In response, Corll pounced on Aguirre, pushed him onto the table, and cuffed his hands behind his back. Brooks showed no emotion as the sentence was passed, although his wife burst into tears. [42], O'Bryan last words were "What is about to transpire in a few moments is wrong! After 45 years of his sentence, Brooks died in custody aged 65 last year from Covid-19. [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. According to the book The Man With Candy, one young teenage boy who worked at the company complained to Corlls mother that Corll had made sexual advances toward him. [184], On August 10, 1973, Henley again accompanied police to Lake Sam Rayburn, where two more bodies were found buried just 10 feet (3m) apart. Corll was reportedly dubbed "Candy Man" by locals because his family owned a candy factory, and he was known for handing out free samples to kids. [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. [35][43], Ronald O'Bryan is buried in Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster, Texas. [200], On August 13, a grand jury convened in Harris County to hear evidence against Henley and Brooks: the first witnesses to testify were Williams and Kerley, who testified to the events of August 7 and 8 leading to the death of Corll. Andy Kahan, a victim advocate at Crime Stoppers of Houston, spoke of Brooks' evil after his death. But Corll had stayed behind in Houston because he had found a new job as an electrician. 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. [123], Henley awoke to find himself lying on his stomach and Corll snapping handcuffs onto his wrists. [33], Brooks' parents were divorced; his father lived in Houston and his mother had relocated to Beaumont, a city 85 miles (140km) east of Houston. Timothy is buried in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.[44]. Williams, who survived the attack and only spoke publicly about it in 2013, recalled how Corlls behavior had visibly shaken something in Henleys mind. [204], Brooks was brought to trial on February 27, 1975. 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. Dean Corll and his accomplices would take the boys to his home, where they bound and gagged the victims. [25] In January 1974, he had taken out $10,000 (equivalent to $54,946 in 2021) life insurance policies on both of his children. Known as "Candy Man," Dean Corll raped, tortured and murdered at least 27 young men in the Houston, Texas area between 1970 and 1973. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. [3] O'Bryan's sister-in-law and brother-in-law testified that on the day of Timothy's funeral, he spoke of using the money from Timothy's insurance policy to take a long vacation and buy other items. And unfortunately, it remains unknown how many others Dean Corll might have killed that Henley and Brooks didnt know about. Most victims were abducted from Houston Heights, which was then a low-income neighborhood northwest of downtown Houston. [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. But first I'm gonna have my fun! [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. A film loosely inspired by the Houston Mass Murders. "[138] Henley gave the address to the operator as 2020 Lamar Drive, Pasadena. O'Bryan then gave his son Kool-Aid to wash away the taste. Weak Joe Biden crumbles during Kabul airport blast speech as US military suffers deadliest day in a decade, 'Killer' teen Aiden Fucci, 14, told cops he pushed Tristyn Bailey after she 'touched his penis' in murder probe. Henley later compared the acceleration in the frequency of killings and the increase in the brutality exhibited by Corll towards his victims to being "like a blood lust", adding that he and Brooks would instinctively know when Corll was to announce that he "needed to do a new boy," due to the fact that he would appear restless, smoking cigarettes and making reflex movements. So he started getting up and he was like, Youre not going to do anything to me.'. [59], Six weeks after the double murder of Glass and Yates, on January 30, 1971, Brooks and Corll encountered two teenage brothers, Donald and Jerry Waldrop, walking toward their parents' home. before he was strangled. Henley's appeal was upheld and he was awarded a retrial in December 1978. The revamped business was called the Corll Candy Company, and Corlls mother started it in the Houston Heights area. Henley managed to convince Corll to untie him, saying he'd help with the torture and murders. Scott was tied to the torture board and suffered the same fate as Aguirre: rape, torture, strangulation, and burial at High Island Beach. After this look at Dean Corll, the Candy Man killer, read up on the horrific story of serial killer Ed Kemper. All the bodies showed signs of being sodomised while others had been sexually tortured, including by having their genitals cut off, or having objects inserted into their rectum. "[127] He then repeatedly kicked Williams in the chest[30] before lifting Henley to his feet, dragging him into his kitchen and placing a .22-caliber pistol against his stomach, threatening to shoot him. Several victims were friends of one or both of Corll's accomplices; others were individuals with whom Corll had himself become acquainted prior to their abduction and murder,[16][38] and two other victims, Billy Baulch and Gregory Malley Winkle, were former employees of Corll Candy Company. 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. Ronald C. OBryan P.S. Ultimately, Henley was convicted of six murders and sentenced to six life sentences for his role in the crimes. [124], Corll then handed Henley a hunting knife and ordered him to cut away Williams's clothes,[131] insisting that, while he would rape and kill Kerley, Henley would do likewise to Williams. [155] Another wooden crate with air holes drilled in the sides was found in Corll's backyard. August 8, 1973 - Pasadena Police receive a call for help from a young man who claimed he killed his friend. Join our global team of talent. But behind his sweet smile, Dean Corll had a dark secret: He was a serial killer who murdered at least 28 young men and boys in the early 1970s. Corll and his accomplices buried 17 of their victims in a rented boat shed; four other victims were buried in woodland near Lake Sam Rayburn; one victim was buried on a beach in Jefferson County; and at least six victims were buried on a beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. Dean Corll quickly built up a rapport with these teens. [288] In addition, his T-shirt bore a handwritten inscription believed to read either "LB4MF", "LBHMF",[286] or "L84MF". [287], This unidentified victim was found buried near the entrance to the boat shed between the bodies of Steven Sickman and Ruben Haney, whereas