The Definitive Ottis Toole

Though best remembered for playing second fiddle to serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Ottis Toole had enough depravity to go around. Toole practiced cannibalism and is believed to have killed Adam Walsh, son of John Walsh who began hosting America’s Most Wanted after his son’s murder.

Born: March 5, 1947 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Sentenced: Given two death sentences in 1984, later commuted to life imprisonment.

Died: September 15, 1996 of liver failure in his prison cell.

Victims: At least 6, could be up to 65.

Facts: 

- Toole briefly resided in the cell next to Ted Bundy’s at Raiford prison in Florida.

- Toole once married a woman 25 years older than him. After three days, she left him after having figured out that he was gay.

Links:

VIDEO: Ottis Toole Talks Sex & Fire in 1993 Interview

Watch Ottis discuss his motivations for murder in this interview, taken three years before his death.

A Cannibal’s Recipe for BBQ Sauce

Ottis was a killer and a cook. Here, he shares his recipe for BBQ sauce. The secret ingredient can’t be found in stores.

GRAPHIC: Are You Smarter Than a Serial Killer? 

See how Ottis measures up in the brain department against other famous serial killers.

Henry Lee Lucas: Prolific Serial Killer or Prolific Liar?

Both on cross country crime sprees, Ottis and Henry teamed up and became partners in love, sex and serial murder.

Male Team Killers

A look at Ottis and Henry and other male murder duos.

Dr. Steven Egger: Expert on Serial Murder

Dr. Egger profiles Ottis Toole and other serial killers.

Shocking Murder Confessions: The Murder of Adam Walsh

Ottis Toole confessed to one of the most widely publicized child murders of the 1980s. Did he do it or did he just wish he did it?

Child Abduction: Adam Walsh

An in-depth look at the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh.