He said, "Dean had been training me to react, to react fast and to react, greatly. Of course I said yesego would dictate that. In an interview with Texas Monthly, Henley said Corll, who was in his early 30s, seemed like a "quiet" and friendly man, who simply liked spending time with the teens. He does NOT deserve to have any compassion for any illness as my brother was not even treated with basic humanity.. The compassionate release process, which is confidential, first requires the board to consider whether Henleys request is based on a legitimate medical condition or other hardship covered under the law. He also allowed them to stay at his home when they did not have anywhere else to go. Corll dragged the two victims into his bedroom and tied them to his torture board. As he taunted Kerley and Williams, Henley entered the bedroom holding Corlls gun. Another project entirely brings me to Houston, and yet it seems quite proper while here to be dealing with Henley, a commodity as valuable as a state bank charter or a fast-food franchise. Henley will shortly be sentenced to 594 years by a San Antonio court, but that is a formality. I'm an accomplice to a serial killer. "I thought I was looking at Hannibal Lector," she said of her first meeting with Henley. Murder mystery: Houston serial killer 'Candy Man's' last victim still Corll was an average, submissive student who played the trombone in the Vidor school band, on the outskirts of Beaumont. 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. Within a week he led authorities to 27 clandestine graves. At first I wondered what it was like to kill someone, Henley once said. If I did go, I knew Dean would go after one of my little brothers, who he always liked a little too much.". Elmer is one of the most respected voice actors in the business. Corlls apartment provided a place to waste time. Henley realized that the candy shop operated by Corlls motherwhere her son constructed a giant frog with red eyes that lit up when the telephone rang, for the amusement of childrenwas a store he had visited earlier. Both survived, and Corlls murder was ruled justifiable homicide. Once the teenagers passed out, Corll tied up and gagged all three of them. The two became friends and often played truant together. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. In the years since, a judge told her to forget about that night, her family abandoned her, she's had death threats and she's never talked about any of it -- until now. [46] In 1999 the city of Houston expressed interest in building a monument to victims of violent crime, which Henley said he would be willing to help pay for with part of the proceeds from a second art show. The four got high and drank beer in the living room, but Corll was apparently livid with Henley for bringing a girl to his house. Henley did not know the extent of Brooks and Corlls relationship, though he had his suspicions. And if I'm going to make a documentary, I wanted to send a powerful message.". About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Corll stayed with her through it all, obtaining a hardship discharge from the Army to return to the family candy business, this time in Houston. Thats what kept me around before he started talking about killing people. By the time he finally made an advance, I was an accomplice.. He then released Kerley and Williams, phoned the Pasadena police and subsequently confessed to his role in the Houston Mass Murders.[22]. Arkansas Online reports Brooks died on May 28, 2020, after contracting COVID-19 in prison. Other evidence included the "torture board" Corll handcuffed his victims to and the "body box" that he used to transport bodies to burial sites. 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]. It was, says Elmer Wayne Henley, snapping his fingers, such cool. He gave him money and provided him with a place to stay when he didnt want to go home. Henley drives that point home when, near the end of the documentary, Porras asks him if he is a serial killer. [45], A pen pal with whom Henley has corresponded has also organized several exhibitions of his artwork. Most capital murderers are ineligible for compassionate release in Texas: That path is not available to those sentenced to death or life without parole. Henley says his father also beat him and once fired a pistol at him. "I also said he would have a chance to apologize and say what he feels.". Sometime in the following month, an 18-year-old named Willard Karmon Branch Jr. was emasculated and shot before his body was buried in Corll's boat shed. During his trial, Henley's written confessions were read. When Elmer woke up he was laying on his stomach and felt Dean Corll trying to handcuff him. I didnt have to do nothing but steal. As reported by ABC13, Henley's last victim was Dean Corll who was known throughout Houston, Texas, as the Candy Man. One of them is his. His voice can be very soft or very loud, depending on what the situation is, and he can be quite serious or very funny. Forty-five years ago this August, Houston's most notorious serial killer met his end. There is a coziness here that goes beyond sweating together. But Henley wanted money. It focuses on FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench as well as Dr. Wendy Carr as they interview