the bodies of the victims killed between December 1970 and May 1971 were found buried at the rear of the shed. Police also found a plywood torture board measuring 8 by 3 feet (2.44 by 0.91m) with handcuffs attached to nylon rope at two corners, and nylon ropes to the other two. [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. His defense mainly drew upon the decades-old[31] urban legend concerning a "mad poisoner" who hands out Halloween candy laced with poison or needles or candy apples with razor blades inserted. [22]:3647, Corll was drafted into the United States Army on August 10, 1964,[5] and assigned to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for basic training. [309] No direct link in these arrests to Corll was proven, as the HPD declined to pursue any possible link to the killings, stating they felt Corll's victims' families had "suffered enough. [22]:3669 Henley was not charged with the death of Corll, which prosecutors ruled on September 18 had been committed in self-defense. Prater was last seen by his mother in Dallas in the company of an adult male and two teenage youths with shoulder-length hair; he had previously lived in the same neighborhood as most of Corll's known victims and had attended the same high school as Henley between 1970 and 1971. [13], Timothy's death from poisoned Halloween candy raised fear in the community. At A+E Networks EMEA, we share stories that matter. Following the decision to terminate the search for victims' bodies in August 1973, one lieutenant from the HPD is known to have remarked: "I don't know if [we have] found all the bodies or not", before adding, "What difference does it make?". [275], Corll's only known unidentified victimthe sixteenth body found in the boat shedwas in an advanced stage of decomposition at the time of his discovery, leading investigators to deduce that he had likely been killed in 1971 or 1972. Henley admitted he had assisted Corll in several abductions and murders, and that he had actively participated in the torture and mutilation of "six or eight" victims prior to their murder. Henley likely was lured to Corll's address as an intended victim. Dean Corll pretended to be an ordinary electrician and many people bought the facade. Corll was initially furious with Henley for bringing a girl to his home, but he seemed to calm down and offered the group alcohol and cannabis. [49], Corll killed his first known victim, an 18-year-old college freshman named Jeffrey Konen, on September 25, 1970. [7] Judge Michael McSpadden scheduled a third execution date for October 31, 1982, the eighth anniversary of the crime, and he offered to personally drive O'Bryan to the death chamber. [110], In July 1973, after Brooks married his pregnant fiance,[30] 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. [220], Henley's retrial began on June 18, 1979. In his closing argument to the jury, District Attorney Carol Vance apologized for his not being able to seek the death penalty, adding that the case was the "most extreme example of man's inhumanity to man I have ever seen. With the help of two accomplices, The Candy Man abducted, raped, and tortured at least 28 teenage boys between . Dean looked up and he was surprised. This enticement was typically an offer of a party or a lift, and the victim would be driven to Corll's house. That's what he was telling you about his presence. Corll's family had owned a candy factory, and the always-smiling man was known to give out sweets to childrenhence the nickname. Just a few months later in December, Dean Corll abducted two teenage boys and tied them to his bed in his home. Brooks later died in prison in 2020 of COVID-19. At A+E Networks EMEA youll find a team of innovative, creative and collaborative people who embrace change and want to continually try new things. The couple identified two of the men as Corll and Henley. That evening, Simoneaux is known to have phoned his mother's home and to have shouted the word "Mama" into the receiver[94] before the connection was terminated. Inyo County Sheriff's Office. After learning that O'Bryan had visited a chemical supply store in Houston to buy cyanide shortly before Halloween 1974 (he left without purchasing anything after learning the smallest amount available to purchase was five pounds), police began to suspect that Ronald O'Bryan had laced the candies with poison in an effort to kill his children to collect on their life insurance policies. Corll told Henley he was mad about bringing a girl to the house, adding: "I'm gonna kill you all! Henley suggested to Kerley and Williams that they should simply leave, to which Kerley replied, "No, we should call the police." The Supreme Court delayed the date yet again to give O'Bryan a chance to pursue an appeal to seek a new trial. Prater is known to have continued to visit his father in Houston during weekends after he moved with his mother to Dallas. [30], 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. [14] The parents of the fifth child became hysterical when they could not locate the candy after being notified by the police. There are two suspiciously long gaps between known victims in the chronology of Corll's known murders. That's the urban legend at the heart of the new Candyman film released today but a real life serial killer with the same nickname was even more terrifying. [22][23] At the time of his arrest, he was suspected of theft at his job at Texas State Optical and was close to being fired. Friends and co-workers testified that in the months before Timothy's death, O'Bryan showed an "unusual interest" in cyanide and spoke about how much it would take to kill a person. One of these three victims, 15-year-old Randell Harvey, was last seen by his family on the afternoon of March 9 cycling towards Oak Forest,[63] where he worked part-time as a gas station attendant. [165] After the recovery of the eighth body from the boat shed was completed at 11:55 p.m., the investigation was discontinued until the next day. And the following year, Corll killed his first known victim: 18-year-old Jeffrey Konen. He was reportedly unhappy in the service and was discharged 10 months later. [312], 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. To those close to me, know in your hearts I love you one and all. [68] The identities of both of these victims remain unknown. The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man: Directed by Pete Jacelone. Also, to anyone I have offended in any way during my 39 years, I pray and ask your forgiveness, just as I forgive anyone who offended me in any way. The three teenagers began drinking and smoking marijuana, with Henley and Kerley also sniffing paint fumes as Corll watched them intently. [CDATA[// >