The Hewitt Family Timeline

Lore & Background

The Hewitt family's story begins in the bone-dry, fly-buzzing rural town of Travis County, Texas, where for generations they ran a slaughterhouse—a place of blood, guts, and the rhythmic thud of cleavers. When the slaughterhouse was shuttered for health violations, the family didn't waste: they turned their home into a killing floor, murdering travelers and neighbors to fill their larder. At the head of this grisly operation is Charlie Hewitt Jr., the local sheriff, a man who uses his badge to wave off suspicion and steer victims straight into his mother's kitchen.

His mother, Luddie Mae Hewitt, is the cold, calculating matriarch who seasons human flesh and orchestrates the feasts. The youngest, Thomas Hewitt, is a hulking, mentally impaired giant who serves as the family's enforcer and butcher. He stitches together masks from the faces of his victims—each one a different 'mood'—and wields a roaring chainsaw that echoes through the Texas night.

Reader's Guide

The timeline kicks off with the Hewitt family's slaughterhouse operations, which ended after health inspectors found rotting meat and filth. That closure pushed the family to their first murders: a local sheriff who got too curious, and a group of teenagers who wandered onto their land. The prequel, The Beginning (2006), shows the family capturing Thomas Hewitt, a shy, slow-witted slaughterhouse worker, and forcing him into their fold. After his first kill—a terrified young woman—Thomas dons his first mask and becomes Leatherface.

The family then targets a group of friends, including a young Eric and Chrissie, leading to a chainsaw-wielding massacre in the Hewitt house. The 2003 film picks up with another group—Erin, Kemper, Morgan, Andy, and Pepper—who are systematically hunted through the decaying rooms and fields. The climax sees Erin turning the tables: she stabs Luddie Mae, shoots Charlie, and cuts down Thomas with his own chainsaw before burning the house to the ground.

The timeline ends with the family's defeat, but the charred ruins and the smell of cooked meat linger in the memories of Travis County.

Did You Know?

• The Hewitt family is based on the real-life serial killer Ed Gein, who inspired the original 1974 film's Leatherface.
• In the 2003 film, the Hewitt house was a real, abandoned farmhouse in Texas that was renovated for the movie.
• Thomas Hewitt's masks are made from the faces of his victims, with each mask representing a different 'personality' or mood.
• The family's sheriff, Charlie Hewitt Jr., uses his badge to cover up their crimes, a detail unique to the 2003 remake timeline.