many of America's most famous serial killers in the hopes of gaining some insight into their methodology and having a better shot at catching criminals like them before their body count continues to grow. Delivering up friends was easier, less risky, more prestigious. [7] Initially, Henley was oblivious to the true extent of Corll's and Brooks' relationship. Huffine pointed out that the video's purpose was to encourage parents and children to become more aware of their surroundings. Even with a COVID-19 epidemic that rendered prison conditions infinitely more hazardous, Texas officials reported granting compassionate release to very few. Elmer Wayne Henley feels many things, remorse not among them. The identity of this first victim in whose abduction Henley assisted remains unknown. On August 13, 1973, a grand jury convened in Harris County to hear evidence against Henley and Brooks. 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.. Im glad now Im not hiding it, waiting, and Dean aint out there killing little kids. Psycho killer Elmer Wayne Henley - YouTube Corll slumped naked against the wall, dead. When Elmer Wayne Henley contacted authorities that August day in 1973, he initially stated that he killed only one man Dean Corll. I feel remorse because Im supposed to, he says, and he is laughing. Dean Corll began his spree as a serial killer when he murdered his first victim in September 1970. 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. In 1991, 48 Hours produced a segment on the Houston Mass Murders, which included an interview with Henley in prison. Porras initially set out to interview "anybody on death row," she said. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr, a gray-haired 66-year-old serving six life sentences for his role in Houstons most notorious serial killings, is requesting compassionate release from Texas prison, according to letters some victims families recently received. Porras was reluctant to say whether she considered Henley sincere in his thoughts, saying simply, "I think (the documentary) sends a powerful message. On July 16th, the jury reached their verdict in less than an hour: guilty on all six counts. Henley fired a round at Corll, hitting him in the forehead. He had brought enough people to Corll to know what would happen. A decade later, Henley was interviewed by filmmaker Teana Schiefen Porras for her documentary Decisions and Visions. Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. | Mindhunter Wiki | Fandom Porras got together with Silver Rock Productions also using her inestimable networking skills: her father, Jack Schiefen, knows Malcolm Phillips, the film's audio person. Bettmann/Getty Images (l.) / Netflix (r.), Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (left) is portrayed by Robert Aramayo in the Netflix series. Texas officials rarely grant compassionate release, though people who are terminally ill, permanently disabled or elderly are potentially eligible for whats called medically recommended intensive supervision. On July 25, Henley lured two friends of his named Charles Cobble and Marty Jones to Corll's apartment where, two days later, Cobble was shot and Jones strangled before the youths were buried in Corll's boat shed. Some of the torture devices found in the home of Dean Corll. Now that youve read about serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., check out the story of Barbara Daly Baekeland, who tried to cure her sons homosexuality with incest causing him to stab her to death. And people knew that if you ran around with me, you ran around with broads.. Serial killer Henley grants interview - Chron 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. I had Dean in a corner, see, and he told me, You wont kill me. I shot himcoollyuntil I ran out of bullets. As promised, Henley was paid $200 the next day. I stepped aside, he ran through the door, and I shot him once in the back of the shoulder, and twice in the small of the back. In August 1973, Henley, then 17, shirtless and jittery from a night of partying, was arrested and confessed to participating in a murder, rape, and torture ring led by Dean Corll, a Houston electrician and former candy maker with no criminal history. Henley was offered the same fee as Brooks ($200) for any boy whom he could bring to Corll.[10][11]. Williams, who was jailed and hospitalized for a time, was let go and told to forget and never speak of that night again. Dr. Sharon Derrick is among those interviewed for the documentary. Thats exactly what I did. I mean, you see people getting strangled on television and it looks easy. Their discovery began when they first saw the dead body of Dean Corll. Hunter and prey were products of divided families that owed more allegiance to the hardscrabble farms of the past than to the pavement of the present. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. He was not the only searcherjust the most cunning and desperate, and quite mad. Lise has investigated many twisted Texas tales, including crooked judges, an unjust execution, massive environmental disasters, myriad cases of corporate and public corruption, and unsolved serial killings. The fact that he did work, wasnt a wild drunk, got along with kids and people in generalthats what started it.. 