On this day: January 11
A U.S. marshal dies in the line of duty for the first time, a landmark report points to the hazards of smoking, the designated hitter comes into play, and Beckham heads to America, all on this day.
1960: Henry Lee Lucas, once listed as America's most prolific serial killer, commits his first known murder, killing his mother in Tecumseh, Mich., with a knife during a drunken argument. He would serve 10 years in prison before being released due to overcrowding. Becoming a drifter after his release, he would eventually be convicted in 10 more homicides after his 1983 arrest, but also made bogus confessions in about 600 total murders. Lucas received the death penalty for the 1979 murder of an unidentified woman dubbed "Orange Socks," as those were the only items of clothing found on her, but had his sentence commuted to life in prison in 1998 due to flimsy evidence in the case. He died in prison of natural causes in 2001.
