Detective David Mullican, recollecting the Houston Mass Murders, April 2011. [48] However, until he moved to Pasadena in the spring of 1973, he always lived in or close to Houston Heights. As a result of this diagnosis, Corll was told to avoid P.E. This had inspired the salesman to state to her: "If you've got that much energy, why don't you start making candy? All six bodies directly linked to the Houston Mass Murders found at High Island have been identified. [187] Henley initially insisted that there were two more bodies to be found inside the boat shed and that the bodies of two more boys had been buried at High Island Beach in 1972. You know he was in on it. [5], Corll's Ford Econoline van parked in the driveway conveyed a similar impression. In one part of his confession, Henley had described luring two of the victims for whose murder he had been brought to trial, Cobble and Jones, to Corll's Pasadena residence. [91] Neither youth was named by either Brooks or Henley as being a victim of Corll, and both youths were identified as victims only in 2011. Robert Aramayo as Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. Robert Aramayo plays Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., who was an accomplice to the murders committed by serial killer Dean Corll, and also the man who eventually killed Corll. Com 15 anos Henley desistiu da escola secundria. In a 2010 interview granted to investigative reporter Barbara Gibson, Henley disputed the 1993 identification of a victim buried in the boat shed as Scott and reiterated his claim that Scott had been buried at High Island "in the sand: As a result of Henley's claims, DNA tests on the body initially identified as Scott were again tested against samples of DNA taken from Scott's family. These facts may account for this sudden lull in killings. According to official military records, Corll's period of service in the army was unblemished. Given that Henley became acquainted with Corll in 1972, it is likely this boy would have been killed in 1972 or 1973. In August of 1973, Henley shot and killed Dean. [43] They were then stripped naked and tied to either Corll's bed or, usually, a plywood torture board which was regularly hung on a wall. [n 9], All of the victims found had been sodomized and most victims found bore evidence of sexual torture: pubic hairs had been plucked out, genitals had been chewed, objects had been inserted into their rectums, and glass rods had been inserted into their urethrae and smashed. After an abusive childhood, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. was sent to school due to his mother's wish that her children at least receive an education. Some victims had been shot, others strangled,[160] the ligatures still wrapped tightly around their necks. [107] The following day, Garcia telephoned his mother to say he was spending the night with a friend; he was shot and left to bleed to death in Corll's bathtub before he was buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. He recounted the events of the previous evening and that morning; explaining that he had shot Corll in self-defense. [119] Williamsnursing a sprained anklehad been beaten by her drunken father that evening and accepted Henley's invitation to join him and Kerley at Corll's home. Both youths were buried at High Island Beach. [16], 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,[19] with his younger brother Stanley being appointed secretary-treasurer. He died of COVID-19-related complications at a Galveston hospital on May 28, 2020, at the age of 65. [171] Two additional bodies were found in shallow, lime-soaked graves located close to a dirt road. [225] Brooks's defense attorney, Jim Skelton, argued that his client had not committed any murders and attempted to portray Corll and, to a lesser degree, Henley as being the active participants in the actual killings. The bullet failed to fully penetrate Corll's skull,[22]:3641 and he continued to lurch toward Henley, whereupon the youth fired another two rounds, hitting Corll in the left shoulder. [27], In 1965,[28] Corll Candy Company relocated to 22nd Street, directly across the street from Helms Elementary School. September 17, 1953-November 15, 1972", "Relative of Long-lost Murder Vvictim: 'We Pretty Much Lost Hope', "Pruitt Medical Laboratories: Autopsy Report 73-7778-A", "Baton Rouge Man Among Victims in Houston Case", "Henley Gives Statement on Manner of Killings", "Remains Draw More Questions on '70s Corll Killings", "A Body Ruled Out as Victim of Ring; Henley Trial Told Search" Found Unrelated Corpse Trial was Shifted", "More Bodies Unearthed: Mass Murder Victims", "Pathological Diagnosis on the Body of John Manning Sellars", "Joseph A. Jachimczyk Forensic Center: Unidentified Decedent Notice", "Amended Autopsy Report on the Body of Joseph Allen Lyles", "Texas Crime News Interview with Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr", "Efforts Continue to Identify Last Known Victim of Houston Mass Murders", "Houston Authorities Working to ID Candy Man's Last Unknown Victim", "The Last Lost Boy: Can You ID the Final Known Victim of the 1970s Heights Mass Murders? He was also observed digging in waste ground that was later converted into a parking lot. Henley gave a verbal statement; stating he initially had believed the boys he had abducted were to be sold into a Dallas-based organization for "homosexual acts, sodomy, maybe later killing,"[147] but soon learned Corll was himself killing the victims procured. [61], Between March and May 1971, Corll abducted and killed three victims, all of whom lived in Houston Heights and all of whom were buried toward the rear of the rented boat shed. Houston serial killer up for compassionate release From 1970 through 1973, Elmer Wayne Henley helped lured 28 teenage boys to a Pasadena home belonging to Dean Corll, also known as The Candy Man. [5] Mary subsequently sold the family home and relocated to a trailer home in Memphis, Tennessee, where Arnold had been drafted into the United States Air Force after the divorce, to allow her sons to remain in contact with their father. [62] In each of these abductions, Brooks is known to have been a participant. 