As fate would have it, Corll saw something promising in Henley that he hadnt seen in other boys, and he became a twisted mentor of sorts for the troubled 15-year-old. Henley told the interviewer he believed he had been reformed and that he was under the spell of Corll. Not all of the serial murder victims were immediately identified. Is Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. Still In Jail? 'Mindhunter' Season 2 - Bustle But as far as any emotion to it, theres no heartfelt emotion.. Cato allowed Henley the use of his mobile radio telephone to call Henley's mother, at which time Henley blurted the words, "Mama, I killed Dean," into the receiver, confessing to her that he had killed Dean Corll, all while Cato was capturing the conversation on film. This is the company's first production outside of the corporate world, according to Huffine. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. Forty-five years ago this August, Houston's most notorious serial killer met his end. Based on the real cases of former special agent John E. Douglas, Netflix's Mindhunter features chilling dramatized interviews with serial killers. . Looking back, I can see he was carrying a burden he was trying to. Nonetheless, between June and July 1973: Henley, Brooks and Corll killed a further seven victims between the ages of fifteen and twenty, at least five of whom Henley participated in either the abduction or murder. Corll was known throughout the community as the Candy Man, as his parents owned a candy company. Two additional youths, John Sellars and Michael Baulch, were killed on July 12 and 19. No one had the energy to discover what was common knowledge among students: that any kid who wanted could turn on and pick up a few bucks by allowing a certain fat electrician to go down on himand that some who had done so were no longer around. GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man connected with the murders of six teenagers in 1973 died Thursday in a Galveston hospital while in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,. reds and greens. The pair then drove around Houston Heights and, at the corner of 11th and Studewood, Henley persuaded a youth to enter Corll's Plymouth GTX. I owe my life to them., He describes his grandfathera hard-working baker who died when Henley was only sevenwith a term that for him is close to adulation. Families of Corlls victims have actively opposed parole for Henley for decades. Seven minutes from true crime documentary, "THE KILLING OF AMERICA," on the infamous Henley/Corll Houston torture - murder case. During his trial, Henleys written confessions were read. In July 1974, Elmer Wayne Henleys trial began in San Antonio. Henley remembers sitting on his grandparents bed in the morning, while they drank coffee and read the Houston Post his fondest recollection, set close to that of survival. One of those killed was 13-year-old. [36] He was tried for a second time in June 1979 and was again convicted of six murders and again sentenced to six life terms although to run concurrently rather than consecutively. Dean had been training me to react, to react fast and to react, greatly. Bettmann/Getty ImagesElmer Wayne Henley Jr., 17, leads law enforcement agents along a grassy dune on a beach at High Island, Texas. The footage played several times on KPRC-TV's local news and was picked up for nationwide broadcast by NBC Nightly News that evening.[23]. Both were later buried in the boat shed. Elmer Wayne Henley: The Truth About The Person Who Killed The - Grunge So he started getting up and he was like, Youre not going to do anything to me,' she continued. We rely on the generosity of our readers who believe that this work is important. He assumed that the boy had been sold to the Dallas organization Corll was a part of but he later found out that Corll had sexually assaulted the boy and then murdered him. Corll told Henley that he was involved in organized theft, and he, Brooks and Henley burgled several addresses, for which Henley was paid small sums of money. As reported by ABC13, Elmer Wayne Henley led authorities to the bodies of the majority of the victims. Elmer Wayne Henley Documentary - YouTube Excerpted from The Texans, by James Conaway,to be published this spring by Alfred A. Knopf. Corll moved to an address at Westcott Towers in June 1972 and within one month, a 17-year-old youth named Steven Sickman had been murdered. One of Texas most famous death row exonerees died before winning compensation under a law inspired by his own story. Even with a COVID-19 epidemic that rendered prison conditions infinitely more hazardous, Texas officials reported granting compassionate release to very few. Acute asthma attacks were overcome with the aid of his grandparents, who tended Henley while his mother was occupied with younger children and an unpredictable husband. Some of the torture devices found in the home of Dean Corll. He also allowed them to stay at his home when they did not have anywhere else to go. He and I can get along for a little while, when hes half sober and Im half sober.. Henley was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences of 99 years each. When Henley took the investigators there, they found 17 bodies. I wanted also to feel like I was man enough to deal with my father.. Im glad I got it over with, telling. