Serial Killer Name



Henry Lee Lucas |

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|Information summarized by |

|Matt Bullins, Chelsea Rakes, Meridith Gombar, Ashley Griffith, Kala Hodge, Alison Plummer, Sarah Pitman, Margaret Kosicki |

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|Serial killer researched by |

|Lauren Akers, Josette Anderson, Teresa Boyd, Jennifer Dagenhart, Amy C. Hill, Gregory Kerwin, Mary Morrison, Jesse Rosenthal, |

|Jessie Smith, Natilie Flemens, Jamie Kuback |

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|Department of Psychology |

|Radford University |

|Radford, VA 24142-6946 |

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|Date |Age |Life Event |

|August 23, 1936 | |Born in Blacksburg, Virginia to Nellie Viola Dixon (age 40) and Anderson “No Legs” Lucas. Last of nine |

| |0 |children, seven placed in foster care, while older brother, Andrew Preston, remained home with Henry. |

| | |Both parents are alcoholics. Mother was a prostitute. |

|1943 |7 |Mother sent him to school dressed like a girl with long, curly hair. Older brother accidentally cut him |

| | |across the nose and eye. Went to Roanoke hospital for two weeks where his mother visited him only once. |

| | |Back at school the same eye was ruptured after accidentally being struck with a ruler by his teacher. He |

| | |was then fitted for a glass eye. |

|1944 |8 |Mother strikes him over the head with a two by four, splitting his scalp open to the bone. He lay |

| | |unconscious for 3 days before someone took him to the hospital. Mother made him watch her have sex with |

| | |her “clients” and boyfriend, Bernie Dowdy. |

|1946 |10 |Became a virtual alcoholic after consistently being given moonshine by his father while helping operate |

| | |the family still. Bernie Dowdy shows him how to kill animals and then have sex with them after killing a |

| | |calf by slitting its throat. |

|1947 |11 |Henry’s father lost legs in an accident. |

|1949 |13 |Becomes obsessed with sex. Has sex with his half brother and with dead animals. |

|1950 |14 |Anderson Lucas dies after passing out drunk in the snow. Henry hitchhiked to his half sister’s house in |

| | |Middlebrook to get away from his abusive mother. Moved back to Blacksburg and sentenced to jail for |

| | |driving recklessly. |

|1951 |15 |Claimed that he abducted a seventeen-year old girl from bust stop and beat her until she was unconscious.|

| | |Raped her and strangled her to death. There is no record to support this. |

|1952 |16 |Henry and his two half-brothers were picked up for burglary. Committed to a vocational school for |

| | |juvenile delinquents in Beaumont, Virginia. Managed to escape the Christiansburg County Jail. Turned |

| | |himself in after two weeks. Sent to Beaumont where he lived “luxuriously” with plumbing and electricity. |

| | |Evaluated by staff to have and IQ score of 76. |

|1953 |17 |Released from Beaumont; went to Ingalls, North Carolina to stay with brother Andrew. Soon after traveled |

| | |to Staunton, Virginia where he lived with his half-sister, Nora Crawford. Claims that he raped his |

| | |twelve-year old niece. |

|1954 |18 |Arrested and convicted for burglar. Sentenced to four years in Richmond penitentiary. |

|1956 |20 |Escaped with another inmate from the work crew. Stole a care in Kentucky and headed north to Lenawee |

| | |County, where half-sister Opal Jennings lived. Captured and served and eighteen month sentence in Ohio |

| | |for violating federal Dyer Act (transporting a stolen car across state lines). While driving through Ohio|

| | |meets a girl named Stella. Returned to Virginia to finish his burglary sentence. Engaged in regular |

| | |homosexual relationships in prison. |

|1959 |23 |Released from prison; traveled to Tecumseh, Michigan to stay with his half-sister Opal; he contacts |

| | |Stella and asked her to marry him. |

|1960 |24 |Viola shows up in Michigan and begs Henry to return to Blacksburg. After a night of drinking Viola and |

| | |Henry argue; Viola strikes Henry with a broom handle; he retaliates by fatally stabbing her and leaving |

| | |her on the floor; he panicked and drove toward Virginia; Picked up by the State Police eight days later |

