Dean Arnold Corll kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered a minimal of 29 teenage boys and males between 1970 and 1973 in Texas. Dean had two accomplices named David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley. Their crimes got here to gentle after Elmer fatally shot Dean. You might have heard of those murders known as the Houston Mass Murders. We learn a remark alongside the traces of this being the craziest serial killer case that you simply’ve by no means heard of.
Dean Arnold Corll was born on December 24, 1939 in Fort Wayne Indiana. His mother and father had been Mary Robison and Arnold Corll and he had one youthful brother, Stanley. Arnold was stated to be a really strict dad or mum and Mary was stated to be very protecting.
The couple argued regularly and ended up getting divorced in 1946, when Stanley was 4 years outdated.
After this, their house life gave the impression to be fairly unstable.
Mary offered their house in Indiana and moved the boys to a trailer in Memphis, Indiana. Arnold had been drafted into the US Air Pressure at this level.
Dean was stated to be shy and critical as a toddler. He hardly ever interacted with different kids. Dean was very delicate and couldn’t deal with rejection or criticism very nicely.
He was additionally fairly sickly as a toddler. When he was seven, he contracted rheumatic fever and he was additionally discovered to have a coronary heart murmur. Docs really helpful that he keep away from a lot bodily train as a result of his circumstances.
Mary and Arnold ended up getting again collectively and remarrying in 1950, six years after their first divorce. The household then moved to Pasadena, Texas. The second marriage didn’t final lengthy, they usually divorced for a second time in 1953. Mary bought custody of the boys. The divorce was amicable and each boys stored involved with Arnold.
After the second divorce, Mary married a person named Jake John West. They moved to Vidor, Texas and Mary had a daughter, Joyce Jeanine in 1955.
Jake and Mary began a sweet firm that ran from their storage. Dean and Stanley labored on the firm, whereas additionally attending college. They had been accountable for working the machines and packing the sweet, whereas Jake offered the merchandise.
Dean attended Vidor Excessive College and he was stated to be a well-behaved however common pupil. He was a loner, however did often date ladies. He performed trombone within the college brass band.
Dean graduated in 1958. The household moved to Houston in order that their sweet enterprise might be run nearer to the place the vast majority of their gross sales had been made. They opened a store known as Pecan Prince.
In 1960, when he was round 21, Mary requested Dean to maneuver to Indiana to stay together with his widowed grandmother. He lived there for 2 years and returned to Houston to once more work within the sweet enterprise.
Mary divorced Jake in 1963 and she or he opened a brand new sweet enterprise, known as Corll Sweet Firm. Dean was appointed Vice President of the corporate and Stanley was employed as Secretary-Treasurer.
That yr, a teen worker complained to Mary that Dean had made sexual advances in direction of him. Mary fired the teenager.
Dean was drafted into the military in 1964. He was assigned to Fort Polk, Louisiana for coaching. He was later despatched to Georgia to coach as a radio repairman. His everlasting task location ended up being Fort Hood, Texas.
Dean’s report within the military was stated to be unblemished. Regardless of this, he hated being within the navy and utilized for a hardship discharge. His reasoning was that he was wanted to run the household enterprise. His request was granted and he was given an honorable discharge in June 1965. He had been within the military for ten months by that time.
A few of Dean’s acquaintances would later say that it was when he was within the navy that he first realized he was homosexual. He had his first gay encounters throughout his time within the military.
Dean returned to Houston after he left the military and started working on the Corll Sweet Firm once more. Jake – Dean’s former stepfather – had stored possession of Pecan Prince within the divorce with Mary. The competitors between the 2 firms was stated to be fierce.
Dean labored lengthy hours to satisfy the demand for Corll Sweet.
In 1965, the corporate moved their location to be throughout the road from an elementary college. Dean was a favourite amongst native kids as he would give them sweet at no cost. He appeared to hunt out teenage boys to offer sweet to. He was nicknamed the ‘Sweet Man’ and the ‘Pied Piper’ by native youngsters. So creepy.