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. I feel remorse because Im supposed to, he says, and he is laughing. Elmer Wayne Henley: The Truth About The Person Who Killed The Candy Man. Corll agreed. Deans front was wholesome and masculine. "I also said he would have a chance to apologize and say what he feels.". In fact, Henley even brought another of his friends, Frank Aguirre, to Corll. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (born May 9, 1956) is a convicted American serial killer and painter incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. He would later develop a minor criminal record, being arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in 1971 and burglary one year later. He was a loner in his own right. Henley is incarcerated in the Stiles Unit in Jefferson County. Porras said she spoke with Henley for four hours, sans notebook, recorder or any journalistic accoutrements. Before kids started coming around, we got money from Dean for thieving, for setting up places to rob. Leave them blank to get signed up. He likes Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Harold Robbins, but his appreciation of Ayn Rand reveals that individuality resides in unlikely places: I like The Fountainhead because the hero is a loner who does what everybody said he couldnt do. He was 18 years old at the time of his conviction. Initially, Henley was an excellent student at school;[1]:201 but after his parents' divorce he took a series of menial part-time jobs to help his mother with household finances, and his grades dropped sharply. His other needs would prove too complicated for ordinary sexuality, hetero or otherwise, and would match those of his mentor, but with a deadlier lack of passion. Maybe thats what started it, the divorce and all I trapped him over the head with the vacuum cleaner, and called the police.. Although he initially confessed to killing only one man, authorities soon learned Henley was one of three serial killers who abducted and killed at least 28 boys, ages 13 to 20 between 1970 and 1973. He stated that Brooks had also been an active accomplice albeit for a longer period of time than he. Wikimedia CommonsElmer Wayne Henley (left) and David Owen Brooks (right) in 1973. [29], Henley was brought to trial in San Antonio in July 1974,[30] charged with the murders of six teenage boys whom he himself had lured to Corll's apartment between March 1972 and July 1973. He sits cross-legged on a folding chair in the hospital ward of the Harris County jailhouse, laughing and brandishing a Marlboro. He said, Theyre never going to let me out, and Im OK with that.'. HBO Maxs Love & Death Needed a Home for an Axe Killer. I was an ignorant, stupid child. The State of Texas: Full, This page was last edited on 25 March 2023, at 06:41. She later said, I do believe he has remorse for what hes done. The Astrodomes Decline From Eighth Wonder to Eighth Blunder of the World, Matthew McConaughey Is Monetizing His Whole Vibe. Hope you understand, but I had to go. In his confession given almost two years later, Henley told detectives Brooks lured him to Corll's home on the promise he could participate in "a deal where I could make some money." Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. is a killer. As he did so, Williams lifted her head and asked Henley, "Is this for real?" Most capital murderers are ineligible for compassionate release in Texas: That path is not available to those sentenced to death or life without parole. Delivering up friends was easier, less risky, more prestigious. As they made their way further into the house, investigators found a catalog of disturbing items, including Corlls torture board, handcuffs, and various tools. By July 25, 1973, Henley had assisted in leading more than two dozen boys to horrific deaths at the hands of Dean Corll and himself. He was getting drunk too much, getting too rowdy. "[7], The same year, Henley became aware of an insidious pattern of disappearances in his neighborhood: since the previous December, a minimum of eight boys ages 13 to 17 had disappeared from Houston Heights. The two became friends and often played truant together. He is also a perverted product of some of those frontier values, degraded in social transition, and emerging in the crime of the decade that seems too utterly contemporary to warrant further examination. One day, Brooks walked in on Corll raping two teenage boys. His father was an alcoholic who physically assaulted his wife and sons. [7] Initially, Henley was oblivious to the true extent of Corll's and Brooks' relationship. Even with the COVID-19 epidemic rendering prison conditions infinitely more hazardous, Texas officials rarely granted compassionate release. [46] In 1997, the Hyde Park Gallery in Houston's Neartown area hosted Henley's first art show. Since the 2000s, forensic anthropologist Sharon Derrick, who formerly worked for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, restored names to several victims, including some whose disappearances had previously not been attributed to Corlls group. Once the teenagers passed out, Corll tied up and gagged all three of them. Henley, answering in a soft voice, said, "No, ma'am, I'm not a serial killer. On August 8, 1973, Elmer Wayne Henley contacted Texas' Pasadena Police Department to report he committed a murder. Read this book and help me make up for the things I was too ignorant to teach you when I was in my twenties. Four days before his death, Dean telephoned his mother in Colorado and told her he was in trouble, feared he was losing his mind, and might commit suicide. One of them is his. Dr. Sharon Derrick is among those interviewed for the documentary. Other evidence included the "torture board" Corll handcuffed his victims to and the "body box" that he used to transport bodies to burial sites. Elmer Wayne Henley (left) admired Dean Corll (right) and wanted to make him proud. I didnt think there was anything to it, but at least I did get money for it. Elmer Wayne Henley feels many things, remorse not among them. He later stated that though he admired Corll because he worked hard, he also suspected that Corll was homosexual, and concluded that Brooks was "hustling himself a queer. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. By the time Richard Kepner had been killed and buried at High Island, Henley had assisted in the abduction and murder of a minimum of nine teenage boys. As reported by Texas Monthly, Dean Corll's suggestion piqued Henley's curiosity, as he "wondered what it was like to kill someone.". As Henley claimed in an interview with Texas Monthly, Corll allegedly promised him $200 for every boy he brought to him, as part of "a homosexual porn ring in California." He is obviously pleased with his clients performance. While he insisted it was only meant to be a night of fun, not a night of torture and murder, this seems nave on Henleys part. In his opinion, Corll would have "been proud" of the way he killed him. When they began regaining consciousness, Corll stood Henley up and brought him into the kitchen, where he berated him for bringing Williams, saying hed ruined everything.. You either enjoy what you do which I did or you go crazy. Ed Kemper Interview: 5 Shocking Interviews With The 'Co-Ed Killer Corll was furious that a girl had been brought to his house, telling Henley in private he had "ruined everything." Their discovery began when they first saw the dead body of Dean Corll. But Henley was subsequently convicted of six other murders in which he actively participated. Weve got this problem of culpability, the lawyer had said earlier, when the two of us were seated outside in his dusty Cadillac, the windowsills too hot to touch. He is known for his distinctive voice and his ability to convey emotion through his voice. Although some of the victims' families were suspicious of the postcards, authorities were reluctant to investigate the disappearance of boys who appeared to be runaways. Despite the revelations to the reality of the fate of the boys brought to Corll, Henley nonetheless continued to assist Corll and Brooks in the abductions and murders of youths, who would be lured to Corll's home either alone or in pairs. However, the abuse the younger Henley endured during his early life at the hands of his father would stay with him. He told the operator that he had just shot and killed Corll and then gave them the address of Corlls house in the Houston suburb of Pasadena. However, in early 1972, he decided he would "help find a boy" for Corll, as he was in dire financial circumstances. Henley was born May 9, 1956, in Houston, Texas, the eldest of four sons born to Elmer Wayne Henley Sr. (September 21, 1938 June 18, 1986) and Mary Pauline Henley (ne Weed) (born May 4, 1937). As a result, the estimated number of victims rose to at least 29. Dean Corll obscured his crimes by forcing his victims to send postcards to their families, explaining that they left town willingly and were safe. Arkansas Online reports Brooks died on May 28, 2020, after contracting COVID-19 in prison. On February 1, 1973, Corll abducted and killed a 17-year-old youth named Joseph Lyles, apparently without the assistance of Henley, who had temporarily moved to Mount Pleasant in early 1973. You can chip in for as little as 99 cents a month. Brooks would later tell investigators that Henley seemed to enjoy causing pain, something Henley admitted was true. Bluish acne scars cover his cheeks and the back of his neck; beneath curving brows lies the intimation of his reputed IQ of 126. He overreacted, out of meanness. Henley referring to criticism of his art exhibitions. Instead, he was held several days and tortured before being murdered and buried in Corlls rented boatshed. He is currently incarcerated at Mark W. Michael Unit in Anderson County, Texas, and he will next be eligible for parole in 2025. In interviews, Henley has stated that he suffers from a severe color deficiency in his eyesight that makes it impossible for him to clearly distinguish between He beat up my mother, he beat up my mother and my grandmother once, at the same time. Henleys view of himself at that time is instructive. But through all these years, one of his victims remains unidentified. Over the next three years, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks helped Dean Corll lure more than two dozen teenagers and young men to his home where they were raped, tortured, and eventually killed. "I thought I was looking at Hannibal Lector," she said of her first meeting with Henley. You either enjoy what you dowhich I didor you go crazy. Henley will shortly be sentenced to 594 years by a San Antonio court, but that is a formality. The identity of this first victim in whose abduction Henley assisted remains unknown. My only regret is that Dean isnt here now, so I could tell him what a good job I did killing him.. At Henley's trial in 1974, one of the six