Dean Arnold Corll: The Houston Mass Murders

Dean Arnold Corll (December 24, 1939 – August 8, 1973) is remembered as one of America’s most sadistic serial killers. Known infamously as the “Candy Man” because his family owned a candy company in Houston, Texas, Corll orchestrated a reign of terror from 1970 to 1973. During this time, he abducted, raped, tortured, and murdered at least 29 boys and young men with the help of two teenage accomplices: David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley.

The shocking scale of his crimes, uncovered only after Henley turned on Corll and shot him to death, made the Houston Mass Murders one of the most disturbing cases in U.S. history.

Early Life and Background

Dean Corll was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1939. He had a strained childhood, marked by his parents’ divorce and frequent relocations. After his family moved to Houston Heights, Corll grew up quiet and introverted. He worked at his family’s candy company, the Pecan Prince, where he gained his nickname, “the Candy Man.”

Although seemingly polite to neighbors and known for handing out free candy to children, Corll harbored disturbing impulses. His interactions with teenage boys escalated beyond casual friendships. By the mid-1960s, he had already attracted suspicion for inappropriate relationships, but no charges were ever filed.

The Emergence of Accomplices

Corll’s crimes might never have reached their gruesome scale without his ability to recruit teenage accomplices. In the late 1960s, he befriended David Owen Brooks, a troubled boy who looked up to him almost like a father figure. Corll manipulated Brooks with gifts, cash, and eventually sexual favors.

By 1970, Brooks was helping lure boys to Corll’s apartment. Soon after, Corll recruited Elmer Wayne Henley, then only 15 years old. Henley initially resisted Corll’s advances but was persuaded when Corll offered money for bringing victims. Henley later admitted that Corll told him each boy was being trafficked to a mysterious sex ring, a claim that allowed Henley to rationalize his involvement — at least in the beginning.

The Murders

Between 1970 and 1973, Corll, Brooks, and Henley abducted teenage boys and young men, most of them from the Houston Heights area. Many were runaways, hitchhikers, or even acquaintances of the accomplices themselves.

The victims were lured with promises of rides, parties, or cash. Once inside Corll’s home, the boys were handcuffed or tied to a plywood torture board. Corll subjected them to unimaginable acts of sexual assault and torture before ultimately strangling or shooting them.

Bodies were disposed of in rented boatsheds, remote beaches, and wooded areas around Houston. Corll often returned to the gravesites, sometimes to add lime to accelerate decomposition.

The Discovery of the Crimes

On August 8, 1973, Corll’s reign of terror ended abruptly. That night, Henley brought two friends — 19-year-old Timothy Kerley and 15-year-old Rhonda Williams — to Corll’s house. Corll became enraged that Henley had brought a girl, and after a heated argument, he bound all three teenagers at gunpoint.

For hours, Corll threatened to kill them. In a shocking turn, Henley convinced Corll to untie him, claiming he would help with the murders. Once freed, Henley picked up Corll’s pistol and shot him six times, killing him instantly.

When police arrived, Henley immediately confessed. His revelations led investigators to mass graves that contained the remains of dozens of boys. By the end of the investigation, 27 bodies had been recovered, with estimates that Corll may have killed at least 29 victims.

Shockwaves Across America

The sheer brutality of the Houston Mass Murders stunned the nation. At the time, it was considered the worst serial murder case in U.S. history. The fact that two teenagers had been drawn into the crimes horrified the public even more, raising questions about manipulation, peer pressure, and the vulnerability of youth.

Families of the victims, many of whom had been dismissed as runaways, were devastated by the discovery. The case exposed shortcomings in how missing persons reports were handled, particularly for teenage boys in working-class neighborhoods.

Brooks and Henley: The Accomplices

After Corll’s death, his accomplices faced justice. David Owen Brooks was sentenced to life in prison in 1975 for his role in the murders. He died behind bars in 2020 at the age of 65.

Elmer Wayne Henley, despite being the one who killed Corll and exposed the crimes, was also sentenced to life imprisonment in 1974. Henley testified in court that he had participated in several murders himself. He remains in prison to this day, having been denied parole multiple times.

Both young men claimed they were manipulated by Corll, but their active participation in the crimes ensured they were held accountable.

Legacy of Horror

Dean Corll’s killing spree left a legacy of horror that still lingers in Houston. The case is frequently cited in criminology studies as a chilling example of manipulation, coercion, and unchecked sadism.

The nickname “Candy Man” has become synonymous with Corll, highlighting the contrast between his seemingly friendly exterior and the monstrous reality of his crimes. His story also underscored the need for better law enforcement coordination and improved processes in handling missing children cases.

Timeline of Key Events

• December 24, 1939 – Dean Arnold Corll is born in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
• 1960s – Corll works at the family candy company in Houston Heights, gaining the nickname “Candy Man.”
• 1967–1968 – Corll befriends teenager David Owen Brooks, who becomes his first accomplice.
• 1970 – Elmer Wayne Henley is recruited; murders escalate.
• 1970–1973 – Corll, Brooks, and Henley abduct and murder at least 29 boys and young men in Houston and Pasadena.
• August 8, 1973 – Corll is shot dead by Henley after threatening to kill him and two others.
• August 1973 – Police uncover mass graves; 27 bodies recovered. The crimes are dubbed the Houston Mass Murders.
• July 1974 – Henley is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 1975 – Brooks is convicted and also sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 2020 – Brooks dies in prison at age 65.
• Present – Henley remains in prison, denied parole multiple times.

Conclusion

Dean Arnold Corll’s crimes remain among the darkest chapters in American true crime history. With the help of two teenage accomplices, he abducted and murdered at least 29 boys and young men in just three years. His death at the hands of Elmer Wayne Henley may have ended his killing spree, but the pain he inflicted on victims’ families endures.

The Houston Mass Murders stand as a grim reminder of how cruelty can hide in plain sight — behind a polite smile, a bag of candy, and a false sense of trust.