| | |for hitchhiking and sentenced to 20-40 years in prison for second-degree murder of his mother. |

|1961 |25 |Prison staff intercepted a letter to Opal hinting that he may commit suicide. He was then evaluated. |

| | |Admitted to killing his mother and having sex with her corpse. Findings include a low IQ, depression, an |

| | |“acute situational upset in a person of borderline intelligence”. Re-evaluated nine months later and |

| | |diagnosed as passive-aggressive personality, dependent type. After claiming to hear voices and attempting|

| | |suicide by slashing his wrists, he was transferred from Jackson to the state hospital with a diagnosis of|

| | |“schizophrenic reaction, simple type”; remains in Iona State Hospital for the Criminally Insane for four |

| | |years |

|1966 |30 |Transferred back to Jackson’s maximum security prison |

|1970 |34 |Paroled after 10 years to half-sister Nora Crawford in Elkton, Maryland. Claimed he killed two women on |

| | |the day of his release within sight of the prison. No evidence of this. Two months later he moved to Port|

| | |Deposit, Maryland where his half-sister Wanda Weaver lived with her husband and three daughters. Went to |

| | |live with Opal again after a conflict with Wanda. |

|1971 |35 |Charged with attempted kidnapping of teenage girls, Leslie Warrne and Marcie Goodwyn, from a bus stop in |

| | |Palmyra, Michigan. Violated parole by being in possession of handgun. Claimed he “craves women all of the|

| | |time and had an urge to scare them”. Sentenced to 4-5 years in prison in Jackson. |

|1975 |39 |Released from prison after serving three and a half years. Claims he begged not to be released because he|

| | |was a danger to society. Went to stay with his half-sister Wanda in Perryville, Maryland. Soon after, |

| | |went to stay with Wanda’s daughter, Lavern, in Pennsylvania where he worked on a mushroom farm. Married |

| | |Betty Crawford, the widow of his nephew. Began to sexually abuse her three daughters while demanding the |

| | |girls watch. Threatened to kill them if they told Betty. |

|1976 |40 |Meets Ottis Toole for the first time |

|1978 |42 |Meets Rhonda Knuckes and moves in with her for three months; accuses her of infidelity and claims that he|

| | |would rather kill than let anyone else have her; moves back in with Opal and then with Wanda. |

|1979 |43 |Meets up with Ottis Toole again and meets his family; Moved in with Ottis and his wife, Novella in |

| | |Florida. |

|1981 |45 |Sarah, Ottis’ mother, died; Ottis and Henry stole her possessions and left with her grandchildren Becky |

| | |and Frank. Two months later Ottis and Henry stole Ottis’ brother’s truck. Henry jailed for 3 months for |

| | |stealing truck. |

|1983 |47 |Henry claims that he and Ottis robbed a convenience store in western Georgia and killed the woman clerk. |

| | |Drove over state lines. Claimed they picked up an couple who ran out of gas; Ottis shot the man; Henry |

| | |shot the girl, but was disappointed he didn’t get to have sex. Frank and Becky, who claims to be Henry’s |

| | |lover at age twelve, traveled with the duo. |

| | |Questioned by Phil Ryan, Texas Rangers, concerning the missing of Kate Rich. Denied he killed her. |

| | |Claimed he met her through a minister, Mr. Moore, who let him and Becky stay at The House of Prayer. |

| | |Claimed that Becky ran way with a truck driver and tool all his money. |

| | |Arrested on a weapon charge. While in jail, he confided in an officer that he had “done some bad things”.|

| | |Claims he murdered as many as 600 in 27 states between 1975-1983. Confessed to killing Becky on August |

| | |24, 1982, having sex with her corpse and cutting her body into nine pieces while scattering it all over a|

| | |field, and later burying the pieces. Confessed to stabbing Kate Rich to death on September 17, 1982, |

| | |engaging in intercourse with her corpse, stuffing her into a drain pipe, and later burning the body. |

|1984 |48 |He was prompted almost daily with extensive files and information of past murders. He often claimed many |

| | |as his work. He was given milkshakes, clean clothes, cigarettes, and coffee by Williamson County Sheriff,|

