Executive Overview
In a case that has shocked Wisconsin law enforcement and the local community alike, a Fond du Lac man faces severe felony charges after a routine stalking investigation exposed a deeply disturbing private world. Benjamin C. Larson, 47, is accused of orchestrating an unrelenting, 13-year stalking campaign against a former romantic partner—a campaign that allegedly escalated from unwanted correspondence to armed surveillance, targeted professional sabotage, and explicit threats of violence.
However, the scope of the state’s case against Larson widened dramatically following a mid-August 2026 raid on his Fond du Lac County residence. Inside the home, investigators discovered a macabre repository of human skeletal remains, ancient archaeological artifacts, and serial killer memorabilia. Among the items seized were six human skulls, a partial skull, a human jawbone, a mummy labeled "Princes Taheb 1600 BC," a jar purported to contain a portion of John Wayne Gacy’s brain, and artifacts stolen from the grave of Wisconsin’s notorious murderer and grave robber, Edward Gein.
On September 28, 2026, a Dane County judge presided over a crucial preliminary hearing. While the court made the controversial decision to lower Larson’s cash bond, it also delivered a significant blow to his defense strategy. Citing Larson’s substantial personal income and assets, the judge ruled that he is ineligible for state-funded legal representation. Larson’s public defender was ordered to withdraw, and the defendant was given until November 5, 2026, to secure private counsel.
Larson currently faces one count of stalking, a Class I felony, alongside three additional charges: concealing stolen property, obstructing an officer, and bail jumping. As forensic anthropologists work to identify the origins of the skeletal remains found in his home, legal experts and law enforcement officials are grappling with the complex intersection of obsessive stalking behavior, psychological escalation, and the illegal possession of historical human remains.
Detailed Chronology
The relationship between Benjamin Larson and the victim was brief, but its aftermath has spanned more than a decade. To understand the gravity of the charges against Larson, it is necessary to examine the systematic, multi-year progression of his alleged behavior.
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| CASE TIMELINE |
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| [2013] - Larson and the victim date briefly (approx. two months). |
| Victim terminates the relationship. |
| |
| [2013–2025] - Larson maintains a persistent, one-sided barrage of unsolicited |
| letters, cards, and emails. |
| - Larson files malicious complaints with professional licensing |
| boards across multiple states to force a response. |
| |
| [Nov 2025] - Larson sends a card to the victim's workplace, hinting at showing |
| up at her home: "just knock on your door someday." |
| |
| [Dec 2025] - Victim receives a card at her unlisted residential address. |
| Larson names her husband and child, claiming he is "wandering" |
| around her city as "therapy." |
| |
| [July 31, 2026]- The victim contacts the Madison Police Department to formally |
| report the 13-year stalking campaign. |
| |
| [Aug 14, 2026] - Detectives execute a search warrant at Larson's Fond du Lac County |
| residence, uncovering human remains and serial killer memorabilia. |
| |
| [Sep 28, 2026] - Court lowers Larson's bond; judge rules Larson must hire a private |
| defense attorney due to high personal assets. |
| |
| [Nov 5, 2026] - Scheduled court return date; deadline for Larson to retain counsel. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+The Origins and the Decade of Silence (2013–2025)
The victim told Madison Police detectives that she dated Larson for a mere two months in 2013. Recognizing concerning behaviors, she promptly terminated the relationship. Rather than accepting the breakup, Larson allegedly initiated a silent, one-sided siege.
Over the next 13 years, the victim cut off all contact. In response, Larson allegedly sent an ongoing stream of unsolicited letters, holiday cards, and emails. When these attempts failed to elicit a response, Larson turned to professional sabotage. He began filing formal complaints against her with professional licensing boards in every state where she held credentials. Larson later admitted to investigators that these complaints were designed specifically to force the victim to communicate with him, claiming his therapist had suggested the tactic.
The Escalation to Direct Threat (Late 2025)
By late 2025, Larson’s communications shifted from desperate attempts at contact to direct, physical intimidation:
- November 2025: The victim received a card at her professional office. In it, Larson explicitly stated he would "continue to try contacting" her, ominously adding, "I’m not sure if I need to try calling, or just knock on your door someday."
- December 2025: The threat level escalated when a card arrived at the victim’s private residence—an address she had never shared with Larson. The card addressed her husband and child by their actual names and indicated that Larson was actively spending time in Madison, claiming he was "wandering" around her neighborhood as part of his personal therapy.
Terrified by his knowledge of her home address and the direct references to her family, the victim contacted the Madison Police Department on July 31, 2026, triggering the intensive criminal investigation.
Supporting Context & Evidence
The subsequent police investigation quickly moved beyond standard stalking protocols. When Dane County and Fond du Lac County authorities executed a search warrant at Larson’s home on August 14, 2026, they uncovered a disturbing environment that merged obsessive stalking behavior with a profound fixation on death and serial murder.
Inside the Basement: The Serial Killer Shrine
In the basement of Larson’s home, investigators discovered what can only be described as a shrine dedicated to some of America’s most infamous murderers:
- The Edward Gein Collection: Officers located a grave rubbing taken directly from the tombstone of Edward Gein—the notorious Plainfield, Wisconsin, killer who exhumed corpses to fashion household items from human skin. Alongside the rubbing were ten meticulously organized binders labeled "Edward Gein Book" and actual physical items illicitly harvested from Gein’s grave site.
- The Zodiac Killer Connection: Investigators recovered ammunition cartridges matching the specific types utilized in the unsolved Zodiac Killer homicides of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- The John Wayne Gacy Jar: The search team recovered a glass jar with a hand-written label indicating that it contained a preserved portion of the brain of John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer executed in Illinois in 1994.
The Human Remains and the Glass Casket
Beyond memorabilia, the basement housed an extensive collection of actual human skeletal remains. Authorities cataloged:
- Six complete human skulls.
- One partial human skull.
- A human jawbone.
- Various skeletal remains displayed inside an antique glass casket.
- A preserved mummy bearing a label reading "Princes Taheb 1600 BC."
Because three of the recovered skulls were quickly identified by forensic experts as ancient Native American artifacts, Larson was slapped with an additional felony charge of concealing stolen property. When questioned about the origins of these bones, Larson provided highly inconsistent statements, claiming he "inherited" some from deceased relatives and simply "found" others scattered across his yard.
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| INVENTORY OF SEIZED EVIDENCE |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CATEGORY | DESCRIPTION OF SEIZED ITEMS |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Stalking Evidence | - Padlocked basement bedroom |
| | - Life-sized silicone doll under bedsheets |
| | - Nude oil painting resembling the victim |
| | - Stolen trash bags containing victim's personal |
| items (earring, discarded soda/beer bottles) |
| | - 25-page handwritten journal detailing stakeouts |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Human Remains | - 6 complete human skulls & 1 partial skull |
| | - 1 human jawbone |
| | - Skeletal remains housed in a glass casket |
| | - Ancient mummy labeled "Princes Taheb 1600 BC" |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Macabre Memorabilia | - Ed Gein grave rubbing & stolen grave artifacts |
| | - 10 "Edward Gein Book" binders |
| | - Glass jar labeled "John Wayne Gacy Brain" |
| | - Cartridges linked to Zodiac Killer cases |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+The Padlocked Bedroom: A Surrogate Fantasy
The most chilling evidence of Larson’s ongoing obsession was found in a padlocked basement bedroom. Upon breaching the room, officers discovered a highly realistic, life-sized silicone doll positioned on a bed beneath a blanket. Hanging directly above the bed was a custom oil painting depicting a nude female whose facial features bore a striking, undeniable resemblance to the victim.
In a nearby plastic storage bin, police found a collection of discarded items belonging to the victim. The bin contained paper towels wrapped around dried blue flowers, a single earring belonging to her, and discarded soda cans and beer bottles.
These items matched details found in a 25-page handwritten journal recovered from a black portfolio in the room. In one entry, Larson wrote about dressing entirely in black, wearing gloves and a mask, and driving to the victim’s Madison home in the dead of night. He documented holding a machete while watching her house, writing down her vehicle’s license plate, and stealing three bags of garbage from her curb—the exact garbage from which the bottles and earring had been salvaged.
In another highly alarming entry, Larson detailed his boiling frustration regarding the victim’s marriage and child. He wrote:
"It’s at times like this where I really ache to take their skulls, all of them."
Official Statements
Law Enforcement and Forensic Experts
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has emphasized the complexity of the ongoing forensic investigation. Because of the historical and archaeological nature of the seized remains, local authorities are partnering with specialized academic institutions.
In a formal media release, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office stated:
"Our agency is working in close coordination with a forensic anthropologist to determine the exact origin, age, and authenticity of the human remains recovered from the Larson residence. Initial physical examinations suggest that several of the skulls are ancient Native American remains, which carries strict legal protections under state and federal law. However, other skeletal remains require highly specialized laboratory testing to determine if they are of a modern era. We are committed to ensuring these remains are treated with dignity and returned to their proper resting places."
The Defendant’s Excuses
When confronted by detectives during his initial interrogation, Larson attempted to minimize his actions, framing his 13-year campaign as a series of civil, therapeutic attempts to find closure. He argued that filing complaints with professional licensing boards was merely a "strategy" suggested by his therapist to break her silence.
According to police reports, Larson told investigators that he "now realized her lack of contact was a response in itself," claiming he had finally understood she wanted nothing to do with him. He could not, however, provide any rational explanation for the machete stakeout, the stolen garbage, the nude portrait, or the journal entries detailing his desire to harvest her family’s skulls.
Future Outlook
As Benjamin Larson prepares for his next court appearance, the legal landscape surrounding his case has grown increasingly complicated.
During his late-September hearing, the presiding judge evaluated Larson’s financial standing to determine his eligibility for a public defender. Wisconsin state law maintains strict income thresholds for state-funded legal representation. Upon reviewing Larson’s substantial personal assets, investments, and real estate holdings, the judge ruled that Larson possesses the financial means to fund his own defense. The court ordered him to immediately retain a private criminal defense attorney.
Larson is scheduled to return to the Dane County Courthouse on November 5, 2026. The judge warned Larson that he must have private counsel secured and prepared to represent him by this date, or face potential sanctions, including the revocation of his modified bond.
In the interim, the state’s case may expand. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office is reportedly waiting on the final laboratory results from the forensic anthropologists. If any of the recovered skeletal remains are identified as modern, or if they can be linked to unsolved missing persons cases, Larson could face additional, far more severe charges. For now, the community and the victim’s family remain on high alert as the legal system begins to process one of the most bizarre and terrifying stalking cases in Wisconsin’s recent history.
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