Dean was stated to behave flirtatiously in direction of teenage male staff of the sweet firm. He put in a pool desk within the sweet manufacturing facility and he would encourage native younger males to assemble collectively and hearken to music and play pool.
In 1967, when he was round 28, Dean groomed a 12 yr outdated boy named David Owen Brooks. Dean would take David to the seaside. He would additionally give the kid cash. Dean initiated intercourse with the kid and this went on for years. By 1969, Dean was paying David (aged round 14 by then) in both money or presents in change for intercourse.
David had a damaged house life – his mother and father had been divorced. He dropped out of highschool when he was 15. Dean allowed David to remain at his condominium at any time when he needed. It was reported that David thought-about the condominium his second house.
The Corll Sweet Firm closed in 1968. Mary and Joyce moved to Colorado. After that transfer, Mary by no means noticed Dean once more.
After the corporate closed, Dean started working as an electrician on the Houston Lighting and Energy Firm. He would develop into a supervisor within the firm and would work there till his loss of life.
Dean is believed to have began his killing spree round 1970. It lasted for 3 years.
All of his victims had been males, aged between 13-20. The vast majority of victims had been of their mid-teens. Dean stalked the world of Houston Heights, which was a low revenue neighborhood for his victims.
He labored with the 2 accomplices we talked about earlier – David Brooks and Elmer Henley. They had been youngsters on the time.
A number of the victims had been mates of the kids. Dean additionally picked hitchhikers to make victims of. Two victims – Billy Baulch Jr and Gregory Winkle had been previous staff of the sweet firm.
The victims got the identify of ‘The Misplaced Boys.’
Dean enticed the victims into his car by providing a experience to a celebration or a raise to wherever they wanted to go. He would as an alternative take them to his house. Dean would usually give them medicine or alcohol till they handed out. He would then handcuff them and strip them bare. Dean would tie them to his mattress. He additionally made a plywood torture board which held on a wall within the house and he would use that on his victims.
Dean tortured his victims for days – he would sexually assault and beat them earlier than killing them both by strangulation or gunshot.
The entire our bodies had been wrapped in plastic and buried in one in every of 4 dumping areas in Texas – a rented boatshed in Houston, a seaside on the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County, a wooded space close to Lake Sam Rayburn or a seaside in Jefferson County.
Dean would usually drive his victims to contact their households previous to being murdered. He did this so they might not be reported lacking and would purchase himself a while within the torture/kill course of.
Dean would usually retain keepsakes from victims, normally their keys.
Throughout his killing spree, Dean would transfer tackle a number of instances. He all the time remained near Houston Heights.
There’s not quite a bit recognized about the entire victims. We’re going to run via what we do learn about a few of them.
Dean’s first sufferer was Jeffrey Konen (18). He was murdered on September 25, 1970. Jeffrey had been hitchhiking and was picked up by Dean.
Dean buried Jeffrey at Excessive Island Seashore. Forensic investigation decided that Jeffrey had been strangled to loss of life and had been gagged with material. His physique was buried beneath a big boulder. He had been lined in lime, wrapped in plastic and his palms and ft had been sure with nylon twine.
After Dean killed Jeffrey, David Brooks (confederate) walked in on him sexually assaulting two teenage boys. They’d been tied to his four-poster mattress.
Dean informed David that he would buy a automotive for him if he remained silent. He bought a inexperienced Chevrolet Corvette. Dean would confess to David that he had killed the 2 boys and supplied him $200 (price $1,650 at present) for any boy that he would carry to Dean’s condominium.
In December 1970, David took two 14 y/o teenagers to the condominium. Their names had been James Glass and Danny Yates. They’d been lured away from a non secular rally.
Dean would restrain them to the four-poster mattress with a rope and handcuffs. He raped and strangled every boy and buried them within the boat shed that he had rented.
