Facing life in prison, Lucas confessed to roughly 600 murders to Texas Rangers and police across 27 states. He claimed he did this out of guilt, but later revelations suggested he was gaming the system for perks like better food, travel, and attention, often called a plan for "legal suicide". The "Confession Killer" Hoax
Many of Lucas's confessions were proven false via DNA evidence or documented proof that he was elsewhere. [LE] Lucas Men
In 1986, Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox described the acceptances of these confessions as a "miscarriage of justice". Facing life in prison, Lucas confessed to roughly