After listening to over six hours of testimony from various people, on August 14, the jury initially indicted Henley on three counts of murder and Brooks on one count. Corll was said to be openly flirtatious with the youths and befriended many of them. The second Corll was away from his mom he started to act on his "urges" that he had been suppressing since he lived with his mother. In response, Henley shouted: "I don't care who knows about it! Williams was the only girl known to have been targeted during the murder spree, but Henley later insisted that he wasnt planning on attacking her or Kerley. The Houston PD dropped the ball on this one. [184][185][n 10], Elmer Wayne Henley and David Owen Brooks were tried separately for their roles in the murders. The title is misleading. 'I'm gonna . [170], Families of Corll's victims were highly critical of the HPD,[171][172] which had been quick to list the missing boys as runaways who had not been considered worthy of any major investigation. Dean Corll found his first accomplice when he was a child who came by for candy, his name was David Brooks. [43] However, until he moved to Pasadena in the spring of 1973, he always lived in or close to Houston Heights. [100], In July 1973, after Brooks married his pregnant fiance,[24] Henley temporarily became Corll's sole procurer of victims, assisting in the abduction and murder of three Heights youths between July 19 and 25. Henley claimed these three abductions were the only three that occurred after his becoming an accomplice to Corll in which Brooks was not a participant. [112], Henley awoke to find himself lying on his stomach and Corll snapping handcuffs onto his wrists. This browser does not support getting your location. He is next eligible for parole in October 2025.[209]. But if you manage to find the building, send me a dm ! At some point, Corll briefly returned to Indiana to care for his widowed grandmother. Cash for boy victims. His attorney, William Gray, cross-examined several witnesses, but did not call any witnesses or experts for the defense. The crimes, which became known as the Houston Mass Murders, came to light after Henley fatally shot Corll. 5 star rating. But after they got divorced a second time, his mother decided to spend some time traveling around the South. A film loosely inspired by the Houston Mass Murders. He had lived on Antoine Drivethe same street upon which Brooks resided in 1973. Both youths were buried at High Island Beach. As Dean Corll abused Brooks, he was also on the lookout for other victims to rape and murder. [24] However, Corll refused, informing Henley that he had raped, tortured, and killed the previous victim he had assisted in abducting, and that he intended to do the same with Aguirre. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Maybe thats why is not so well known ? On November 4, 2011, the victim mistakenly identified as Baulch (case file ML73-3333) was identified through DNA analysis as Roy Eugene Bunton, a Heights teenager who was last seen by his family heading for work at a Houston shoe store on or about August 21, 1972. [70] The identity of this first victim Henley assisted in the abduction of remains unknown. In school, Corll was reportedly a well-behaved, yet solitary, young boy. [79] The youth was savagely bludgeoned about the chest with a blunt instrument before he was strangled and buried in the boat shed. Corll Candy Company Following his honorable discharge from the army, Corll returned to Houston and resumed the position he had held as vice-president of his family's candy business. It is believed that the list of his victims is longer than it is known to be. In Texas in the early 1970s, it wasnt illegal for a child to run away from home, so the chief of the Houston Police Department claimed that there was nothing authorities could do to help the desperate families. What was gong on in 1981, culturally, where there were 700+ murders? Growing up, he had all these repressed feelings. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'forensicreader_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',129,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-forensicreader_com-leader-2-0');The Final Scene: Few hours later, Henley awoke to find himself cuffed to the torture table, and also saw his friends tied down and unconscious. The retrial lasted nine days, with Henley's attorneys again calling no defense witnesses and again attacking the credibility of Henley's written confession. The family moved to the small town of Vidor, Texas, where Corll's half-sister, Joyce Jeanine (1955-2016), was born. Police didnt find the remains of the 28th victim until 1983. He was known to distribute free candies to the local kids where he was often seen flirting with younger boys. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Most victims were abducted from Houston Heights, which was then a low-income neighborhood northwest of downtown Houston. After approximately thirty minutes of discussion,[117] Corll agreed and untied Henley, then carried Kerley and Williams into his bedroom and tied them to opposite sides of his torture board: Kerley on his stomach; Williams on her back. [65][66], Henley later stated that, for several months, he ignored Corll's offer, although he did maintain an acquaintance with Corll and gradually began to view him as something of a "brother-type person" in whom he could confide. [287], There is still no conclusive evidence to suggest that Corll had ever solicited any of his victims in this manner, not only because the HPD chose not to pursue this potential possibility, but also because neither Brooks nor Henley ever mentioned having met any individuals from the "organization" Corll had claimed he was involved with. [212], In June 2008, Dr. Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist with the medical examiner's office in Houston, released digital images of Corll's three still-unidentified victims. In addition, Oops, we were unable to send the email. Other acquaintances noted subtle changes in Corll's mannerisms when in the company of teenage males after he had completed his service and returned to Houston, which led them to believe he may have been homosexual. [29] However, Corll evidently decided the youth would make a good accomplice[64] and offered him the same fee of $200 for any boy he could lure to his apartment, informing Henley that he was involved in a "white slavery ring" operating from Dallas. But like many family members of Dean Corlls victims, they received little help from the Houston Police Department when their sons went missing. [169], At the time, the killing spree was the worst case of serial murder, in terms of the number of victims, in the United States, exceeding the 25 murders attributed to Juan Corona, who had been arrested in California in 1971 for killing 25 men. She married Arnold Edwin Corll (February 7, 1916 - April 5, 2001) on April 4, 1939. On seeing, one of his candy company workers once complained to his mother about his advances and she fired him. Failed to remove flower. The whole sick operation went under when Henley invited a boy named Timothy Kerley to Corll's apartment. [207], Henley is serving his life sentence at the Mark Stiles Unit in Jefferson County, Texas. Dean Arnold Corll was born on December 24, 1939, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Try again later. 8/8/1973 - The vanishing of Houston teenagers that has plagued the Texas city for four years comes to an abrupt end when 33-year-old homosexual serial killer, Dean Arnold Corll, becomes upset with his 17-year-old accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., for bringing a women to Corll's Pasadena residence (15-year-old, Rhonda Louise Williams, along with killer's next intended victim, 19-year-old . He was found guilty of Lawrence's murder on March 4, 1975, and sentenced to life imprisonment. go on Google Earth and type Helms Elementary School and you can see the factory across from school Dean Corll was a sick sadistic piece of shit!! In addition, all pages on Bizapedia will be [285] The discovery raised the disturbing possibility that the statements Corll had given to both Henley and Brooks prior to his murder that he was associated with an organization based in Dallas which "bought and sold boys"[239] may indeed have held a degree of truth. He tells you he was a cheerleader if nothing else. [270], On August 15, 2022, authorities announced that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science are actively working together to identify this victim. Each victim would be tied to a wooden torture board, whereupon he would be brutally raped. At the time of Konen's disappearance, Corll lived in an apartment on Yorktown Street, near the intersection with Westheimer Road. Over the next 3 days, police will uncover the bodies of 27 bo. Lyles was known to both Corll and Brooks. [24], In 1967, Corll befriended 12-year-old David Owen Brooks,[13] then a bespectacled sixth grade student and one of the many children to whom he gave free candy. Failed to report flower. In the mid-1950s, Dean Corlls mother and stepfather started a candy company called Pecan Prince, initially working from the family garage. But based on whats known about Corlls early life, its tough to pinpoint such an incident. His stepfather sold the candy on his route while his mother manage the business. The Candy Man nickname comes from the fact that Corll helped run his family company, the Corll Candy Company. He killed his first known victim in 1970. if we've collected "Sales Lead Information" for a given company, it will be displayed on the Bunton's family had always believed him to be a victim of Corll and had contacted Dr. Derrick in 2009 to submit a, In the confession given by Henley on August 9, 1973, the youth had stated that victim Mark Scott had been strangled and buried at High Island. But by 1962, he was ready to come back to Texas and help his mother with a new venture. The letter claimed that hed found a job in Austin that paid $3 per hour and that all was well with