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. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. In an interview for a 2002 documentary film, Henley said, I needed Deans approval. 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. Bettmann/Getty ImagesElmer Wayne Henley with police at High Island Beach on Aug. 10, 1973. 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. The State of Texas presented a total of 82 pieces of evidence . On August 8, 1973 Dean Corll was upset with Elmer Henly as the then seventeen year old had brought a girl back to the house. Henley told the interviewer he believed he had been reformed and that he was under the spell of Corll. Deans front was wholesome and masculine. Three years before his death, his mother had sent him an inspirational book entitled This Thing Called You. In his opinion, Corll would have "been proud" of the way he killed him. Some say it's too much", "One of Houston's most notorious killers has Facebook page", "Real Horror: Local Filmmaker Brings the Horrific Crimes of Dean Corll to the Silver Screen", "Investigation Discovery Reveals Who Is Most Evil with Leading Forensic Psychologist Dr. Kris Mohandie On Sunday, December 7", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elmer_Wayne_Henley&oldid=1146493240, 7 (including Corll, which was ruled to be self-defense), "All I ask is that they look at my artwork firstit may be the only contribution I can give to society.". I thought divorce was a good idea, and I told him so. I was an ignorant, stupid child. His homosexuality played second fiddle to this aura of experience and latent power, as viewed in the boys narrow perspective. The officers who were dispatched had no inkling that they were about to uncover the most heinous and horrifying killing spree the nation had ever seen up until that point. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. Henley is incarcerated in the Stiles Unit in Jefferson County. As had been the case with Frank Aguirre, Scott was raped, tortured, strangled and buried at High Island Beach before another two Heights youths, Billy Gene Baulch Jr. and Johnny Ray Delome, were also murdered and buried at High Island on May 21. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. Sex didnt become a factor until later. Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr is currently serving six life sentences for participating in a murder, rape, and torture ring when he was a teenager. The lawyer and his young partners want to sell Henley's life story to recover their fees, and they. However, in early 1972, he decided he would "help find a boy" for Corll, as he was in dire financial circumstances. Not all of the serial murder victims were immediately identified. 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. Henley's conviction was overturned on appeal on December 20, 1978. Porras said she spoke with Henley for four hours, sans notebook, recorder or any journalistic accoutrements. The three drove back to Corlls apartment, and Henley left. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. David Brooks parents were also divorced, so were the parents of most of the victims. He was still talking about organized theft, and wanting to know in case was I cornered, was I willing to off the guy. White fatigues hang open at the neck, revealing a sunken chest and the colorless flesh of the restricted prisoner. The night of Aug. 8, 1973, Henley shot and killed Corll. He would later develop a minor criminal record, being arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in 1971 and burglary one year later. [12][31] Throughout his trial, Henley was represented by Will Gray and Edwin Pegelow. Other pieces of evidence presented included the wooden box used to transport the victims' bodies to the various burial sites and the plywood body board upon which many victims had been restrained. The couple divorced in 1970 when Henley was 14. Henley's motherwho worked as a cashier at a parking lot[4]retained custody of her four sons. [1]:46[n 1], In the winter of 1971, when he was 15, Wayne Henley was again taken by David Brooks to meet Corll. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. was born May 9, 1956, to Elmer Wayne Henley Sr. and Mary Henley in Houston, Texas. He was 18 years old at the time of his conviction. Brooks accompanied Henley and the police to High Island Beach on Aug. 10, 1973, where they recovered another six bodies. Partners must notify. Serial killer Dean Corll's lone female survivor recalls attack At the end of the conversation, Henley told Porras, "You have your interview. How Galvestonians used to dance until they dropped (for fun), a former figure skater turned journalist, and other Lone Star State stories. However, he eventually confessed that he, Corll, and Brooks, worked together to kill at least 28 young men and boys. All of the Texas Observers articles are available for free syndication for news sources under the following conditions: You can chip in for as little as 99 cents a month. Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. (born May 9, 1956) is a convicted American serial killer, incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. Filmed when he was 42 years old . Corll was known throughout the community as the Candy Man, as his parents owned a candy company. However, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks did not become involved until later that same year when, as reported by All That's Interesting, Corll began offering Henley and Brooks money to lure other teenage boys to his home. 