In March 2011, DNA analysis confirmed that the victim known as ML73-3355 had been misidentified and the same month, the victim was identified as Steven Kent Sickman, a 17-year-old who was last seen walking down West 34th Street shortly before midnight on July 19, 1972. Some accounts state Branch was abducted in February 1972. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He was murdered at Corll's Westcott Towers address. [90], On January 20, 1973, Corll moved to an address on Wirt Road in the Spring Branch district of Houston. [79] The youth was savagely bludgeoned about the chest with a blunt instrument before he was strangled and buried in the boat shed. Although Dr. Jachimczyk testified as to his uncertainty as to whether John Sellars was a victim of Corll at Henley's trial, he did emphasize his uncertainty as to his personal opinion. This corporate entity was filed approximately sixty years ago on Thursday, May 9, 1963 as recorded in documents filed with Texas Secretary of State. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Moreover, co-workers at HL&P would also state that, from the earliest days of his employment, Corll had repeatedly retained coils of used nylon cord that would otherwise have been discarded. PASADENA, Texas Texas Equusearch finished its search in Pasadena Friday for more possible victims of "Candy Man" Dean Corll, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks. [27][28] Corll's victims were usually [178] The other youth, Willard Branch,[179] lived in the Oak Forest district of Houston. This route often involved West traveling to Houston, where much of the product was sold. [6], Dean Corll was a shy, serious child who rarely socialized with other children, but at the same time displayed concern for the wellbeing of others. [74], Henley later claimed that he had not known of Corll's true intentions towards Aguirre when he had persuaded his friend to accompany him to Corll's home. [82] Neither youth was named by either Brooks or Henley as being a victim of Corll, and both youths were identified as victims only in 2011. ). [19]:3644. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. [210][211] Brooks is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery in Walker County. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Try again later. Hilligiest had been reported missing in the summer of 1971; the other two boys had been missing for just two weeks. Corll later told Brooks that he had killed the two youths, and offered him $200 (the equivalent of approximately $1,536 as of 2023[update]) for any boy he could lure to Corll's apartment. Henley would later claim that although Corll had paid him $200 for the first victim he had lured to his address, Corll never paid him any significant sum of money for any of the subsequent victims he procured. The unidentified victims were listed as ML73-3349, ML73-3356 and ML73-3378. Corll died where he fell, his naked body lying face toward the wall. [169], At the time, the killing spree was the worst case of serial murder, in terms of the number of victims, in the United States, exceeding the 25 murders attributed to Juan Corona, who had been arrested in California in 1971 for killing 25 men. [24], 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. [89] On November 15, a 19-year-old Heights youth named Richard Kepner disappeared on his way to a phone booth. As the first bodies were removed from the boat shed, a visibly distressed Henley informed investigators: "It's all my fault because I led those boys straight to Dean. [113] His mouth had been taped shut and his ankles had been bound together. Corll would return to Houston Texas to resume his position within his familys candy business. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Police had been led to Sellars's body on August 13, 1973, by a trucker who recalled conversing with a youth he believed to be Henley after he had seen a car stuck in the sand close to where Sellars's body was subsequently found. [139], Henley agreed to accompany police to Corll's boat shed in Southwest Houston, where he claimed the bodies of most of the victims could be found. [91] On March 7, Corll vacated his Wirt Road apartment and moved to 2020 Lamar Drive, an address his father had vacated in Pasadena. [194][195], On July 15, 1974, both counsels presented their closing arguments to the jury:[196] the prosecution seeking life imprisonment; the defense a verdict of not guilty. Webcorll candy company still in business. WebCorll's mother divorced West in 1963 and opened a new candy business, which she named Corll Candy Company; her eldest son was appointed vice-president of the new family firm, Dr. Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist with the medical examiner's office in Houston, released digital images of Corll's three still-unidentified victims. Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179925455/mary-emma-west. Thanks for your help! In 1967, he befriended 12-year-old David [130], When questioned regarding his claim that as Corll had threatened him that morning he had shouted that he had killed several boys,[129] Henley explained that for almost three years, Brooks and he had helped procure teenage boys, some of whom had been their own friends, for Corll, who had raped and murdered them. [55] Both boys were enticed into Corll's van and driven to an apartment Corll had rented on Mangum Road, where they were raped, strangled and subsequently buried in the boat shed. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In 1967, he befriended 12-year-old David Brooks, then a sixth grade student and one of the many children to whom he gave free candy. The 1973 misidentification of Michael Baulch was discovered as a result of an independent investigation conducted by freelance writers Barbara Gibson and Debera Phinney, who contacted Dr. Derrick with a tip indicating that the second victim unearthed from the boat shed had been misidentified; upon conducting additional DNA testing, Dr. Derrick discovered their suspicions were correct. [5] Most of the bodies found were wrapped in thick, clear plastic sheeting. Cash for boy victims. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. [183], By the time the grand jury had completed its investigation, Henley had been indicted for six murders, and Brooks for four. The mass murderer met two friends, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Owen Brooks, who would later become his accomplices. Henley was quite insistent, however, and upon his recalling the names of three boysCobble, Hilligiest, and Joneswhom he stated he and Brooks had procured for Corll, the police accepted that there was something to his claims, as all three teenagers were listed as missing at Houston Police Department (HPD) headquarters. [24] On June 4, Henley and Corll abducted 15-year-old William Ray Lawrence; the youth was last seen alive by his father on 31st Street. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Mother of serial killer Dean Arnold Corll. She agreed, and launched a company called, Pecan Prince. She made him the vice president. The macabre record number of known victims attributed to a single murder case set by Corll and his accomplices was surpassed only in 1978 by John Wayne Gacy, who murdered 33 boys and young men and who admitted to being influenced by press coverage of the Houston Mass Murders to manacle his victims prior to their abuse and murder. Thanks everyone who came and hung out with me yesterday and thanks to @thebarkingpigtx for hosting us! Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. [272][n 13]. [n 8], All of the victims found had been sodomized and most victims found bore evidence of sexual torture: pubic hairs had been plucked out, genitals had been chewed, objects had been inserted into their rectums, and glass rods had been inserted into their urethrae and smashed. She owned and operated the Corll Candy Company. [48] The body was found buried beneath a large boulder,[49] covered with a layer of lime, wrapped in plastic, naked, and bound hand and foot with nylon cord, suggesting he had been violated. The life/times of American serial killer Dean Corll (Candy Man, VP candy co.). [n 1] From the earliest days of the business, Corll worked day and night while still attending school. GREAT NEWS! [147][148], Accompanied by his father, Brooks presented himself at HPD headquarters on the evening of August 8 and gave a statement in which he denied any participation in the murders,[149] but admitted to having known that Corll had raped and killed two youths in 1970. [122][123][124], Henley would later recall that immediately after he shot Corll, the sole thought in his mind was that Corll would have been proud of the way he had behaved during the confrontation, adding that Corll had been training him to react quickly and forcefully and that this was exactly what he had done.[124]. Henley was brought to trial in San Antonio on July 1, 1974,[187] charged with six murders committed between March 1972 and July 1973. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. The two exited the vehicle and Henley, hearing commotion across the street emanating from the home of his 15-year-old friend Rhonda Louise Williams, walked toward her home. "[121] As Corll clambered off Kerley, Henley elaborated: "I can't go on any longer! He subsequently cemented over the floor. Remains identified April, 2011. She married Arnold Edwin Corll (February 7, 1916 April 5, 2001) on April 4, 1939. In the rear of the vehicle, police found a coil of rope, a swatch of beige rug covered in soil stains,[136] and a wooden crate with air holes drilled in the sides. Henley gave a verbal statement; stating he initially had believed the boys he had abducted were to be sold into a Dallas-based organization for "homosexual acts, sodomy, maybe later killing,"[131] but soon learned Corll was himself killing the victims procured. This enticement was typically an offer of a party or a lift, and the victim would be driven to Corll's house. Corll lived in Indiana for almost two years but returned to Houston in 1962 to help with his family's candy business, which by this date had moved to Houston Heights. