Texas Supernatural: Was There A Real Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Texas will forever be associated with chainsaw murders.

The movie " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was marketed as being "Inspired by true events!" but did any of those events actually occur in Texas? The answer is yes, and no.

While the popular answer to that question is, that the movie was inspired by Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein, it was also inspired by a Texas serial killer named Elmer Wayne Henley.

Gein was known for keeping bones and skin from his victims (a theme that carried over into the movie). He was also found to have a bowl made out of a human skull, a belt made of nipples, and tons of other truly awful souvenirs. Despite all of this, he was only convicted of two murders and suspected of a lot of grave robbing.

The lesser-known Elmer Henley was known to have killed (a minimum) of 28 boys and young men).  Writer Kim Henkle said that while he studied Ed Gein, he was also interested in the "moral schizophrenia" of Henley.

Neither of these sadistic killers was actually known for their use of a chainsaw, that was an idea that was completely dreamt up by director and co-writer Tobe Hooper. Hooper has been quoted as saying he though up the chainsaw while trying to figure out how to get through a crowded store (That'll do it, alright.)

None of this will change the lore, or even the popular trope that Texas is full of chainsaw-wielding hillbillies that will cut you up and make barbeque out of you (In fact, the barbeque thing was a fellow named Joe "The Cannibal Metheny" out of Maryland).

In short, Leatherface is/was not real, but there are much scarier people out there.