Henry Lee Lucas

Henry Lee Lucas (August 23, 1936–March 13, 2001) was an American criminal, convicted of murder and once listed as America's most prolific serial killer. However, he later recanted his confessions. He once flatly stated "I am not a serial killer" in a letter to researcher Brad Shellady.

Related Topics:
August 23 - 1936 - March 13 - 2001 - American - Murder - Serial killer

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Many sources report that Lucas confessed to involvement in about 350 murders. In fact, according to Shellady, Lucas confessed to involvement in about 3,000 murders, an average of about one murder per day between his release from prison in mid-1975 to his arrest in mid-1983. The figure of 350 is based on confessions deemed "believable" by a Texas-based "Lucas Task Force," a group which was criticized by Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox for sloppy police work and taking part in an extended "hoax". (Note: Shellady misspells "Mattox" as "Maddox".)

Related Topics:
1975 - 1983 - Texas - Attorney General - Police - Hoax

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Beyond his recantation, some of Lucas' confessions have been challenged as inaccurate by a number of critics, including law enforcement and court officials. Lucas claimed to have been initially subject to poor treatment and coercive interrogation tactics while in police custody, and that he confessed to murders in an effort to improve his living conditions. This calls into question many of Lucas' alleged murders, since his confessions were often the sole evidence cited in favor of his guilt, especially his sole death penalty conviction; Amnesty International reported "the belief of two former state Attorneys General that Lucas was in all likelihood innocent of the crime for which he was sentenced to death." http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGAMR510032000

Related Topics:
Death penalty - Amnesty International

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Though Lucas' death seemed to have removed the possibility of resolution in many instances, there are still a number of unresolved or open questions. Some authorities—while admitting that Lucas tended to exaggerate his accounts and told some outright lies, and also recognizing that the Lucas Task Force engaged in some very questionable tactics—insist that Lucas was a viable suspect in a number of unsolved murders. Despite these factors, Lucas still maintains a reputation, in the words of author Sarah L. Knox, "as one of the world's worst serial killers—even after the debunking of the majority of his confessions by the Attorney General of Texas." http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/pmc/issue.501/11.3knox.html

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Lucas allegedly carried out many murders with an accomplice, Ottis Toole, whose reputation as a serial killer is mostly unaltered by Lucas' recantations.

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