TX TX - Unidentified victims of Dean Corll, Houston Serial Killer, 1970-1973

[teeandcee]

I’ve considered he may have been panicking for other reasons. Israel Keyes went through a similiar change in his last days, and I agree Corll was losing control. Good point about an alcoholic and change of scenery. I still find it odd he specifically said to keep Brooks out of the loop. I’ve read and watched so much lately I can’t remember where I read or heard it, but either a cop or reporter mentioned Brooks was scared now that he was married and was barricading his door at night, fearful Corll and Henley were going to bust in and kill him and his family. I think this was said on The Clown and the Candy Man (also, a man said Corll tried to pick him up one night in 1969. I didn’t realize there was info regarding this earlier date). A master manipulative narcissist like Corll would’ve picked up on the change in Brooks. Maybe Brooks said something specific that scared him.

I’m in no way trying to elevate Brooks into some kind of hero. He deserved far worse than the relative mercy of life in prison.

Funny how Brooks and Henley developed a conscious once it got personal.

Henely’s eyes were possibly grey, but either way they were light enough to stand out in b&w pics. It’s not a big deal, but the author repeatedly made this mistake.

 

[teeandcee]

I'm thinking it's similar to the saying "Three can keep a secret if two are dead."

Elsewhere on the Internet someone mentioned that Corll was comping younger men to burgle residences and he would fence the items for profit. Keep in mind back then it was easier to break into houses, and people were more trusting.

He was probably expecting to have problems regarding that stream of income.

Sadly his sexually oriented crimes were so extreme and out there, most people would NOT have believed Brooks and Henley if they had gone to the police with info about Corll. An alternate ending to the case would have been Corll leaving and disappearing (it's been done) .........Sad to say it took the confrontation that occurred for the full truth to come to light.

Was he using these other young men at the same time as Brooks/Henley were involved, or was that earlier? I’m trying to sift through all my brain cells and coming up blank, lol.

Yes, thank goodness he didn’t succeed in relocating. Yikes. I hate that he died a quick death. I’d have preferred a trial, but with the Houston PD in charge of evidence he’d have possibly walked free.

 

[boondocksaint]

I just finished The Man With Candy. In the last few weeks of his life Corll was definitely afraid of someone. He told numerous people he was leaving and that he was dodging someone. According to his “girlfriend” Betty he was also uncharacteristically drinking a lot and very distracted. What I find interesting is Betty said Corll told her when he leaves to not tell David Brooks where he went.
We will never know, but I’d sure be interested why he singled out Brooks in that conversation. I wonder if Brooks was scaring him.

The explanation for Corll appearing distracted to his 'gf' is most likely the fact that he was spending a late-July weekend with her at the Sam Rayburn cottage while there was a big manhunt going on in the surrounding woods. Since Corll just had unloaded 4 victims there, he probably thought they got him. According to his dad he was acting normal the week after (Corll probably had read the papers by then).

As for Brooks, he was scared of Corll, not the other way around. The dynamics between the trio (and half a dozen other kids somehow involved) are so mucked-up, but Brooks was definitely the twisted love affair. Groomed from his early teens, staying loyal to Corll even after Corll raped and threatened to kill him - my interpretation would be that this was Corll's handing of the divorce papers, metaphorically speaking, since Brooks had deserted him and married a girl. He also lied to Brooks himself, telling him he would move to Dallas.

 

[boondocksaint]

If you look at the list of his victims you can see that the number and frequency of killings was increasing each year.

Only if you believe the official kill count. But there are suspicious gaps and glaring hints to a much higher number of victims.

If we go by the FBI book, the keys Dean Corll kept from his victims were his souvenirs/trophy/keepsakes - and those numbered into triple digits. The district attorney was quoted with the curious count of 'Between 75 and 100'. However this was counted..

 

[boondocksaint]

Was he using these other young men at the same time as Brooks/Henley were involved, or was that earlier? I’m trying to sift through all my brain cells and coming up blank, lol.

That's actually the most interesting aspect of it. If you would profile Corll today, it makes perfect sense that he started his 'career' by slowly lowering his inhibitions through petty crime, like most do. Corll was much more clever: he let teenagers do the dirty work and kept his hands comparably clean.

On top of that, he even pimped quite a few to his sleazy *advertiser censored* producer friends where they could earn a few bucks posing for nudies (iirr, 11 of the victims appeared in gay mags) - though this was independently of the murders, but with both moves he implicated them enough to keep a level of control over them. The guy was definitely a very spooky character.

 

[teeandcee]

Boondocksaint,

ohhh ok, I didn’t know about the manhunt. She still commented on his increased drinking. What do you think that was all about?