| | |Jim Boutwell as compensation for his help in the murder cases. |

| | |Claimed he killed the hitchhiker “Orange Socks” on October 31, 1979. Went to trial on April 2nd and |

| | |convicted. Later it was found that he could not have done this because he was not in Texas at the time. |

|1985 |49 |Recanted his confessions. Claimed the “jig is up” and that the just wanted to show “that the law |

| | |enforcement doesn’t do its business”. Grand Jury declined to indict him on the three McLennan County |

| | |murder confessions. |

|1986 |50 |“Notable lack of evidence” to support his confessions prompted by the police. The convictions dwindled |

| | |down to ten murders, nine of which were committed in Texas. He was sentenced one death penalty, five life|

| | |sentence terms, on life without parole and 210 years in prison. |

|1987 |51 |Confession to the murder of Librada Apodaca was not admissible as evidence. |

|1988 |52 |After saying his confessions were a hoax, he began talking about murders again. |

|1989 |53 |Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Lucas’s convictions in the “Orange Socks” murder case. |

|1990 |54 |Was taken from death row and flown by Florida officers back to Tallahassee after his first execution date|

| | |of December 3rd was granted a stay. |

|1995 |59 |Granted a stay so his false confessions could be investigated. |

|1998 |62 |Governor of Texas, George W. Bush Jr., commuted the June 30th death sentence to one life imprisonment. |

|March 12, 2001 |64 |Found dead in Ellis I prison unit where he was serving sentences for nine murders. Died of natural |

| | |causes. |

|General Information |

| Sex |Male |

| Race |White |

| Number of victims |Exact number unknown, 3-600 |

| Country where killing occurred |United States |

| States where killing occurred |Virginia, Michigan, Texas, supposedly 27 total |

|Childhood Information |

| Date of birth |August 23, 1936 |

| Location |Blacksburg, Virginia |

| Birth order |Last of nine |

| Number of siblings |8 |

| XYY? |Unknown |

| Raised by |Both parents, until father died |

| Birth category |Youngest |

| Parent’s marital status |Married |

| Family event |Death of Father |

| Age of family event |14 |

| Problems in school? |Mother made him dress like a girl. Could not accept gifts. No shoes. Learning |

| |difficulties reported by teachers. Poor education. |

| Teased while in school? |Yes |

| Physically attractive? |No |

| Physical defect? |Yes, glass eye |

| Speech defect? |No |

| Head injury? |Hit over the head with log at age 7. Scalp was split open and he was sent into a |

| |coma. Left eye knocked out by brother and replaced with a glass eye. |

| Physically abused? |Mother beat him for accepting a pair of shoes. Attacked him with the wood. |

| |Malnourished. |

| Psychologically abused? |Parents were not nice to him. Mother beat him and made him feel like he was not |

| |important. Teased by classmates. |

| Sexually abused? |No, however he was forced to watch mother have sex with different guys. |

| Father’s occupation |Made illegal liquor |

| Age of first sexual experience |13 |

| Age when first had intercourse |14 |

| Mother’s occupation |Prostitute |

| Father abused drugs/alcohol |Alcohol |

| Mother abused drugs/alcohol |Alcohol |

|Cognitive Ability |

| Highest grade in school |8th |

| Highest degree | |

| Grades in school |Poor |

| IQ |76 (first testing), 89 (2nd testing) |

|Work History |

| Served in the military? |No |

| Branch |N/A |

| Type of discharge |N/A |

| Saw combat duty |N/A |

| Killed enemy during service? |N/A |

| Applied for job as a cop? |No |

| Worked in law enforcement? |No |

| Fired from jobs? |Left several job but unsure of reason |

| Types of jobs worked |Different types of jobs in different place but little is known about his employment.|

| |Worked in an antique shop at one time. |

| Employment status during series |Employed at some times during his killings and other crimes but nothing concrete. |

|Relationships | |

| Sexual preference |Heterosexual, homosexual activity has been reported |

| Marital status |Married, divorced, remarried |

| Number of children |None |

| Lives with his children |N/A |

| Living with |Spouse; most of the time with one or the other |

|Triad |

| Animal torture |Yes |

| Fire setting |Yes |

| Bed wetting |Unknown |

|Killer Psychological Information |

| Abused drugs? |No |

| Abused alcohol? |No |

| Been to a psychologist? |No |

| Time in forensic hospital? |Yes (4 Years) |

| Diagnosis |Suicidal Tendencies, Schizophrenia (Simple Type), Passive Aggressive |

| |personality (Dependent Type) |

|Killer Criminal History |

| Committed previous crimes? |Yes (Burglary) |

| Spend time in jail? |Yes |

| Spend time in prison? |Yes |

| Killed prior to series? Age? |Yes, 15 and numerous sporadic times afterwards |

|Serial Killing |

| Number of victims |Reports have ranged from 77-600. 600 were admitted to. 3 are confirmed. |

| Victim type |Young women, hitch hikers |

| Killer age at start of series |23 |

| Gender of victims |Mostly female, some male |

| Race of victims |Not sure |

| Age of victims |Not sure |

| Method of killing |Stabbing Mostly. Beatings |

| Type of serial killer |Organized lust, disorganized thrill in some since both |

| How close did killer live? |Walking distance, drove to the crime, just depending on victim |

| Killing occurred in home of victim? |Location varied |

| Killing occurred in home of killer? |Location varied |

| Weapon |Killer brought with him |

|Behavior During Crimes |

| Rape? |Yes |

| Tortured victims? |No |

| Stalked victims? |No |

| Overkill? |Sometimes |

| Quick & efficient? |Yes |

| Used blindfold? |No |

| Bound the victims? |No |

|After Death Behavior |

| Sex with the body? |Yes |

| Mutilated body? |Yes |

| Ate part of the body? |Yes |

| Drank victim’s blood? |No |

| Posed the body? |No |

| Took totem – body part |No |

| Took totem – personal item |No |

| Robbed victim or location |No |

|Disposal of Body |

| Left at scene, no attempt to hide |Yes |

| Left at scene, hidden |Yes |

| Left at scene, buried |Yes |

| Moved, no attempt to hide |No |

| Moved, buried |Yes |

| Cut-op and disposed of |Yes |

| Moved, too home |No |

|Sentencing | |

| Date killer arrested |Final date on June 15, 1983 |

| Date convicted |Sometime in 1983 |

| Sentence |75 years in one trial and death in another |

| Killer executed? |No |

| Name and state of prison |Huntsville, Texas both name and location of prison |

| Killer committed suicide? |Attempted a few times |

| Killer killed in prison? |No |

|Date of death |March 12, 2001 |

|References |

|Bellamy, Patrick. Henry Lee Lucas: Deadly Drifter (an online book). |

|Bobit, Bonnie. Henry Lee Lucas. (18, May 2000). Crime Magazine |

|Call, Max. (1991). Hand of Death: The Henry Lee Lucas Story. Lafayette, LA: Prescott Press. |

|Convicted killer Lucas dies in prison. (2001, March 14) Texas/Mexico News |

|Cox, M. (1991). Don’t let me out. I know I will kill again. New York: Pocket Books. |

|Cox, M. (1991) The confessions of Henry Lee Lucas. New York: Ivey Books |

|Drifter’s Drive to confess murder on the truth. (1994, October 31). Insight on the News. pg. 12 (3) |

|Execution Looms Even as State Admits Guilt ‘Highly Improbable’. (1997-2000). |

|Graczyk, M. (1991). Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas nearing execution in Texas. (1998, June 15). Corpus Christi Caller Times. |

|Henry Lee Lucas & Ottis Toole. (2001). |

|Johns, Jason. (2000)Henry Lee Lucas. |

|Kurtis, B. (1991). Myth of a serial killer (video recording). New York: Kurtis Productions. |

|Master of cant and recant; a dark tale of mass murder gets even murkier. (1987, January 12). Time, pg. 66(1) |

|Newton, M. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Checkmark Books. |

|Peterson, Daniel. Lies of a serial killer. (1998, June 22). Newsweek, pg. 64(1) |

|The Actual “Truth” About Lucas. (2001). |

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