him. The two exited the vehicle and Henley, hearing commotion across the street emanating from the home of his 15-year-old friend Rhonda Louise Williams, walked toward her home. Corll's mother divorced Jake West in 1963 and opened a new candy business, which she named 'Corll Candy Company'. "[205], Brooks's trial lasted less than one week. [3], Dean Arnold Corll was born on December 24, 1939, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the first child of Mary Emma Robison (1916-2010) and Arnold Edwin Corll (1916-2001). "[5] Henley then fired at Corll, hitting him in the forehead. FactualTV has screened a documentary focusing upon the murders committed by Corll and his accomplices. Moreover, the floor of the room where the three teenagers had been tied was covered in thick plastic sheeting. [203] He had been indicted for four murders committed between December 1970 and June 1973,[204] but was brought to trial charged only with the June 1973 murder of 15-year-old William Ray Lawrence. [194][195], On July 15, 1974, both counsels presented their closing arguments to the jury:[196] the prosecution seeking life imprisonment; the defense a verdict of not guilty. Try again. Had Henley not been adamant in his assertion that the body of Scott had been misidentified, it is likely Sickman would have never been conclusively confirmed as a victim of Corll. The first victim of 1972 was Frank Aguirre, who disappeared on March 24, meaning no known victims were killed for seven months. [31][32], Corll's victims were usually lured into either one of the two vehicles he owned (a Ford Econoline van and a Plymouth GTX)[24] or a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette[33] he is known to have purchased for Brooks in early 1971. Obituaries - George A. Thoma Funeral Home Confessions of a Criminology Freak The horrific crimes of the real 'candyman . [75] Scottwho was well known to both Henley and Brookswas grabbed by force and fought furiously against attempts by Corll to restrain him, even attempting to stab his attackers with a knife. According to official military records, Corll's period of service in the army was unblemished. Mother of serial killer Dean Arnold Corll. In his call, Henley blurted to the operator: "Y'all better come here right now! Among them was 12-year-old David Brooks, who, like many children, was first introduced to Corll with offers of candy and a place to hang out. But Henley turned back on his words and attacked Corll instead. In 1964, Corll was drafted into the army (via ThoughtCo). The pixie sticks guy is also called Candy Man, but the real one was Corll. Authorities never ascertained a clear motive, and the . That's what he was telling you about his presence. Watch on. [59], As had been the case with parents of other victims of Corll, both sets of parents launched a frantic search for their sons. I can't even imagine that kind of pain, and how it must have felt when the cops assumed they just ran off. Dean Corll with his mother owned a candy company named " Corll Candy Company ". Thanks for your help! After the business closed, his mother moved to Colorado and Corll began training as an electrician. [13], Corll's mother divorced West in 1963 and opened a new candy business, which she named Corll Candy Company; her eldest son was appointed vice-president of the new family firm,[16] with his younger brother Stanley being appointed secretary-treasurer. [60], On August 17, 1971, Corll and Brooks encountered a 17-year-old acquaintance of Brooks named Ruben Watson Haney walking home from a movie theater in Houston. So how did this seemingly normal American boy of the 1950s become the Candy Man serial killer of the 1970s? [19]:3669 Henley was not charged with the death of Corll, which prosecutors ruled on September 18 had been committed in self-defense. During that time, Corll was known by the community to give free candy out . ADDITIONAL LINKS Post Question For This Company Corll even ended up killing former employees of his candy factory - along with dozens of others. Prior to their respective trials, both Henley and Brooks would reject offers presented to them by the district attorney of life sentences in exchange for pleas of guilty in the murders for which they had been indicted. Inside Corll's house, Aguirre smoked marijuana with the trio before picking up a pair of handcuffs Corll had left on his table. They would then be restrained either by force or deception, and each was killed either by strangulation or shooting with a .22 caliber pistol. [5][80][n 9] Cloth rags had also been inserted into the victims' mouths and adhesive tape wound around their faces to muffle their screams. The individual depicted has been ruled out by the Harris County Medical Examiner as being any of Corll's known victims, including his one remaining known unidentified victim. As for Dean Corll, his legacy remains infamous as ever and hes remembered as one of the most notorious serial killers in Texas history. [13][n 7], Police initially were skeptical of Henley's claims, assuming