…the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history…

There are two varying stories in American culture relating to the murderer universally known as Leatherface. What is known is that his crimes, and those of his family, are brutal, atrocious, and taboo acts perpetrated upon unsuspecting members of society. As heinous as these crimes are, it has not stopped Leatherface from enduring a lasting, macabre, celebrity.

It is believed that Leatherface was born sometime around 1940, somewhere in the more rural areas of Texas. The first account of Leatherface, and the most popular, gives him the name of Bubba Sawyer. This account leads one to believe that his family, poor and from the backwoods, murdered people to make them into barbecue, which they sold.

It is from Sally Hardesty that we gleam the majority of information concerning the Sawyer clan. Hardesty and her brother, Franklin, along with friends, were traveling through Texas when ill chance put them in the path of the Sawyer family. It is believed that Leatherface acted out only from instruction from his family. Franklin, wheelchair bound, was murdered by Leatherface, and Sally barely managed to escape after enduring a grisly evening with the Sawyers. That particular evening, Sally was tied and held for Grandpa Sawyer to kill with a hammer. In the ensuing confusion Sally managed to break free, being picked up by a passing motorist.

According to Sally, the only survivor among her brother and friends, Leatherface wore a mask made of human skin. She reported that the Sawyer house was littered with bones, both human and animal, and that the bones and skin were used as decoration throughout the home. Sally reported that people were murdered and “dressed” much like animals on site.

Of course, bodies were found, but the family had vacated the property.

The second account is very similar to the first with some slight differences. This second version of the Leatherface legacy gives him the name of Thomas Hewitt. This account of events states that he suffers from a skin disease that had eaten away most of his nose and left his face scarred, which is the reason for wearing the mask. The mask here, as in the other version, is made of human skin. In both versions, Leatherface is presented as a man of somewhat limited intelligence, and whose only way of speaking is through grunts and gibberish. It is believed, though, that his family can understand him.

This second account involves a young lady named Erin, who was subsequently committed to an institution after her ordeal with Leatherface. Erin was the sole survivor of her traveling group in 1973. She has gone on record as testifying that Leatherface was assisted in his crimes by his Uncle Charlie, who was the acting sheriff. According to Erin, the house, in the middle of nowhere, was not littered with bones and such, but that Leatherface had a “work area” in the basement. Erin has also said that Hewitt’s own mother helps in the family’s crimes. In this version they still capture people and use them for meat.

Erin was only able to escape thanks to the help of a child, Jedidiah, the youngest member of the family. The boy leads Erin from the basement as she is pursued by Leatherface, and she, like Sally before, escapes with the help of a passing motorist.

On the official police walk-through, the first officers were attacked and killed by Leatherface. They were filming at the time and caught a fleeting glimpse of him. What the additional officers found at the Hewitt home were the remains of 33 people.

Leatherface and his family have yet to be apprehended.

the_novacula

*thanks to Wikipedia