THE CONFESSION KILLER: A Nearly Incomprehensible “True” Story

Netflix does it again. This is a story that seems completely fake. Well, that’s because – in ways- it is, with the amount of lies, deception and coercion. And yet, these are real crimes, real lives that are lost, and the justice for them remains to be fully realized.

Who is Henry Lee Lucas?

As someone who has seen and read a lot about many true crimes over the years, genuinely curious to understand the unexplainable acts of man- How had I never heard of this case? I think I had at some point come across his name, but as someone with over 200 supposed murders, that doesn’t just fly under the radar to this extent.

Well, for the most part, this one did. The reason? The story is almost too unbelievable to constitute as real life. If you were to write a screenplay with this tale, it would be turned down because it wouldn’t seem comprehensible. So, a story so incredulous that it couldn’t even be fictionalized.

Yes, that’s the story of Henry Lee Lucas and the conspiracy-like whirlwind that surrounded him.

Robert Kenner and Taki Oldham co-direct and invite us into the media frenzied, court and interrogation room riddled, many year battle and deceptions of a story about a man tagged as “America’s most prolific serial killer.”

In 1983 when Henry Lee Lucas was brought in for an illegal firearm, it didn’t take long before his first bout of confessions started. These ones, the majority feel, are the genuine ones. The first if for the murder of an elderly woman Kate Rich. He had previously been incarcerated for the murder of his mother when he was a teenager, and as we discover later on, there was a history of domestic violence from his mom. While in custody he confesses that he did kill Rich, but he also admits to murdering a young girl, Frieda “Becky” Powell, for who he had a relationship with.

When you’re first introduced to Henry it’s a strange sort of thing, because he’s got that charm of a Ted Bundy (without the “looks”), and there’s this- especially over time- sort of laid-back smirk permanently etched on his face. It instantly makes you feel like he’s someone who had done some heinous things, and as most killers of this caliber don’t, there’s no remorse. Except, with Becky. It makes it almost acceptable, especially-  I can imagine at this time, to believe he was capable of these things.

What turns this story into a series, and what takes this to an astronomical level of screwed up, is when he’s brought into court. There, to everyone’s shock, he admits to murdering over 100 others. This is where things blow up and where the lies, nasty- sticky- insufferable lies, start.

Tough To Swallow

If there’s one truth to be found with the Confession Killer it’s this: deceit is imminent.

I’m going to avoid a lot because I don’t want to spoil, but I’ll tell you this, this is a documentary series that is riveting merely because every time you think something can’t possibly get more messed up, it tests you again, and again.

This is also an incredibly disturbing story and display of the criminal justice system. That’s one of the hardest things to swallow, and this is an entirely infuriating series because of this, and by the end- you’ll find no real resolution. By it’s “finish” you’ll be frustrated. Across the country more police departments begin coming to Texas to meet with the Texas Rangers involved and Lucas, the dedicated task force, to see if their cases were his. He’s considered a drifter, and him, along with his friend Ottis Toole, confess to crime after crime.

As it’s later mentioned, what’s especially aggravating about this is the lack of admittance to the obvious problems with this. Things like: showing him crime photos before asking him about what “he” did. Or, feeding him milkshakes after every solved case (due to his confession alone) like he’s being rewarded for some sort of service. There’s a lot wrong, honestly, but also- these supposed crimes are across the United States, sometimes in very quick and suspicious succession, and they all are wildly different. Most serials killers live and breathe for their patterns, their trophies, their calling cards. How does something this big, that’s so clearly wrong, diluted and messy get swept under the rug for so long? People have blinders when it comes to justice, and a lot of people turned an eye.

Not everyone did though, and there are some interesting and scary stories of what happens to those who try to bring this to light. Through many interviews, and lots of footage of Lucas, we slowly see the picture unfold and yet it’s always a little blurry. There’s never a clarity that firmly finds its footing. I’m hoping this documentary allows for more cases to be opened up and more families to find peace of mind in knowing the killers have been found. That’s what is the scariest part about something of this scale: if he didn’t do it, who did? What have they been doing since as they walk as a free murdering criminal?

Conclusion: The Confession Killer

The Confession Killer is a series that delivers detail after detail in rapid succession. There’s a score that somehow manages to get under your skin and yet never out of your head, very aptly mimicking the capability of this documentary. This is real and it’s a frustrating piece of history that is slowly beginning to find its voice. It is a compelling and incredulous story that wraps you around its dirty little finger. I choose that word because that’s what it feels like to me and this enormous disappointment in our justice system: dirty. However, The Confession Killer, is made in exquisite fashion. You won’t be disheartened you watched, only that this story existed in the first place.

What did you think? Were you shocked and appalled? Let us know in the comments below?

The Confession Killer is currently streaming on Netflix