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. [15] In high school, Corll's only major interest was the brass band, in which he played trombone. In addition, around the time of Lyles's murder, Henley had temporarily moved away to Mount Pleasant in an apparent effort to distance himself from Corll. I can't have you kill all my friends! WebJohn Wayne Gacy's father was an alcoholic who physically and emotionally abused him throughout his childhood. The third individual had long, blond hairlike Brooks. He is last known to have phoned his parents claiming to need money in much the same manner as victims Charles Cobble and Marty Jones had been forced to telephone their parents before their murder. Brooks served his life sentence at the Terrell Unit near Rosharon, Texas. Bail for each youth was set at $100,000. [204][205][n 11], Elmer Wayne Henley and David Owen Brooks were tried separately for their roles in the murders. [156], Henley agreed to accompany police to Corll's boat shed in Southwest Houston, where he claimed the bodies of most of the victims could be found. His alcoholic father regularly abused him, Bunton was gagged with a section of Turkish towel and his mouth bound with adhesive tape. [214][215], On July 15, 1974, both counsels presented their closing arguments to the jury:[216] the prosecution seeking life imprisonment; the defense a verdict of not guilty. As Corll was killed immediately prior to his murders being discovered, the true number of victims he had claimed will never be known. Inside the lakeside log cabin owned by Corll's family, police found a second plywood torture board, rolls of plastic sheeting, shovels, and a sack of lime. One of Baulch had disappeared en route to a barbershop on July 19, 1973a year after his brother, Billy, had been murdered by Corll. [104] After three days of abuse and torture, Lawrence was strangled before being buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. After finding the 26th and 27th bodies, tied together, at High Island Beach on August 13, the search for any further victims was terminated,[294] despite Henley's insistence that two further bodies had been buried on the beach in 1972. [141] After confiscating the pistol and placing Henley, Williams, and Kerley inside the patrol car, the officer entered the bungalow and discovered Corll's body inside the hallway. [5], In several instances, Corll forced his victims to either phone or write to their parents with explanations for their absences in an effort to allay the parents' fears for their sons' safety. [139] As Kerley, Williams, and Henley waited upon Corll's porch for the police to arrive, Henley mentioned to Kerley that he had "done that (killed by shooting) four or five times. The scattered skeletal remains were discovered within and close to plastic sheeting near an eroding sandbank. That's what he was telling you about his presence. [65], 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. [5][161][n 10] Cloth rags had also been inserted into the victims' mouths and adhesive tape wound around their faces to muffle their screams. Henley then left the youth alone with Corll, believing he was to be sold into the sexual slavery ring. [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). Henley would later claim that although Corll had paid him $200 for the first victim he had lured to his address, Corll never paid him any significant sum of money for any of the subsequent victims he procured. classes in school. [58] An electrical cord with alligator clips attached to each end was buried alongside Yates's body. [22]:3669 Henley was not charged with the death of Corll, which prosecutors ruled on September 18 had been committed in self-defense. [13] He and his younger brother were responsible for running the candy-making machines and packing the product, which his stepfather sold on his sales route. [85] 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!" [201] Another witness who testified to his experience at the hands of Corll was William Ridinger. [22]:3644. Following Hurricane Ike in 2008, the area of High Island Beach where Corll is known to have buried his victims remains submerged,[30] leaving a strong possibility that Scott's body will never be found. [155] Another wooden crate with air holes drilled in the sides was found in Corll's backyard. Elmer Wayne Henley, The Teen Accomplice Of 'Candy Man' Dean It was the largest of three mass graves where Corll and his helpers buried their victims. On June 27, 1979, the jury deliberated for over two hours before reaching their verdict; Henley was again convicted of six murders and sentenced to six concurrent 99-year terms. [5] Corll appeared to calm down and offered the trio beer and marijuana. Later, Brooks dropped out of high school, and Corll offered him 200 dollars for each boy he would manage to lure in. Brooks and Henley confessed to assisting Corll in several abductions and murders; both were sentenced to life imprisonment at their subsequent trials. before he was strangled. In