Six weeks after these murders, David and Dean discovered two teenage boys strolling on the road. Donald and Jerry Waldrop had been strolling to their mother and father’ house. The brothers had been lured into Dean’s van and pushed to his condominium. He raped and strangled the boys earlier than burying them within the boat shed.
In 1971, between March and Could, Dean killed three extra victims and buried them within the boat shed. Their names had been Randell Harvey (15), David Hilligiest (13) and Gregory Malley Winkle (16).
David Brooks was recognized to take part in all of those abductions.
Elmer Henley – the second confederate – was 15 at the moment. He was mates with David Hilligiest, one of many victims. He tried to inform David’s mother and father that there might need been an harmless clarification for his disappearance.
David’s father Fred employed a PI and spent the equal of virtually $10k at present on looking for his son.
“The cash performed out,” he stated. “Once I employed him, I assumed everybody labored collectively, you understand, with police and all the things. However came upon it didn’t work that approach.”
That is data from a NY Occasions article from 1973 the place Elmer Henley is talked about:
When Mrs. Hilligiest had the reward posters printed, she known as on boys within the neighborhood to assist distribute them. One boy who she says was extraordinarily useful was Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., who lived solely a block down the road.
“She used to all the time give the Henley boys rides house from college when she went to choose up our boys,” Mr. Hilliegiest stated. “Wayne Henley used to assist us distribute the posters. He was all the time useful and really involved, asking us about David.”
In late Could, simply earlier than college let loose for the summer season, Mrs. Hilligiest picked up two of her sons at college throughout a rainstorm. She additionally introduced house two of the youthful Henley boys.
“When she allow them to off at their home, Wayne got here out and bought within the automotive and talked some time,” Mr. Hilligiest stated. “He thanked her for bringing his brothers house and requested if she’d heard something new about David. He was simply as good as he might be.”
The following sufferer was Donald Falcon (17). He disappeared on July 1, 1971. His physique could be discovered dismembered within the boat shed.
On August 17, 1971, Dean and David encountered Ruben Watson Haney (17) whereas he was strolling house from the films. Ruben was an acquaintance of David’s. They satisfied Ruben to attend a celebration with them, however as an alternative he was taken to Dean’s condominium. Ruben was strangled and buried within the boat shed.
Elmer was launched to Dean by David in October 1971. He was initially lured to Dean’s condominium as an supposed sufferer, however Dean determined that he would make a great confederate. Dean supplied Elmer the identical deal as David – $200 for any boy who was taken to the condominium. He stated that the boys could be taken right into a ‘white slavery ring.’
Elmer would later say that he ignored the provide at first however he did set up a friendship with Dean. He described him as a ‘brother kind particular person’ and stated that he thought he may open up to him.
By 1972, Elmer determined to take Dean up on his provide as a result of he wanted the cash.
He stated the primary abduction that he participated in was round February or March 1972. Elmer would later inform police that he and Dean picked up a ‘boy’ and lured him again to the condominium with the promise of marijuana.
On March 24, 1972, Dean, David and Elmer encountered a good friend of Elmer’s, named Frank Aguirre (18). Frank was leaving work on the restaurant the place he labored. Elmer known as him over to Dean’s van and invited him to return to the condominium to drink beer and smoke pot.
Dean raped, tortured and killed Frank and buried his physique at Excessive Island Seashore. Elmer assisted him with the burial.
After this incident, Elmer grew to become extra energetic within the abductions and murders. The trio kidnapped Mark Scott (17) in April 1972. Dean apparently selected Mark as the subsequent sufferer as he had cheated him on a deal relating to stolen gadgets. Mark was kidnapped by Dean and tried to struggle again. He tried to stab Dean after he was tortured for a number of hours. When Elmer pointed a pistol at Mark, he ‘gave up.’ All three males shot Mark with a pellet gun and he was raped by Dean. He was strangled and buried at Excessive Island Seashore.
