Ottis Toole

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ottis-toole

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Ottis Toole born?March 5, 1947
2. When did Ottis Toole die?September 15, 1996
3. What is the convicted of?Six counts of murder, though many confessions were later recanted
4. What is the legal status?Received two death sentences, commuted to life imprisonment
5. Who was Ottis Toole?Ottis Toole was a man who said he had killed many people, but later he said he did not.
6. Why did people doubt Ottis Toole's confessions?He kept saying he didn’t do the crimes, and the police had also worked with Henry Lee Lucas, who was known to lie.

Recantation: The formal withdrawal of a previous statement or confession, often leading to legal challenges.
Commutation of Sentence: The reduction of a sentence to a less severe one, typically by an executive or judicial authority.
Compliant Interviewee: An individual who may provide information that aligns with investigators' expectations, potentially due to suggestion or pressure.
Cirrhosis: A severe, chronic liver disease characterized by scarring and impaired function, often linked to long-term damage.