addition, neither mentioned having seen any of the victims either filmed, photographed, or released from the devices Corll restrained his victims to until after their rape, torture, and murder. The 1973 misidentification of Michael Baulch was discovered as a result of an independent investigation conducted by freelance writers Barbara Gibson and Debera Phinney, who contacted Dr. Derrick with a tip indicating that the second victim unearthed from the boat shed had been misidentified; upon conducting additional DNA testing, Dr. Derrick discovered their suspicions were correct. [25], Following his honorable discharge from the army, Corll returned to Houston Heights and resumed the position he had held as vice-president of Corll Candy Company. "[30] Corll approached Henley, saying, "Kill me, Wayne! [66] Haney agreed and was taken to Corll's home where he was subsequently strangled and buried in the boat shed. Between 1970 and 1973, Dean Corll, aided by David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., killed 26 young men in the In light of developments relating to the identifications of victims, the body of Scott still lies undiscovered at High Island, while Lyles's remains were only found by chance in 1983. At 8:24 a.m. on August 8, 1973, Henley placed a call to the PPD. [287], Forty-two boys had vanished within the Houston area between 1970 and Corll's death in 1973. Nickname: Junior. "[132][n 7], Henley then asked Corll whether he might take Williams into another room. [99], On January 20, 1973, Corll moved to an address on Wirt Road in the Spring Branch district of Houston. [5] Most of the bodies found were wrapped in thick, clear plastic sheeting. Henley explained that Williams had argued with her father that evening, and did not wish to return home. WebTogether with David Owen Brooks, and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr, he killed 28 known boys between September 1970 and August 1973. In response, Corll pounced on Aguirre, pushed him onto the table, and cuffed his hands behind his back. A curious feature about this final discovery was the presence of two extra bones (an arm bone and a pelvis) in the grave, indicating at least one additional, undiscovered victim. Henley was quite insistent, however, and upon his recalling the names of three boysCobble, Hilligiest, and Joneswhom he stated he and Brooks had procured for Corll, the police accepted that there was something to his claims, as all three teenagers were listed as missing at Houston Police Department (HPD) headquarters. 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 public demand for his family's product. 2020 Lamar Drive was demolished in February 2023. The first victim of 1972 was Frank Aguirre, who disappeared on March 24, meaning no known victims were killed for seven months. He was shot twice in the head and buried in the boat shed. [208], Other incriminating testimony came from police officers who read from Henley's written statements. One month later, on April 20, he assisted Corll and Brooks in the abduction of another youth, a 17-year-old named Mark Scott. [287][289] This victim has been referred to as "John Houston Doe" since the discovery of his body. Scott had been a blond youth who had not had any teeth extracted prior to his disappearance; however, a Dr. Elizabeth Johnson of the Harris County Medical Institute had concluded in 1993 that the fifteenth set of remains unearthed from the boat shedwhich had physical characteristics such as dark brown hair and two extracted. [291], Dr. Derrick has stated she has reason to believe this victim may be named Robert (or "Bobby") French,[292] adding she has received an anonymous package containing a series of photographs potentially depicting this individual taken shortly before his murder, and that the sender of this package named this individual as one Bobby French. [30], Despite the revelations that Corll was, in reality, killing the boys he and Brooks had assisted in abducting, Henley nonetheless became an active participant in the abductions and murders. [189], Families of Corll's victims were highly critical of the HPD,[190][191] which had been quick to list the missing boys as runaways who had not been considered worthy of any major investigation. It's known that he inspired John Wayne Gacy. [92], On October 2, 1972, Henley and Brooks encountered two Heights teenagers named Wally Jay Simoneaux and Richard Hembree[93] walking to Hembree's home. "[134] As Corll clambered off Kerley, Henley elaborated: "I can't go on any longer! FactualTV has screened a documentary focusing upon the murders committed by Corll and his accomplices. [192] The families of the murdered youths asserted that the police should have noted an insidious trend in the pattern of disappearances of teenage boys from the Heights neighborhood;[30] other family members complained the HPD had been dismissive of their adamant insistence that their sons had no reasons to run away from home. Moreover, co-workers at HL&P would also state that, from the earliest days of his employment, Corll had repeatedly retained coils of used nylon cord that would otherwise have been discarded. Henley suggested to Kerley and Williams that they should simply leave, to which Kerley replied, "No, we should call the police." Prater is known to have continued to visit his father in Houston during weekends after he moved with his mother to Dallas. [20] The same year, one of the teenaged male employees of Corll Candy Company complained to Corll's mother that her son had made sexual advances towards him.
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