Henry Lee Lucas, also known as the “One-Eyed Drifter,” was first arrested in 1983 in Texas. Then, in 1984, in front of a San Angelo jury, he confessed to killing his 15-year-old common-law wife, and another woman. After his conviction, he asked what the court was going to do about the 100 other women he had killed. It was those words that unleashed a frenzy among law enforcement agencies all over the country to see if they could connect Lucas with a long list of unsolved crimes. Lucas’ story is captured in a new, five-part Netflix documentary series, “The Confession Killer.”
Co-directors Robert Kenner and Taki Oldham say they were inspired by the “unanswerable” questions about the Lucas case. Their series explores how law enforcement used Lucas’ confessions to close 200 cold cases. The series also features families of the victims who talk about how lies and stalled police investigations hurt them.
Listen to the rest of the interview in the player above.
Written by Morgan Kuehler.
