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Biography[]
Dean Arnold Corll (December 24, 1939 — August 8, 1973) was an American serial killer and pederast.
Early life[]
Dean Arnold Corll was born on December 24, 1939, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Raised in a troubled household, Corll experienced a strained relationship with his domineering mother and a distant father. In 1946, the family relocated to Houston, Texas, where Corll would later carry out his heinous crimes.
Youth and Military Service[]
Corll's teenage years were marked by a troubled disposition and an early fascination with firearms. In 1958, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in West Germany. Despite his military service, Corll's personal life continued to be tumultuous.
Return to Houston[]
After his discharge from the Army in 1963, Corll returned to Houston and worked in his family's candy business. He earned the nickname "The Candy Man" due to his profession and the practice of distributing free candy to local children. Corll's seemingly friendly persona masked the dark secrets that would unfold.
The Houston Mass Murders[]
Between 1970 and 1973, Dean Corll, along with accomplices David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., committed a series of gruesome murders that shocked the nation. Corll targeted teenage boys, primarily those from marginalized backgrounds, luring them with promises of money or parties. The victims were subjected to torture, sexual assault, and ultimately murder.
Modus Operandi[]
Corll's method involved coercing his victims into his van or home, where they would be restrained, tortured, and ultimately killed. The bodies were then disposed of in various locations, including a rented boat shed and a remote beach.
Capture and Death[]
Corll's killing spree came to an end on August 8, 1973 when one of his accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., turned against him. Henley fatally shot Corll during a confrontation, putting an end to the terror that had gripped Houston for years.
Victims[]
Confirmed victims[]
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Konen | 18 | September 25, 1970 | Asphyxiation |
| James Glass | 14 | December 13, 1970 | Strangulation |
| Danny Yates | 14 | December 13, 1970 | Strangulation |
| Donald Waldrop | 15 | January 31, 1971 | Strangulation |
| Jerry Waldrop | 13 | January 31, 1971 | Strangulation |
| Randell Harvey | 15 | March 9, 1971 | Shooting |
| David Hilligiest | 13 | May 29, 1971 | Strangulation |
| Malley Winkle | 16 | May 29, 1971 | Strangulation |
| Ruben Watson | 17 | August 17, 1971 | Strangulation |
| Rusty Branch | 17 | February 9, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Frank Aguirre | 18 | March 24, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Mark Scott | 17 | April 21, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Johnny Delome | 16 | May 21, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Billy Baulch | 17 | May 21, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Steven Sickman | 17 | July 21, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Roy Bunton | 19 | August 21, 1972 | Shooting |
| Wally Simoneaux | 14 | October 3, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Richard Hembree | 13 | October 3, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Richard Kepner | 19 | November 15, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Joseph Lyles | 17 | February 1, 1973 | Strangulation |
| Billy Lawrence | 15 | June 7, 1973 | Strangulation |
| Ray Blackburn | 20 | June 15, 1973 | Strangulation |
| Homer Garcia | 15 | July 7, 1973 | Exsanguination |
| John Sellars | 17 | July 12, 1973 | Shooting |
| Michael Baulch | 15 | July 19, 1973 | Strangulation |
| Marty Jones | 18 | July 27, 1973 | Shooting |
| Charles Cobble | 17 | July 27, 1973 | Shooting |
| Stanton Dreymala | 13 | August 3, 1973 | Strangulation |
Suspected victims[]
| Name | Age | Disappeared | Body Found | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Jefferson County John Doe" | 13-19 | 1970-1973 | 1973 | |
| "Swimsuit Boy" | 15-18 | 1971-1972 | ||
| "Unnamed boy" | 9 | 1971 | ||
| "The Unknown 29th Victim"[note 1] | 1972-1973 | |||
| "Unnamed boy" | 9 | 1973 |
Timeline[]
Bibliography[]
Literature[]
- Olsen, Jack (2000). The Man with The Candy, Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0743212830
Articles[]
- Skip Hollandsworth (April 2011). "The Lost Boys". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021.
- William DeLong (January 17, 2022). The Twisted Tale Of Dean Corll, The ‘Candy Man’ Killer Who Terrorized Texas. All That's Interesting.
Documentaries[]
Television[]
- The Clown and the Candyman on IMDb, a TV documenatry that reveals the network of pedophiles that connected two deranged serial killers, Dean Corll and John Wayne Gacy.
YouTube Documentaries[]
- The 'Forgotten' Sociopath of Houston - Dean "The Candy Man" Corll, True Crime Recaps on YouTube
Podcasts[]
- Dean Arnold Corll - Part 1. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
- Dean Arnold Corll - Part 2. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
- The Clown and the Candyman. An eight-part podcast series narrated by Jacqueline Bynon, investigating the murders committed by John Gacy, Dean Corll, their respective potential links to a nationwide sex trafficking network, and ongoing efforts to identify their victims
In popular culture[]
Film adaptations[]
- Freak Out (2003) on IMDb, is loosely inspired by the Houston Mass Murders.
- In a Madman's World (2017) on IMDb, is directly based upon Henley's life before, during, and immediately after his involvement with Corll and Brooks. Limited edition copies of the film were released in 2017.[4]
Related Articles[]
See also[]
Links[]
- Dean Corll at Wikipedia
- Dean Corll on IMDb
- Dean Arnold Corll at Find a Grave
- Dean Corll. Radford University.
Notes[]
- ↑ Back in February of 2012 there was a film crew doing a search of Wayne Henley's belongings when the found a picture. In the picture is a teen boy screaming and chained to what appears to be a box of some sort, near him is a tool box. The scene has been matched to that of Corll's house. When the picture was shown to Brooks and Henley neither of them were able to identify or remember this victim.[2][3]
References[]
- ↑ Moore, Evan (August 8, 1993). "The Horror Remains 20 Years Later, Memories of Dean Corll Haunt Survivor". Houston Chronicle.
- ↑ "The Candy Man Murders 1970-1973".
- ↑ Jill Reilly (August 22, 2018). "Could there be even more? 29th victim of Candy Man 'revealed' after photo of a terrified handcuffed young boy discovered". Daily Mail. Archived from the original on May 28, 2021.
- ↑ Jef Rouner (December 8, 2016). Dean Corll Biopic, In a Madman’s World, Finally Gets a Release Date. Houston Press.