the sole homicide of the case was that of Corll, which they had ascribed as being the result of drug-fueled fisticuffs that had turned deadly. You know he was in on it. Dean Corll's home (courtesy Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library) Quote Following his honorable discharge from the army, Corll returned to H ). Williams, who survived the attack and only spoke publicly about it in 2013, recalled how Corlls behavior had visibly shaken something in Henleys mind. [78], After vacating the Schuler Street residence, Corll moved to an apartment at Westcott Towers, where, in the summer of 1972, he is known to have killed a further two victims. Kerley made the mistake of bringing a friend, a girl named Rhonda Williams. [116] Henley calmed Corll, promising to participate in the torture and murder of both Williams and Kerley if Corll released him. This bothered Corll and he believed that his mother did not approve of his s*xuality. Corll was initially irritated at the intrusion but offered the three weed and booze nevertheless. YouTubeDean Corll in 1973, months before he was shot to death by his 17-year-old accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley. Beginning in 1970, Brooks worked with Corll in luring teenage males back to the Candy Man's house. Arnold was a very strict man and a father. [122][123][124], Henley would later recall that immediately after he shot Corll, the sole thought in his mind was that Corll would have been proud of the way he had behaved during the confrontation, adding that Corll had been training him to react quickly and forcefully and that this was exactly what he had done.[124]. [284] Of the sixteen individuals depicted within the films and photos, eleven of the youths appeared to be among Corll's known victims who had been identified by this date. By his own later admission, Brooks began regarding Corll's apartment as his second home. As Henley's claim that the victim known as ML73-3355 was not Scott has been proven to be correct, a strong suspicion remains that Scott's body remains buried on High Island. As the couple watched the trio, one of the men (whom they later identified as Henley) advanced upon their car with such a menacing expression that the couple felt compelled to drive away. ", Mass Murder in Houston, John K.Gurwell, p. 41, Mass Murder in Houston, John K.Gurwell, p. 104. [76] In Brooks's confession, he stated that both youths were tied to Corll's bed and, after their torture and rape, Henley manually strangled Baulch, then shouted, "Hey, Johnny!" [23], In 1965,[20] Corll Candy Company relocated to 22nd Street, directly across the street from Helms Elementary School. By this point, Corlls mother had divorced a third husband and moved to Colorado. The jury deliberated for just 90 minutes before they reached a verdict. Add to your scrapbook. I camped on that police department door for eight months, a grieving father named Everett Waldrop told reporters about when his sons first went missing, according to the New York Daily News. Corll's final victim was a 13-year-old boy, James Stanton Dreymala, abducted in Houston. [5] Kerley and Williams lay beside Henley, securely bound with nylon rope, gagged with adhesive tape, and lying face down on the floor. However, the Office of the Medical Examiner of Harris County lists Branch's death as having occurred in November 1972. I have to get it off my chest! 2020 Lamar Drive was demolished in February 2023. I was born in 1960 and remember both cases pretty well. Family members linked to this person will appear here. After finding the 26th and 27th bodies, tied together, at High Island Beach on August 13, the search for any further victims was terminated,[271] despite Henley's insistence that two further bodies had been buried on the beach in 1972. He and his brother were responsible for the candy-making machines and packaging. [92][n 4]. Then, discover how some of historys most infamous serial killers finally met their end. [24], Former workers at Corll Candy Company recalled Corll doing a lot of digging in the years leading up to 1968, when his mother's third marriage was deteriorating and the firm was failing. [5], On December 13, 1970, Brooks lured two 14-year-old Spring Branch youths named James Glass and Danny Yates away from a religious rally held in Houston Heights to Corll's Yorktown apartment. [189] Henley had confessed that after their initial abuse and torture at Corll's home, Cobble and Jones each had one wrist and ankle bound to the same side of Corll's torture board. Wikimedia CommonsDean Corll briefly served in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1965. [191], Throughout the trial, the state introduced 82 pieces of evidence, including Corll's torture board and one of the boxes used to transport the victims. [92] It is possible that the initial double murder Brooks had discovered Corll in the process of committing occurred after the murder of Konen and before those of Glass and Yates. [6], Corll's parents attempted reconciliation and remarried in 