Dane County Courthouse
MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin stalking investigation led to a search that uncovered "human skeletal remains" at the defendant's home, prompting a second investigation into whether those remains may be illegal.
Benjamin Larson, 47, of Fond du Lac County is charged with one count of felony stalking, accused of obsessively stalking a woman he briefly dated more than 10 years ago.
It was during the investigation that authorities found skeletal remains — including what appeared to be numerous human skulls — in his home. That has now led to a second investigation.
Larson is out of custody having posted $15,000 cash bond. He's scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Sept. 11.
Stalking timeline
Timeline:
According to the criminal complaint, Larson briefly dated the victim back in 2013, but the relationship ended after Larson called her claiming he was suicidal with a gun to his head. During their brief contact, Larson expressed an "intense obsession with serial killer Ed Gein, death, and gore."
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After the breakup, Larson mailed uninvited letters and gifts to the victim's mother's house. In 2015, he sent a 15-page email disclosing he had tattooed her initials and "their symbol" onto his body, stating he kept numerous mementos, including hair, voicemails, and dried flowers.
In mid-2025, Larson’s individual trauma therapist repeatedly tried to contact the victim via physical mail, an online professional platform, and voicemail regarding Larson's treatment.
In late 2025, Larson sent cards to the victim's business and home address (referencing her husband and child by name) and stated he was wandering around Madison as part of his therapy. He also submitted false complaints to professional licensing boards in Wisconsin and two other states to force her to respond.
Discovery of skeletal remains
The backstory:
According to the Fond du Lac Sheriff's Office, on Aug. 14, deputies helped Madison Police Department investigators serve a search warrant at Larson's home as part of the department's stalking investigation.
During the search, detectives found books, documents, and memorabilia related to murders and serial killers, along with skeletal remains — including what appeared to be numerous human skulls — and other potentially illegally possessed items.
When investigators discovered the additional evidence, which appeared unrelated to the stalking investigation, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office got a separate search warrant from a Fond du Lac County Circuit Court judge. Sheriff's detectives collected a variety of evidentiary items, including the human skulls and skeletal remains.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office
Dig deeper:
Some of those items include, according to the criminal complaint:
- An Ed Gein grave rubbing, 10 binders of Gein research, items linked to the Zodiac Killer and John Wayne Gacy, skeletal remains in a display casket, human skulls, and jars labeled as dangerous poisons (arsenic, ricin, cyanide).
- A locked room containing a life-sized silicone doll, a nude painting matching the victim's likeness, human skulls, and articles about missing or murdered women.
- Letters written under a fake name threatening to ruin the victim's career if she refused to contact him.
- A storage bin containing the victim's personal mementos, pressed flowers, hair, and a clay head sculpted in her image.
- A 25-page journal detailing intense rage toward the victim's husband and child, writing that he wanted to "take their skulls." One entry described driving to her house at night wearing a mask, gloves, and holding a machete while stealing her trash, referring to the act as "hunting."
Ongoing investigation into the remains
What's next:
Detectives are working with a forensic anthropologist with the Wisconsin Crime Lab, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Repatriation Committee, and specialized laboratories to determine whether the remains are authentic and whether they are modern-era remains or archaeological Native American remains.
The forensic anthropologist's initial physical examination determined that many of the remains are likely ancient Native American in origin; however, several of the skeletal remains require specialized forensic testing at a laboratory to determine their origin.
The Source: Information about the skeletal remains investigation is from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office. Details about the stalking case are from a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court. Additional details are from Wisconsin Circuit Court records.