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Lyles was known to both Corll and Brooks. Brooks and Henley confessed to assisting Corll in several abductions and murders; both were sentenced to life imprisonment at their subsequent trials. It is situated at 2020 Lamar Drive in Pasadena, which is a city in the southeast of Houston, Texas. In 1965, shortly after Corll completed his military service, the Corll Candy Company relocated to 27th Street, directly across the street from Helms Elementary School. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The family I have to get it off my chest! [75] Scottwho was well known to both Henley and Brookswas grabbed by force and fought furiously against attempts by Corll to restrain him, even attempting to stab his attackers with a knife. [202] Henley's attorneys again attempted to have Henley's written statements ruled inadmissible. [15][16] During this time, Corll formed a close relationship with a local girl, although he rejected a subsequent marriage proposal she made to him in 1962. [56], 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. [108] Williamsnursing a sprained anklehad been beaten by her drunken father that evening and accepted Henley's invitation to join him and Kerley at Corll's home. WebUpon advice from a pecan nut salesman, Corll's mother and stepfather started a small family candy company named 'Pecan Prince', initially operating from the garage of their home. WebDeans mother and stepfather divorced in 1963 and she started a new candy making business, The Corll Candy Company. Brooks later described Dreymala as a "small, blond boy" for whom he had bought a pizza and in whose company he had spent 45 minutes before the youth was attacked. Henley had stated in his confession to police that he and Corll had "choked" Michael Baulch and buried him at Lake Sam Rayburn. [83], On October 2, 1972, Henley and Brooks encountered two Heights teenagers named Wally Jay Simoneaux and Richard Hembree[84] walking to Hembree's home. WebFellow workers at the 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. From the earliest days of the family candy Business, Corll was working day and night while still attending school. Corll buried the many bodies in four separate locations. They then moved to Texas. [71], Brooks stated Henley was "especially sadistic" in his participation in the murders committed at Schuler Street. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Mary West (179925455)? He was aided by two teenaged accomplices, David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley. From the very start, Corll played a crucial role in the company. While his stepfather sold the candy on his sales route and his mother managed the business side of the company, Corll and his younger brother operated the machines that produced the candy. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Try again later. classes in school. In addition, neither mentioned having seen any of the victims either filmed, photographed, or released from the devices Corll restrained his victims to until after their rape, torture, and murder. The first of these victims, 17-year-old Steven Sickman, was last seen leaving a party held in the Heights shortly before midnight on July 19. One of the youths who voluntarily offered to distribute posters the parents had printed offering a monetary reward for information leading to the boys' whereabouts was 15-year-old Elmer Wayne Henleya lifelong friend of Hilligiest. Henley likely was lured to Corll's address as an intended victim. [24] The Waldrop brothers had been driven to a friend's home by their father with plans to discuss forming a bowling league and had begun walking home after learning their friend was not at home. [57] Sometime the following month, an 18-year-old Oak Forest youth known to both Corll and Henley named Willard Branch disappeared while hitchhiking from Mount Pleasant to Houston. This second trial was held in Corpus Christi,[201] with Henley again represented by defense attorneys William Gray and Edwin Pegelow. Corll was a sadistic serial killer who tortured and murdered at least 28 teenagers during the early 1970s. [29] However, Corll evidently decided the youth would make a good accomplice[64] and offered him the same fee of $200 for any boy he could lure to his apartment, informing Henley that he was involved in a "white slavery ring" operating from Dallas. WebWhere the Corll Candy Factory used to be. Potential association with a national sex ring, Corll's mother would later state the inspiration for her founding a family candy business was a pecan nut salesman calling at her home and observing her baking several pies. [134] Corll had paid up to $200 for each victim Brooks or he were able to lure to his apartment. Try again later. In 1964, he served the US Army for 10 months and later applied to discharge explaining that he needs to help his mother. Brooks later stated he had assisted Corll in the abduction and murder of two youths during the time