1950, subsequently moving to Pasadena, Texas, a suburb of Houston; however, the reconciliation was short lived and, in 1953, the couple once again divorced, with the mother again retaining custody of her two sons. [34] At Corll's residence, the youths would be plied with alcohol or other drugs until they passed out, tricked into donning handcuffs,[35] or simply grabbed by force. With the Bizapedia Pro Search service you will get unlimited searches via our various search forms, Dr. Sharon Derrick is among those interviewed for the documentary. Truman Capote even went to Houston to write a story on Corll and once he got there changed his mind. As had been the case in his teenage years, Corll increased the number of hours he devoted to the candy business to satisfy an increasing demand for his family's product. "[197], The jury deliberated for 92 minutes before finding Henley guilty of all six murders for which he was tried. Since then, both men have been described as serial killers for their involvement in the Houston Mass Murders. His last known victim of 1971 was Ruben Watson Haney, who disappeared on August 17. He was murdered at Corll's Westcott Towers address. Bail for each youth was set at $100,000. He claims that his victim, Dean Corll, was going to kill him just like he had done to so many others. [109][5] Williams climbed into the back seat of Kerley's Volkswagen. TXAG 05 10:07a, 3/6/17 AG The pixie sticks guy is also called Candy Man, but the real one was Corll. According to Philbin & Philbin, 2009, those kids often make up identities to escape, and often these identities are related to the parent with the stronger character. A system error has occurred. The three used Corlls Plymouth GTX muscle car or his white van to lure the boys, often using candy, alcohol, or drugs to get them inside the vehicle. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Do you know of any articles that cover why Truman Capote changed his mind on the story? In response, Corlls mother fired the boy. Shortly thereafter, he and his family moved to the northern outskirts of Houston so that the family candy business could be closer to the city where the majority of their product was sold. Less than two weeks later, 20-year-old Raymond Stanley Blackburn was abducted, strangled, and buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. company profile page along with the rest of the general data. [208] Successive parole applications dating from July 1980 have been denied. But for some reason, Corll decided not to kill him. [141] Police continued excavating through the earth of the shed, unearthing the remains of more victims in varying stages of decomposition. 31,343 Views | ", "For Murder Victim's Parents, an Agonizing Ritual", "The Girl on the Torture Board: Rhonda Williams Opens up About Being Attacked by Dean Corll", "Affidavit: The State of Texas: County of Harris", "Serial Killer Dean Corll's Lone Female Survivor Recalls Attack", "Mass Murder Suspect Saved his Life, Witness Testifies", "Houston Mass Murderers Had two Private Graveyards", "Elmer Wayne Henley's Confession (Appealed)", "Dean Corll, Elmer Henley & David Brooks: The Game of Boys", "Mass Murder Probe Chief Tells Defendant's Tale", "Jurors Listen to Confession in Texas Case", "Henley Gives Statement On Manner Of Killings", "Accused Killer's Confession Made Part of Trial Record", "Supplementary Offense Report - D-68904 - 1", "Texas EquuSearch Launches New Search for Remains of Victims in Houston Most Notorious Serial Killing", "Authorities Struggle to Identify Victims", "Coroner Tries to ID Murder Victims 35 Years Later", "Supplementary Offense Report - D-68904 - 3", "Texas Toll of Boys Rises to 27 in Nation's Biggest Slaying Case", "Henley's Slaying of Corll Exposes Murders of 26 Boys", "Houston Police Lax, Victims' Parents Say", "Angry Houston Police Chief Defends Force", "Woman's 11-Year Search for Son Ends in Morgue", "Sister Identifies Body of Brother in Morgue 12 Years", "Two Teenagers Indicted for Houston Deaths", "Trial Begins Monday in Mass Texas Deaths", "Jury to Weigh Sentence for Texas Killer of Six", "Torture Board Viewed in Mass Murder Trial", "Jury Decides Sentence in Torture-Slayings", "Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Hall of Fame", "Jury in Houston Convicts Henley of Killing 6 Youths", "Police Officer Testifies on Brooks Statement", "Jury Selection Begins in Mass Murders Case", "Inmate Information Details: Henley, Elmer Wayne Jr", Offender Information Detail Brooks, David Owen, "Former Henchman of Houston Killer Corll Dies of COVID-19", "Pathological Diagnosis on the Body of James Eugene Glass", "Youths Admit Death Ring: Texas Mass Murders at 21", "Pathological Diagnosis on the Body of Ruben Watson Haney", "Sex-Torture-Murder Trial Underway in Texas", "After Decades, Another Serial Killer Victim Identified", "Residents of Houston Curbing Murder Talk", "Corll's Portrait: Polite, Quiet, Neat, 'Always With Young Boys', "Mass Murderer Elmer Wayne Henley's Parole Considered", "Richard Alan Kepner.