David would later say that Elmer was ‘particularly sadistic’ through the murders. Elmer admitted to been ‘fascinated’ with ‘how a lot stamina individuals have’ whereas being murdered.
The following two victims had been Billy Baulch and Johnny Delome. They had been taken to Dean’s condominium. The three males tied the victims to Dean’s mattress and tortured and raped them. Elmer then apparently strangled Billy for over thirty minutes. He additionally shot Johnny within the brow – Johnny survived and pleaded for his life. He was then strangled. Each teenagers had been buried at Excessive Island Seashore.
The following doable sufferer was William Ridinger (19). He was tortured by Dean for over three days. David would say that he satisfied Dean to let William free and he was allowed to depart the condominium.
There was one occasion the place Elmer assaulted David. He knocked him unconscious as he entered Dean’s house. David was assaulted repeatedly after which launched. Regardless of this, he continued to help Dean within the abductions and murders.
In the summertime of 1972, the subsequent victims had been Steven Sickman (17) and Roy Bunton (19). Steven was struck within the chest with a blunt object, earlier than he was strangled and buried within the boat shed. Roy was kidnapped whereas strolling to work. He was gagged with a towel and his mouth was lined with tape. He was shot twice within the head and was buried within the boat shed.
In October 1972, Wally Jay Simoneaux and Richard Hembree had been enticed into David’s automotive and brought to Dean’s residence. Elmer apparently by chance shot Richard within the mouth. The 2 males had been strangled to loss of life and buried within the boat shed.
They had been buried in a standard grave, above two different victims named James Glass and Danny Yates.
In November 1972, Willard Department (18) disappeared whereas hitchhiking to Houston. He was murdered by the trio and his physique was buried within the boat shed.
That very same month, Richard Kepner (19) disappeared whereas strolling to make use of a payphone. He was strangled and his physique was buried at Excessive Island Seashore.
Between March and November 1972, the boys murdered at the least ten youngsters.
In early 1973, Joseph Lyles (17) was killed by Dean.
There have been no recognized victims between February and June 1973. Dean was unwell throughout this time interval which can have accounted for the dearth of exercise.
From June onwards, Dean’s kill charge elevated dramatically. Elmer would later say that the escalation was ‘like a blood lust.’ He stated that Dean would seem stressed and would smoke closely earlier than saying that he ‘wanted to do a brand new boy.’
On June 4, William Ray Lawrence (15) was kidnapped by Elmer and Dean. He was abused and tortured for days, earlier than being strangled. His physique was buried at Lake Sam Rayburn.
Raymond Blackburn (20) was kidnapped two weeks after William. He was additionally strangled and buried on the lake.
In July 1973, Elmer lured a teen named Homer Garcia (15) to Dean’s house. He was shot and left to bleed to loss of life within the bathtub and was additionally buried on the lake.
On July 12 that yr, John Sellars (17) was shot by the boys and was buried at Excessive Island Seashore.
That very same month, David married his pregnant companion. Elmer grew to become the only confederate to Dean for a time period. Between July 19-25, they labored collectively to abduct and homicide three youths. One among these victims was Michael Baulch (15) – the brother to a earlier sufferer, Billy. The opposite two victims had been Charles Cobble and Marty Ray Jones. Michael was buried on the lake and the opposite two had been buried within the boat shed.
Dean’s remaining sufferer was killed on August 3, 1973. His identify was James Stanton Dreymala (13). He was kidnapped whereas driving his bike. Dean took him to his condominium and raped and tortured him. He was then strangled with a twine earlier than being buried within the boat shed.
On August 7, 1973, Elmer invited Timothy Cordell Kerley (20) to a celebration at Dean’s house. He accepted the provide. When Elmer and Timothy bought to the property, they sniffed paint and drank alcohol earlier than leaving the home. After they left, they got here throughout a commotion close by. Elmer’s good friend, a teen named Rhonda Louise Williams (15) had been crushed by her father and deliberate to run away from house. Elmer invited her to affix him and Timothy at Dean’s house. She accepted the provide they usually all bought into Timothy’s automotive.