'Mindhunter' season 2 episode 4 review and recap: Chilling ending [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. 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]. reds and greens. Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox. Henley is currently housed in Texas' Mark W. Michael Unit. My only regret is that Dean isnt here now, Henley would say afterward, so I could tell him what a good job I did killing him., Hed of been proud of the way I did it, he added, if he wasnt proud before he died.. Less than one month later, Henley and Brooks persuaded another friend of theirs, 17-year-old Mark Scott, to attend a party at Corll's home. I stayed around because there was no reason for me to leave. the Texanist, is a staff writer. According to Texas Monthly, Henley and Brooks began roaming the Houston Heights neighborhood, smoking marijuana, drinking beer, and shooting pool. Their parents seemed unwilling or incapable of providing direction. 15-year-old Michael Baulch was the younger brother of Billy Gene Baulch Jr., who was murdered the previous spring. Corll dragged Aguirre to his bedroom and secured him to his torture board where he was raped, tortured and strangled before being buried at High Island Beach. Dean Corll Serial Killer The Candy Man For years, Corll had used Henley and another teen as procurers to lure victims. One day, Brooks walked in on Corll raping two teenage boys. Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. & Dean Corll documentary clip Corll provided him inspiration, and a program, but at some point the apprentice seems to have surpassed the master. Henley then shot Corll once in the forehead. David Courtney, a.k.a. Instead, he was held several days and tortured before being murdered and buried in Corlls rented boatshed. During his trial, Henleys written confessions were read. Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. vs. Henley eventually killed Corll and then confessed his crimes to police. When that didnt kill him, Henley shot him five more times in the back and shoulder. Eventually he calmed down and would give the two teenagers alcohol and drugs. He is known for his distinctive voice and his ability to convey emotion through his voice. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., 17, leads law enforcement agents along a grassy dune on a beach at High Island, Texas. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr, a gray-haired 66-year-old serving six life sentences for his role in Houston's most notorious serial killings, is requesting compassionate . Williams was just 15 when she. Promotional materials distributed by your outlet, including all social media work, must include cites for the Observer and our reporter. A 'Game of Thrones' Actor Plays One of the Murderers on 'Mindhunter' 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 the episode of "Mindhunter" explores, Henley would help lure victims to the 33-year-old serial killer Dean A. Corll. On the evening of August 8, Henley confessed to police that for almost three years, he and David Brooks had helped procure teenage boys some of whom had been their own friends for Dean Corll. Im glad I got it over with, telling. To appease Corll, Henley told him they could rape and kill Kerley and Williams together. He was hoping to get enough money together to take his girlfriend to the latest James Bond movie. Bail was set at $100,000. "I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live.". They had a little dinner tray they put on the edge of the bed to hold the cups. White adults drink Pearl beer in Billies Gold Brick, and more than a few teenagers risk mind-dissolving highs by baggingspraying acrylic paint into paper sacks, and breathing the fumes. Elmer Wayne Henley: The Truth About The Person Who Killed The - Grunge The truth is that some of the victims were traveling no further than the corner store (one on his bicycle), that for three years Houston authorities did nothing but add names to a list on a clipboard. He told them that Corll had been killing boys for the past two-and-a-half years and burying many of them at Southwest Boat Storage, according to the Houston Chronicle. I shot him once in the forehead; my hand went down, and I shot him twice in the shoulder. Henley and Kerley later returned to Corll's home in the company of a 15-year-old girl named Rhonda Williams. According to Williams, something in Henley appeared to have snapped that night: He stood at my feet, and just all of a sudden told Dean this couldnt keep going on, he couldnt let him keep killing his friends and that it had to stop, she recalled. He never really impressed me as masculine unless he was lifting something. He stated that Brooks had also been an active accomplice albeit for a longer period of time than he. I asked if he sleeps at night, and he doesnt. He overreacted, out of meanness. Henley then fired a further three rounds into the rear of his right shoulder and upper back, killing him. This exhibition drew outrage from some victims' relatives. Here Henley and a schoolmate, David Brooks, failed the ninth grade together, skipping, smoking a little weed, shooting pool.. That's exactly what I did." Corll then dragged Henley by his cuffed hands into his kitchen and placed a .22 caliber pistol against his stomach, threatening to shoot him. 