Becky Powell, whose full name was Frieda Lorraine Powell, was a 15-year-old white female who was murdered by Henry Lee Lucas in Denton County, Texas. Lucas, a convicted murderer known for his false confessions, described the events leading to Powell's death in June 1983. According to his account, he and Powell were in Denton County when an argument ensued between them. Powell slapped Lucas, prompting him to draw a knife from his belt and immediately stab her. After killing her, Lucas engaged in necrophilic acts and then proceeded to dissect her body.
Lucas had a history of violent crimes, including the murder of his mother in 1960. He later became infamous for falsely confessing to hundreds of murders, many of which were later disproven. His confessions led to numerous unsolved cases being closed, despite the lack of evidence linking him to many of the crimes. Investigations into his claims revealed that he had fabricated many of his confessions, often providing details that had been fed to him by law enforcement officials.
Powell's murder was one of the few cases where Lucas' confession was substantiated. His account of the crime was included in a Texas Department of Public Safety summary of offenses cleared by him. Despite his extensive history of false confessions, his involvement in Powell's murder was confirmed, and he was convicted of multiple murders. Lucas was sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2001 from congestive heart failure.
