Henry Lee Lucas
By: Berenice Rosas 2nd Period 12/2/15
Who Is Henry Lee Lucas?
Childhood
Motive
Victims/Investigation
Viola Dixon Lucas: On September 2, 1959 Lee was released from prison and moved in with his sister, but his mother demanded that he moved back with her in Blacksburg. On the night of January 11, 1960 Viola was drunk and hit Henry with a broom. He then stabbed his mother. After his arrest he had confessed that he had sexually assaulted his mother corpse.
Becky Powell & Katharine Rich: Was the niece of Ottis Toole a friend of Henry's. She was in a youth center since her parents had passed away. Henry later went on to get her and they were soon on the road. Becky was young and in love with Henry. They worked
for a couple doing odd jobs like finishing furniture and cleaning for room and board. The couple then had the idea to have Henry and Becky move in with their mother Kate Rich who was 80 years old and needed help. In a few weeks Kate's family threw Henry and Becky out and they started hitchhiking throughout Texas finding a place to stay. Becky started crying and told Henry she wanted to go back to Florida, Henry didn't want to hear it so she slapped him across the face. Henry felt disrespected, so he grabbed a knife and stabbed her in the chest, he stabbed her over and over. There was no one to see him rape her bloody corpse, he cut it into pieces and scatter it across the field they were nearby. Becky was later missed by Kate . Henry told Kate they could go look for Becky. Kate then started asking him question on the way, he had enough and did to Kate what he'd done to Becky. the Police in Stonesburg, Texas were looking for Henry since he was last seen with Becky. he first said he didn't kill her and was arrested for having a gun and being a ex-con and took him to jail. he was later charged with the Murders of Becky & Kate. He told the officer that night that he had done some bad things. The next morning he was brought before a judged and confessed to killing both women. He also told them where the remains were and also confessed to killing hundreds more.
Sentencing/Consequences
During the 1960’s, on March of that year he was sentenced to 20-40 years in prison for murdering his mother. After attempting suicide twice he was placed on parole in 1970, after only just serving 10 years. Shortly after his release he was sentenced to 5 years for attempt on kidnapping a 15 year old girl. On his second release in 1975, he committed two more murders both women Becky Powell and Katharine Rich. He was arrested again in 1983, because he had possession of a deadly weapon and confessed of committing hundreds of murders.
It wasn’t clear how many murders he actually committed, only having evidence of three murders. Some believed he only committed the three murders due to the lack of evidence of the other suppose “hundreds” of murders he claimed to commit. Lucas was placed on death row, but the sentenced was later changed to life in prison. He spent his last 18 years as a model prisoner. He eventually died of age 64, on March 12, 2001, in Huntsville, Texas.Media Coverage
Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer Part 2