They bought again to Dean’s place at 3am on August 8. Dean was livid that Elmer had introduced a feminine to the home. He stated he had ‘ruined all the things.’ Rhonda defined to Dean concerning the state of affairs along with her father and that she didn’t wish to go house. Dean calmed down they usually all started smoking pot and consuming alcohol. Rhonda, Elmer and Timothy additionally sniffed paint. They handed out after round two hours.
Elmer woke as much as discover Dean handcuffing him. His mouth had been taped shut and his ankles had been tied collectively. Timothy and Rhonda had been sure with rope and gagged. Timothy had been stripped bare.
After Elmer awoke, Dean eliminated the tape from his mouth. He informed Elmer that he was offended about Rhonda being taken to the home. “Man, you blew it bringing that woman,” earlier than shouting: “I’m gonna kill you all! However first I’m gonna have my enjoyable!” He then repeatedly kicked Rhonda within the chest, shouting, “Get up, bitch!”
Dean threatened Elmer with a gun. Elmer managed to calm him down and agreed to take part within the murders of Timothy and Rhonda if Dean eliminated his bindings. After 30 minutes of negotiation, Dean agreed and untied Elmer. Dean took each Rhonda and Timothy to his bed room and he turned a radio to full quantity to drown out any noise they might make.
Whereas this was all taking place, Elmer was sniffing paint once more. Dean gave him an 18 inch searching knife and informed him to chop off Rhonda’s garments. He informed Elmer that he was to rape and kill Rhonda, and that Dean would do the identical to Timothy. By this level, each Timothy and Rhonda had woken up and had been pleading for his or her lives. Rhonda requested Elmer ‘Is that this for actual?’ and he replied that it was. Rhonda then requested ‘Are you going to do something about it?’
Elmer started panicking and inhaling extra paint fumes. Elmer grabbed Dean’s gun and shouted “You’ve gone far sufficient, Dean! “I can’t go on any longer! I can’t have you ever kill all my mates!”
Dean taunted Elmer and stated ‘Kill me! You gained’t do it !” Elmer fired one shot at Dean, and struck him within the brow. The bullet didn’t penetrate the cranium absolutely and Dean stored lunging in direction of Elmer. Elmer fired two extra photographs at him – one entered his lung and lodged in his backbone. Dean tried to flee the room and Elmer fired at him three extra instances. Dean died the place he fell.
After his loss of life, Rhonda, Timothy and Elmer mentioned what they need to do. Timothy stated they need to name the police and Elmer agreed.
Elmer known as the police at 8.24am on August 8, 1973. He stated “Y’all higher come right here proper now! I simply killed a person!”
When police arrived minutes later, Timothy, Rhonda and Elmer had been sitting on a curb outdoors the home. Elmer and Rhonda had been each crying.
Elmer informed police that he had made the decision and that Dean’s physique was inside the home. An officer learn Elmer his Miranda Rights and he stated “I don’t care who is aware of about it! I’ve to get it off my chest!”
Elmer confessed to police that for nearly three years, he and David had labored with Dean to lure and homicide males.
Police had been initially skeptical of his story, in all probability because of the excessive variety of victims. Elmer was in a position to recall the names of a few of them and police had been in a position to corroborate that they’d been reported as lacking.
When police searched Dean’s house, they discovered the plywood torture board, handcuffs, nylon ropes, a big searching knife, rolls of plastic, a number of dildos and twine.
Rope, a stained rug and different gadgets had been present in Dean’s van,
Elmer agreed to inform police the place the victims had been buried.
