Steve Shippy and Cindy Kaza of ‘Ed Gein: The Real Psycho’: The Conskipper Interview

Ed Gein’s horrific crimes inspired a number of fictional villains on the silver screen, and numerous television programs have delved into Gein’s backstory, but none have done so from both a historical and paranormal perspective.

Until now that is. Ed Gein: The Real Psycho (premiering on April 9 on Discovery+) features filmmaker and investigator Steve Shippy and medium Cindy Kaza (The Holzer Files) as they dig deeper into the story of Gein and reveal never before known facts and theories related to the case.

Shippy and Kaza spoke to Conskipper about the upcoming Shock Doc in this exclusive interview.

Both of you have extensive experience in the field of paranormal research, but how did you come together for Ed Gein: The Real Psycho?

Steve Shippy: When the project started to come together, we were both chosen based on our different abilities and experiences. I think the pairing worked great and I look forward to working with Cindy again in the future.

Cindy Kaza: I totally agree. It worked out very well and each brought something different to the investigation. I hope we can work together again.

Did you approach the subject matter from a paranormal and historical perspective?

Shippy: Yes. What happened in the case is well-known and infamous but we ended up discovering many undisclosed facts and little-known situations about Gein and his life.

Kaza: Right, although the Gein case is a prominent one, going in as a medium brought a different perspective. Getting into Gein’s mind as well as his mother’s about what really happened was something that revealed more than expected.

Both of you had experiences in your adolescence that lead to your field of study. What were those experiences like at such a young age?

Shippy: Growing up with those experiences is both a blessing and a curse. It is difficult when you are that young when you are looking for answers about the things happening around you that no one can provide. At that point, you have the choice to turn tail and run the other way or go all in. It can also create a drive in you to help people in similar situations.

Kaza: When you see spirits and are also an empath at a young age it can be a burden. Many young people bury those experiences in hopes that they will go away, but they don’t go away. Once you embrace the experiences, you need to figure them out. From that point, I never looked back.

Steve-You have been involved in many investigations as a documentary filmmaker. How did those experiences behind the camera help in this investigation?

Shippy: I went into it with that mindset of a documentary maker and paranormal researcher. Through previous experiences, I learned that a lot of the fact finding involves talking to locals and pounding the pavement and above all, building that rapport and trust with people which can lead to unlocking secrets.

Cindy-In the special you “read” both objects and places/locations. Is it the same type of experience when you work with an objects when compared to a home, etc.?

Kaza: That is a really good question. Reading objects is very interesting because you can get all sorts of information from many different perspectives. For example, if I was to read a watch that your grandfather gave you, I might pick up information about you, your grandfather, previous owners of the watch, or even locations through psychometry.

With a place or a larger area, you can pick up the history of the land, and it is sometimes easier to hone in on something that you are looking for.

Without giving anything away, were there aspects of the Gein case that truly surprised you?

Shippy: There were nothing but surprises when it came to this investigation. Obviously, a lot is known about Gein and we know much of his story based on his impact on pop culture and horror films. What we ended up discovering was very shocking. It is once thing to go over details that people have heard before, but when you can get a look at the original police reports, and talk to the locals, we found out that there was much more to the story.

Kaza: What stood out to me was the connection between Ed and his mother. I was surprised with how emotional I became and how present her spirit was in the locations. It was all very sad and tragic.

Any other projects that either of you are working on?

Shippy: I am currently working on three to four more documentaries. With the COVID-19 situation, there has been a lot of waiting and delays. I am ready to work with Cindy again as well.

Kaza: I also can’t wait to work with Steve again. I am not touring right now due to the pandemic, but I have been teaching on Zoom. Looking forward to the next investigation.

Ed Gein: The Real Psycho starts streaming on discovery+ on April 9th.