1947–1996
Latest News: Advanced DNA Testing Planned for Cases Linked to Ottis Toole
Serial killer Ottis Toole confessed to more than 100 murders, and a new DNA testing initiative could help identify—or disprove—some of his victims.
The Cold Case Coalition, a nonprofit organization that helps families and communities continue to investigate unresolved cases, recently announced the start of the Henry Lee Lucas DNA Initiative. The program will fund modern DNA testing, including full genome sequencing and genetic genealogy services, in hundreds of cases linked to Toole and his crime partner Henry Lee Lucas.
“Too many families were left without answers when cases were prematurely closed or wrongly attributed to Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole,” coalition cofounder Karra Porter said in a news release. “A major barrier to bringing resolution to cold cases is a lack of affordable forensic DNA services. We hope to alleviate this burden by offering law enforcement the tools they need to apply today’s DNA technology and finally uncover the truth.”
Whole genome sequencing is a modern testing method that attempts to read nearly all of a person’s DNA, providing more detailed evidence that helps investigators identify potential matches. It’s becoming increasingly common in criminal investigations, and can be especially helpful in cases with degraded sources of DNA. Results from the process were recently admitted as evidence in the upcoming trial of Rex Heuermann, the accused killer in the Gilgo Beach murders case.
Who Was Ottis Toole?
Serial killer Ottis Toole committed his first murder at age 14. Toole began a sexual relationship and crime partnership with Henry Lee Lucas in the ‘70s. Once arrested, the two confessed to more than 100 murders, including the murder of America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh’s son. Toole died in prison in 1996.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Ottis Elwood Toole
BORN: March 5, 1947
DIED: September 15, 1996
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Early Life
Ottis Elwood Toole was born on March 5, 1947, in Jacksonville, Florida. Toole was raised by a single mother after his father deserted them. His mother was reported to be cruel, and both she and Toole’s grandmother possessed extreme religious views.
As a boy, Toole was classified as having developmental disabilities, and he soon dropped out of school and turned to a life of petty crime.
Toole later admitted to committing his first murder at age 14. After being picked up by a traveling salesman who forced him to have sex, Toole ran the man down with his own car.
Crimes and Conviction
During the mid-1970s, Toole’s murderous tendencies emerged again, though the exact extent is unknown. In 1976, he hooked up with a deviant named Henry Lee Lucas, who became his partner in crime. Though he married in 1977, Toole’s bride complained about the homosexual relationship he shared with Lucas, and the couple soon separated.
Following his mother’s death in 1981, Toole reportedly claimed nine more victims in six states between January 1982 and February 1983. Once incarcerated, Toole backed up Lucas’ game of confessions with police officers, admitting to helping Lucas in another 108 homicides. A practicing cannibal, Toole provided gruesome details to the crimes, but in the end it remains unclear how many murders he and Lucas actually committed.
In 1984, Toole was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in setting a fire that killed 64-year-old George Sonnenberg. Sentenced to death for the crime—though the punishment was later reduced to life in prison—he was indicted one month later for the murder of 19-year-old Ada Johnson.
In 1991, he pleaded guilty to four more slayings in Florida and received four additional life sentences in prison.
Murder of John Walsh’s Son
In December 2008, police announced definitively that serial killer Toole was responsible for the 1981 murder of Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old son of America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh. The announcement brought to a close a case that had troubled the Walsh family for more than two decades. The search for Adam’s killer was responsible for launching the popular television show about the nation’s most notorious criminals, and inspired changes in how authorities search for missing children.
Toole had twice confessed to killing the child, but later denied his testimony. While police were not specific about the evidence linking Toole to the Walsh killing, they said an extensive review of the case file pointed only to Toole.
The Walsh family long ago derided the investigation as botched. Still, Walsh praised the Hollywood, Florida, police department for closing the case. “This is not to look back and point fingers, but it is to let it rest,” Walsh said.
Death and Legacy
Toole ultimately claimed responsibility for hundreds of murders, but police determined most of the confessions were lies. He died from cirrhosis on September 15, 1996, at Florida State Prison.
In September 2025, the nonprofit Cold Case Coalition announced a new program funding modern DNA testing for unsolved or previously closed cases linked to Toole.
Toole and Lucas’ crimes served as loose inspiration for the 1986 horror movie Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, starring Michael Rooker as a fictionalized murderer named Henry and Tom Towles as his partner Otis. Netflix’s 2019 true crime docuseries The Confession Killer highlights the murder confessions of Lucas and Toole.
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