Man Admits Doing Home Castrations

The following series of five articles appeared in the Owensboro 
(Kentucky) Messenger-Inquirer from February 5 to 18, 1999.  Two of 
the articles carried the by-lines (respectively) of J.R. Ross and 
Mike Perkins and all were distributed by the Associated Press.

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Authorities search for answers in illegal castrations investigation 
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5 February 1999

Associated Press

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Authorities searched Thursday for an explanation 
why several men voluntarily submitted to castrations performed by a 
Huntington County man in his apartment.

Authorities viewed at least one of the procedures on videotape and 
examined other evidence captured after the arrest Tuesday night of 
Edward Bodkin, 56.

County Prosecutor John Branham said investigators believe the men who 
underwent the procedures did so voluntarily, but he did not know why.

"I can't sit here as a reasonable human being and give you an answer 
to that one," he said.

Bodkin was arrested Tuesday evening for performing the procedures 
without a medical license, a Class C felony subject to a fine of up 
to $10,000 and eight years in prison, Branham said.

Bodkin remained in the Huntington County Jail on Thursday on $50,000 
bond. He will be formally charged in Huntington Circuit Court on 
Monday morning, Branham said.

Bodkin used scalpels, knives, and needles to surgically remove the 
testicles of an unknown number of male patients in his apartment, 
authorities said.

"I am not an expert on any form of medicine and particularly not on 
that form of medicine, so I wouldn't want to speculate," Branham 
said. "It appeared that he knew what he was doing."

Sheriff Rod Jackson said Bodkin refuses to talk to authorities and so 
far they only can speculate on why anyone would want the procedure 
performed on them.

"We're not really sure what we've got," Jackson said, adding the 
whole case had a "bizarreness" to it.

Police began investigating Bodkin on Friday after an ex-roommate who 
said he considered undergoing the surgery - he did not say why - told 
police Bodkin performed the procedures.

The man testified at a probable cause hearing Tuesday that he 
returned to Bodkin's apartment Sunday and told Bodkin he wanted to 
view another videotape of the surgery before going through with it 
himself. Bodkin gave him a videotape of a previous surgery, which the 
man gave to the prosecutor.

The man told prosecutors he has seen at least five videos of Bodkin 
performing surgery on different men.

During the hearing, the man also testified that Bodkin kept 6 to 8 
jars of testicles on a metal tray next to his refrigerator.

"He corresponds with somebody who does the same procedures," the man 
said at the hearing. "He keeps in touch with letters and gets a lot 
of mail."

Janet Walters, an investigator with the prosecutor's office, said 
that during the hour-long surgeries the patients were conscious and 
speaking with Bodkin.

"The videotape, it shows a man bent over. You see his backside, his 
testicles and a person sitting behind him performing a surgical 
procedure, making an incision and removing his testicles," Walters 
said.

She said the man in the video was conscious and talking to Bodkin 
during the surgery and seemed to be in pain.

Castration, removal of the testicles, is performed by doctors for 
medical reasons only in extreme cases of prostate cancer or if the 
testes are severely infected or injured, said Johnette Gindling, a 
spokeswoman for Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.


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Former roommate says suspect sold videos of castrations 
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6 February 1999

Associated Press

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - A man arrested for castrating other men in his 
apartment performed the procedures for money, a report Friday said.

Edward Bodkin, 56, was arrested Tuesday evening for performing 
castrations without a medical license, a Class C felony subject to a 
fine of up to $10,000 and eight years in prison.

Bodkin was being held on $50,000 and will be formally charged in 
Huntington Circuit Court on Monday, Huntington County Prosecutor John 
Branham said.

Police began investigating Bodkin last week after being tipped off by 
a former roommate of the man. The former roommate testified at a 
closed court hearing Tuesday that he knew Bodkin had been removing 
men's testicles for at least four years.

"He told me one time that he was making money off of it," The Journal 
Gazette of Fort Wayne quoted the 49-year-old man as saying. It did 
not identify him. "He sold the videotapes and was making money off 
the videos."

Authorities have at least one videotape of a castration. They have 
said they do not know why men voluntarily submitted to the procedures.

The man described Bodkin as very intelligent and outgoing. He said 
Bodkin asked him a couple of months ago whether he would consider 
undergoing the procedure.

"I was intoxicated and I said why not," he said.

But when he sobered up, the man reconsidered.

"I didn't want it done. I was scared of it," he said.

The man testified at a probable cause hearing Tuesday that he 
returned to Bodkin's apartment Sunday and told Bodkin he wanted to 
view another videotape of the surgery before going through with it 
himself. Bodkin gave him a videotape of a previous surgery, which the 
man gave to the prosecutor.

He said Bodkin was going to perform the procedure on him for free.


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Authorities: Man corresponded with others who performed illegal 
castrations 
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