Corll resided at this address, including one youth who was killed "just before Wayne Henley came into the picture." [70] The identity of this first victim Henley assisted in the abduction of remains unknown. As had been the case in his teenage years, Corll increased the number of hours he devoted to the candy business to satisfy an increasing demand for his family's product. The family moved just outside Houston in 1958, when Corll graduated, to help the popular candy company, Pecan Prince, grow. Year should not be greater than current year. At 8:24 a.m. on August 8, 1973, Henley placed a call to the PPD. As with the two bodies found the previous day, both victims had been tortured and severely beaten, particularly around the head. You get close to evil like that, no matter how long ago it was, and it never leaves you. By his own later admission, Brooks began regarding Corll's apartment as his second home. Oops, we were unable to send the email. The jury deliberated for just 90 minutes before they reached a verdict. Webcorll candy company still in business. "[119][n 6], Henley then asked Corll whether he might take Williams into another room. [57] In each of these abductions, Brooks is known to have been a participant. If your candy business requires you to drive during your working hours, be sure to track your mileage and collect [61] Haney agreed and was taken to Corll's home where he was subsequently strangled and buried in the boat shed. The officer returned to the car and read Henley his Miranda rights. Other acquaintances noted subtle changes in Corll's mannerisms when in the company of teenage males after he had completed his service and returned to Houston, which led them to believe he may have been homosexual. [5] Henley began cutting away Williams's clothes as Corll undressed and began to assault and torture Kerley. Ridinger testified that at Corll's home he was tied to the torture board and assaulted repeatedly by Corll before he was released. My dad said Corll's house was on his little brother's newspaper delivery route & that my grandmother used to buy the pralines that were made by the Corll Candy Company. WebCorll, a Houston electric company worker and former candy store owner, used Brooks and fellow teen Elmer Wayne Henley to lure youngsters to his apartment, where they were [19]:3670 Two women had also observed three men digging at the beach in May 1973one of whom they positively identified as Brooks. (Brooks later claimed that Henley became involved in the abductions while Corll resided at the address he had occupied immediately prior to Schuler Street.) Several victims' parents had to leave the courtroom to regain their composure as police and medical examiners described how their relatives were tortured and murdered. Dean Corll was well known for giving free candy to local children espically teenaged boys. These facts may account for this sudden lull in killings. WebCorll's Gravesite - Corll joined the military in 1964 and served for ten months as a radio repairman at Fort Hood in Central Texas. The following morning, Hembree was accidentally shot in the mouth by Henley,[86] with the bullet exiting through his neck. Less than two weeks later, 20-year-old Raymond Stanley Blackburn was abducted, strangled, and buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. The crimes, which became known as the Houston Mass Murders, came to light after Henley fatally shot Corll. We look forward to seeing you soon! However, Scott saw Henley pointing a pistol toward him and according to Brooks, Scott "just gave up." She owned and operated the Corll Candy Company. Failed to delete memorial. "[205], Brooks's trial lasted less than one week. 2020 Lamar Drive was demolished in February 2023. [279], In March 1973, a Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy[280] had reported to Galveston County authorities that they had observed three men carrying and burying a "long, wrapped bundle"[281] at Galveston Beach. Remains identified April, 2011. Corll's family opened a new shop, which they named Pecan Prince[14] in reference to the brand name of the family product. [101] One of these three victims, 15-year-old Michael Baulch, brother of previous victim Billy Baulch, was last seen by his family on July 19 on his way to get a haircut;[102] he was strangled and buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. [208] Successive parole applications dating from July 1980 have been denied. Dean was Vice President and his younger brother Stanley was Secretary Treasurer.Scott Benjamin: 07:15 The first year in business, a teenage male employee of the Corll Candy Company said the Dean had made sexual He and his brother were responsible for the candy-making machines and packaging. July 20: Steven Sickman, 17. Make sure that the file is a photo. The family moved to the small town of Vidor, Texas, where Corll's half-sister, Joyce Jeanine (1955-2016), was born. Kerley, Henley then asked Corll whether he might take Williams into another room [ 71 ] Brooks! 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