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. Despite the abuse, Mary Henley tried to ensure that her children received a good education and stayed out of trouble. From the moment Brooks and Corll met, Corll took advantage of Brooks vulnerability: Brooks father was a bully who constantly chastised his son for being weak. 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. There he gave free candy to young boys, and entertained them in a back room outfitted with a pool table and the big green frog whose eyes lit up when the phone rang. 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. Henley was convicted in 1974[1]:219 for his role as a participant in a series of murders known colloquially as the Houston Mass Murders in which a minimum of 28 teenage boys and young men were abducted, tortured, raped and murdered by Dean Corll between 1970 and 1973. Henley and David Owen Brooks (Corll's other teenage accomplice), together and individually, lured many of the victims to Corll's home. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. He was a loner in his own right. The lawyer and his young partners want to sell Henleys life story to recover their fees, and they see this exclusive interview as a kind of literary screen test. Elmer Wayne Henley is a convicted serial killer involved in a series of murders in Houston. Henley began cutting away the girl's clothes as Corll placed the pistol upon a table, undressed and climbed on top of Kerley. He and I can get along for a little while, when hes half sober and Im half sober.. Henley was friends with two of the youths, David Hilligiest and Gregory Malley Winkle, who had disappeared on May 29, 1971, on their way to a local swimming pool. Henley is the compleat American punk, the kid your mother warned you against becoming if you let smoking stunt your growth. Wikimedia CommonsElmer Wayne Henley (left) and David Owen Brooks (right) in 1973. Corll agreed and untied Henley, then carried Kerley and Williams into his bedroom and tied them to opposite sides of his plywood torture board: Kerley on his stomach; Williams on her back. At the age of 15, Henley dropped out of high school. When they questioned Henley about the items, he completely broke down. 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. The depths of Corlls depravity soon started to come to light. He had a big build, but he was flabby. Elmer Wayne Henley first became eligible for parole on July 8, 1980; on this occasionand each successive parole hearing to datehe has been denied parole. Bettmann/Getty ImagesElmer Wayne Henley Jr., 17, leads law enforcement agents along a grassy dune on a beach at High Island, Texas. Henley will shortly be sentenced to 594 years by a San Antonio court, but that is a formality. Henley exchanges a few words with his attorney, and shuffles off down the hall. David Owen Brooks - Wikipedia Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon, Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today, There are a ton of great patio furniture sets on sale right now, Beat the heat with this discounted Lasko tower fan from Amazon, Apple deal: The 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop is under $2,000 on Amazon, New Texas bill would charge electric car drivers $200 annual fee, These 8 Denver-area hikes each offer something unique, Why this museum should be on every Houston kid's must-visit list, Elon Musk describes Starship flight as 'roughly what I expected', Here's how much you have to make to be 'middle class' in Houston. Dean searched for a climax he never found, says Henley. In late 1971, Brooks introduced Elmer Wayne Henley to Corll, reportedly with the intention of selling him to the serial rapist and murderer. Dean was a personal friend, as well as a source of income. [43] Brooks died of COVID-19 complications in May 2020.[44]. On October 8, Henley and Brooks were brought to court to face a formal arraignment. Corll was furious that a girl had been brought to his house, telling Henley in private he had "ruined everything." 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. [15] Henley later claimed that he attempted to talk Corll out of raping and killing Aguirre, but Corll adamantly refused. Was Texaswas the countryhoneycombed with the decomposing victims of some hidden force so demonic that it eluded ordinary perception and even memory lay buried? Before Corll was able to manacle Kerley to his torture board, the pair left Corll's home to purchase sandwiches. Two additional youths, John Sellars and Michael Baulch, were killed on July 12 and 19. Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks were both convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. [39][40][41]:7[39][42], David Brooks was tried for the June 1973 murder of Billy Ray Lawrence in February 1975. The death toll associated with the ring he joined as a junior high school dropout made international news in 1973 and continues to rise. . 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! Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you?