed appeared to be a nude painting of the victim. Authorities also found a clay head that appeared to be a rendering of the victim, the document said.

Law enforcement discovered more human skulls, a folder of articles about missing or murdered people, and books on stalking and investigation, according to the complaint.

They also found a portfolio of 25 pages of handwritten reflections about the victim, including violent fantasies, and an account of going to the victim’s home with a machete, recording details about her car and stealing her garbage, authorities said.

If convicted, Larson could face up to $10,000 in fines and as much as three years and six months in prison, according to the complaint.

Regarding the skeletal remains, authorities are working to determine if they are authentic and if they are modern or archaeological Native American remains, according to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office. An initial examination by a forensic anthropologist determined many are likely ancient Native American remains, but several require specialized forensic testing, authorities said.