Who was the real Leatherface?

The real Leatherface is thought to be Ed Gein, a murder suspect who was accused of killing several victims between 1954 and 1957. Gein wore a human scalp, face and vest of skin from his victims.

Leatherface is a major character in the movie "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Although it was spun as being inspired by a true story, the events and characters are only loosely based on Gein. Gein’s crimes included exhuming corpses from graveyards and using the remains to create trophies and keepsakes. He confessed to two murders and was eventually found guilty, but was later declared not guilty by reason of insanity upon appeal. Following trial, Gein was confined to psychiatric institutions.