bodies found buried at High Island, that of 17-year-old John Manning Sellars, was disputed as being a victim of Corll by a forensic pathologist who examined his remains. I wished I hadnt done it. Henley himself had actively participated in the search for them. [12][31] Throughout his trial, Henley was represented by Will Gray and Edwin Pegelow. All the victims found were young males and many had been sexually tortured in addition to being sexually assaulted. [46] Henley refuses to paint or draw any images of a violent or exploitative nature: many of his works depict serene imagery such as landscapes, buildings and flowers and the majority being created using acrylics and graphite. Henley unequivocally stated that since the winter of 1971, he had actively participated in the abductions and, later, the murders of the victims. As a result of Henley killing Corll and Brooks dying in prison in 2020 from COVID-19, Henley is the only one of the trio still alive. Henley suspected that Corll was homosexualI just figured David was hustling himself a queera fact that had remarkably little influence upon his opinion of Corll. August 10, 2022, 11:21 AM, CDT. I mean, you see people getting strangled on television and it looks easy. Production of a film directly based upon the Houston Mass Murders. For 26 years, Henley refused to talk to anyone in the media about those crimes. Huffine pointed out that the video's purpose was to encourage parents and children to become more aware of their surroundings. YouTubeSome of the torture devices found in the home of Dean Corll. Stantons parents, James and Elaine,and his sister Michelle definitely dont want Henley to be released and feel that he can be treated in prison for whatever is wrong with him, Michelle Wilson said via email. And if I'm going to make a documentary, I wanted to send a powerful message.". On more than 300 occasions,[34] Henley's attorneys raised objections to the testimony given or evidence presented against Henley which was overruled by the judge presiding at his trial. Im glad now Im not hiding it, waiting, and Dean aint out there killing little kids. The major interview that takes place in this episode of Mindhunter was that of Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. Henley is defensive about several things during this interview. Even after the pandemic began, that did not change. Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks were both convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Along with Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan and serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley, Kemper is one of the subjects interviewed in this morbid 1982 Japanese-American documentary. Sometimes it takes two people half an hour.. Within a week he led authorities to 27 clandestine graves. Henley says his father also beat him and once fired a pistol at him. He was charged with six counts of murder, according to The New York Times, but he was not charged with killing Corll, as the shooting was ruled self-defense. In a few weeks, he would be transferred to the Ramsey Unit of the Texas prison system. Only when Porras asks specifics about the crimes does Henley refuse to answer. Williams, who was jailed and hospitalized for a time, was let go and told to forget and never speak of that night again. The assembled jury also heard the testimony of a youth named Billy Ridinger, who had been abducted by Corll, Henley and Brooks in 1972 and who testified as to his torture and abuse at the hands of the trio. [12] At Corll's home, Corll and Henley devised a ruse in which they would lure a youth to Corll's home and Henley would then cuff his hands behind his back, release himself, then con the victim into placing the handcuffs upon himself. The next day, Corll paid Henley $200. Henley did not know the extent of Brooks and Corlls relationship, though he had his suspicions. In Atlas Shrugged, I liked the little utopia of the working people. Once Corll had raped and murdered Aguirre, Henley, Brooks, and Corll buried him at a beach near Houston called High Island. However, he eventually confessed that he, Corll, and Brooks, worked together to kill at least 28 young men and boys. Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks were both convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Elmer Wayne Henley - Wikipedia Between 1970 and 1973, Dean Corll, aided by David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., killed 26 young men in the Heights area of Houston. When asked how he felt about killing his friend and mentor, Elmer Wayne Henley told Texas Monthly he did exactly what Dean Corll trained him to do. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. Following advice from his defense counsel, Henley did not take the stand to testify in his own defense, although one of his attorneys, Will Gray, did cross examine a number of witnesses. The parents of the rings last known murder victim, 13-year-old James Stanton Dreymala, are among those who were alarmed after receiving notification of Henleys compassionate release request. Henley's conviction was overturned on appeal on December 20, 1978. Elmer Wayne Henley initially ignored Corlls offer, only changing his mind in early 1972 because he needed the money but Henleys later actions suggest that the money was only part of it. Henleys earliest memory is of near suffocation. Andy Kahan, the victim advocate for Houston Crime Stoppers, said that several murder other victims relatives are concerned and angry about the request. He already has begun a social media campaign to ask others to contact the board to oppose Henleys release. Course Corrections: The Return of Prison Education, Clarence Brandley: Unjustly Convicted, Overdue for Justice, Mapping the Legacy of Prison Hunger Strikes in Texas, Last Dance with Ann Richards: Best Texas Books of 2022. It was, says Elmer Wayne Henley, snapping his fingers, such cool. On October 3, Henley assisted Corll in the abduction and murder of two Heights boys named Wally Simoneaux and Richard Hembree. Within the last year, Henley provided information about other possible clandestine graves to Tim Miller, the founder and executive director of Texas EquuSearch. His mother married a salesman, divorced him, later married a merchant seaman and divorced again. Bail was set at $100,000. I hated to lose my father, but since then weve just had a little friction. Dean Corll Serial Killer The Candy Man Because Holden and Bill are busy in Atlanta, Wendy and Gregg meet with Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., the mentee of "The Candyman" Dean Corll who acted as an accomplice to . He could be around people, but still you never knew what Dean Corll was doing. You won't do it!" A 'Game of Thrones' Actor Plays One of the Murderers on 'Mindhunter' Dean Corll began his spree as a serial killer when he murdered his first victim in September 1970. Henley asserted that the only murder he took part in was Corll, the man who was killing . . Sex didnt become a factor until later. When he instructed Henley and Brooks to bring him boys, instead of stolen television sets, to be sold to a fictitious white-slave market in Dallas for $200 apiece, they complied. Despite his horror at the realization, Henley didnt tell the police what Corll had done. If I were you, I wouldnt want to know., Houston Heights is a seedy, lower-middle-class enclave with horizons limited to once-fashionable homes divided into low-rent apartments, and guarded by pickups on concrete blocks. When they questioned Henley about the items, he completely broke down. He does NOT deserve to have any compassion for any illness as my brother was not even treated with basic humanity.. So when I did something, I enjoyed it, and didnt dwell on it later.. They made their billions, but they werent going to be controlled by the government.. [27]:161 Henley was not charged with the death of Dean Corll, which was ruled self-defense. Elmer Wayne Henley said Corll eventually offered him and David Brooks money to commit petty crimes including theft. Wikimedia CommonsDean Corll was viewed as a friend to many children in Houston. [39][40][41]:7[39][42], David Brooks was tried for the June 1973 murder of Billy Ray Lawrence in February 1975. On July 16th, the jury reached their verdict in less than an hour: guilty on all six counts. Dad was always beating up on my little brothers. "I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live.". Henley replied in the affirmative and Williams then asked Henley whether he intended to "do anything about it," upon which Henley grabbed the pistol Corll had laid on a bedside table and ordered Corll to stop what he was doing, shouting, "You've gone far enough, Dean! At one point during the trial, Mullican testified that Henley had informed him that in order to restrain the youths; he, Brooks and Corll had "handcuffed (the victims) to the board and sometimes to a wall with their mouths taped so they couldn't make any noise".[33]. Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks were childhood friends, who met and became friends with Dean Corll when they were in their teens. I thought divorce was a good idea, and I told him so. Filmed when he was 42 years old . 2021 The Texas Observer. Stanton Dreymala was out riding his bike and looking for glass soda bottles to redeem for cash deposits when he was lured to Corlls last home in Pasadena in August 1973. Henleys mother told police that Dean Corll was like a father to Wayne. Corll was himself the product of quarreling parents, who divorced when he was young, remarried, divorced again; his mother traveled around the South in a trailer, started a candy business with the help of a dutiful son. Between August 8 and 13, 1973, a total of 27 boys between the ages of 13 and 20 were found buried at the three locations Henley (and later, Brooks) had stated they and Corll had buried the victims, with an additional victim being discovered in 1983. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. Both Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., now in their late 50s, are serving life prison terms for their part in luring the boys to Corll's home, where they were sexually assaulted and killed.. Elmer Wayne Henley - Trial and Conviction | Trial Conviction If a child in opulent River Oaks had disappeared, the force would have mobilized, but those reported missing in the Heights were considered de facto trash, and expected to drift. At first I wondered what it was like to kill someone. Murder mystery: Houston serial killer 'Candy Man's' last victim still [7] Through his acquaintance with Brooks, Henley became aware that his friend spent a lot of his free time in the company of an older man with whom he himself gradually became a casual acquaintance: Dean Corll.
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