When the our bodies had been unearthed, a lot of them confirmed indicators of sexual torture. Their pubic hair had been plucked out, genitals had been chewed, they’d objects inserted into their rectums and glass rods had been inserted into their urethra and had been smashed.
When one sufferer was unearthed, his mouth was positioned in order that authorities imagine he died screaming.
David went to the Houston Police on August 8 and denied any participation within the murders.
The next day, Elmer gave a full written assertion wherein he outlined the position that he and David performed.
On August 10, David modified his story and admitted to being current at a number of of the murders. He nonetheless denied collaborating in any of the particular killings.
The killing spree by these males has solely been surpassed by John Wayne Gacy’s spree – he murdered 33 boys and males and was stated to have been influenced by the Houston Mass Murders.
A grand jury convened on August 13 to listen to the proof in opposition to Elmer and David.
After listening to over six hours of testimony, on August 14, the grand jury indicted Elmer on three counts of homicide and David on one rely. Bail for every youth was set at $100,000 – round $750k at present.
By the point the grand jury accomplished their investigation, Elmer was indicted for six murders and David for 4.
Elmer was not charged with Dean’s loss of life as prosecutors determined that had been dedicated in self-defense.
Each males would reject pretrial gives of life sentences in change for responsible pleas.
They had been tried individually for his or her roles within the murders. Elmer’s trial commenced in July 1974. District Lawyer Carol Vance apologized for his not having the ability to search the loss of life penalty, including that the case was the “most excessive instance of man’s inhumanity to man I’ve ever seen.”
After deliberating for 92 minutes, Elmer was discovered responsible for all six murders. Decide Preston Dial ordered that Elmer serve every 99-year sentence consecutively (totaling 594 years). Elmer began making use of for parole in July 1980 and all of his purposes have been denied. He’s subsequent due for a parole software in October 2025.
Elmer appealed his conviction and was given a retrial in December 1978. The second trial started in June 1979. This time, the jury deliberated for 2 hours. Elmer was once more convicted of the six murders and was sentenced to 6 99-year phrases, solely to run concurrently this time slightly than consecutively.
David’s trial began in February 1975. He had been indicted for 4 murders beforehand, however was solely taken to trial for the homicide of William Ray Lawrence (15). The jury deliberated for 90 minutes and David was discovered responsible. He was sentenced to life in jail. David additionally appealed his sentence however his enchantment was dismissed in 1979.
David died in Could 2020 in jail, on the age of 68. He died from issues of Covid – 19.
Authorities had been finally in a position to determine the entire victims, aside from one.
In response to police, this younger man was one in every of 17 our bodies found within the boat storage shed on Aug. 9, 1973. Investigators imagine he was between 15 and 18 years outdated on the time of his loss of life, and he had seemingly been deceased for 12 months or extra previous to his restoration.
He was Caucasian, with doable admixtures together with Hispanic, however investigators imagine his outward look would have been primarily white. In response to the health worker, he had brown hair, roughly seven inches in size. Examination revealed that he had a gentle type of spina bifida, which can have brought about him decrease again ache or presumably affected his stride; nonetheless, it might not have produced any noticeable signs in any respect.
Along with the facial reconstruction picture, forensic artists on the Nationwide Middle labored collaboratively with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences to create model new digital reconstructions of the gadgets discovered with John Doe.
He was discovered with belted Catalina model swim trunks with vertical pink, turquoise, gold, and darkish blue stripes. The swim trunks additionally had the letter “C” within the heart of the wings on the silver buckle.
His T-shirt bore a handwritten inscription believed to learn both “LB4MF”, “LBHMF”, or “L84MF”.
Dean, Elmer and David have been conclusively linked to 29 murders. Between 1970 and 1973 although, 42 boys vanished from Houston Heights.
SOURCE LIST
https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Dean_Corll
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Corll
https://www.missingkids.org/weblog/2023/candy-man-victim
https://information.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19750317&id=-QoyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181,125023&hl=en
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/the-lost-boys