I’m still suspicious of his Brooks comment. Didn’t Brooks have a child by then? Fatherhood could’ve created a vein of empathy as a parent regarding all those other children he procured. I suppose he’d have said so though, if only to make himself look better. Which makes me think you all are right, and I’m wrong.

What FBI book?! I’m looking for my next book on the subject. I’m finishing the Clown/Candy Man doc tonight.

I’m with everyone else; he surely had far more victims.

Do any of y’all believe the nationwide pedo ring connection?

 

[boondocksaint]

ohhh ok, I didn’t know about the manhunt. She still commented on his increased drinking. What do you think that was all about?

If you follow my speculative timeline (i chose the case as subject for my criminal psychology course thesis, little did i know what rabbit hole i had gotten myself into):

- late 1965-1967: Corll returns a changed man from a 10-month Army stint, relates he's gay to close friends, works at candy shop which includes extensive travels, manages to meet shady guys from the seedier parts of Houston for his burgeoning criminal activities, certainly meets Roy Ames, his main pedo connection: these connections are to become the mysterious 'crime ring' that became official case lore

- 1967-1970: Corll enlists his little teenager friends for robbing houses (i. e. those of his HLP colleagues of which he knew their vacation plans), unloading the loot and sharing the spoils - since money was hard to come by in the Houston Heights area, it was probably a very motivating factor for all what happened thereafter

- mid-1968: mother closes candy shop and leaves Houston, Corll immediately starts off his strange habit of constantly moving

- late 1968: presumably kills his first victim, as per the first of David Brooks's 3 confessions (to note: the rumors of him digging at the candy shop and nearby waste grounds would predate that to a time period prior to that - but since it was never investigated, who knows)

- late 60's: is known to roam the Heights in his muscle car, trying to lure kids, probably with a frustrating success rate (one of these encounters is related in Clown/Candyman doc, there's more on Reddit), it's probably around this time Corll starts making his infamous 200$ offer to several of his young accomplices, rumor mill has it that at least two of them took it (really nothing ever came of this, investigation-wise)

- 1970: Corll's official timeline starts, with his first known victim (later located at High Island Beach) dated late September, around this time Brooks walks in on him molesting two bound and gagged teenagers

- 1971-1973: the official trio account of the case, Corll's high time, really, his kill & torture mill runs like a well-oiled machine, but then:
- early 1973: both Brooks and Henley start defecting, Brooks gets himself a girlfriend and moves in with her, Henley moves to his father for a few months, for a control freak like Corll that must have been hell and also temporarily left him without a dependable victim pipeline.

All these factors combined might explain his drinking problem and the black moods, though i guess he also saw the writing on the wall: it was all to end soon, so he starts trying to get away from the whole thing. Also of note: by Henley's account Corll became much more savage on his victims, like a dope addict who's craving more and more, but Henley drew the line when Corll wanted to use a sword on a victim (really).

I’m still suspicious of his Brooks comment. Didn’t Brooks have a child by then? Fatherhood could’ve created a vein of empathy as a parent regarding all those other children he procured. I suppose he’d have said so though, if only to make himself look better. Which makes me think you all are right, and I’m wrong.

The daughter was born after Brooks was arrested. I think it's rather simple: David to Dean 'Look man, i sort of have a gf now and want to start a family', Dean to David 'I think you kind of misjudge the power dynamic of our little relationship here, you are either my killer slave or dead wood' - not verbatim, of course, but that was the gist of it. For a while they arranged a truce of sorts, so David still returned to Corll (probably to show he posed no danger). And i think both boys were aware the danger was mutual: Corll would have been the first suspect if they just vanished, so he couldn't just kill them on the spot like the others, but given Corll's mental state that must have been a faint hope.

What FBI book?! I’m looking for my next book on the subject. I’m finishing the Clown/Candy Man doc tonight.

There are several books by FBI's Robert Ressler and Roy Hazlewood and stuff like 'The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations' (Robert D Keppel William J Birnes) that line up all the checkbox stuff of i. e. sadistic ritual killers like Corll, and keeping a trophy of your prey is high on the list.

Do any of y’all believe the nationwide pedo ring connection?

Bests source of information: https://cavdef.org/w/index.php?title=Dean_Corll

John Norman's call boy operation is often blown out of all proportion - this was basically clandestine backdoor stuff but still well-protected by influential men who were using his services. Rumor has it that there is at least one snuff movie of a Corll victim out there, but this rests on a quote by one vice officer.

 

[teeandcee]

Thanks for all that, Boondocksaint. I appreciate your taking the time along with everyone else responding.

I’ve read some of FBI books, but I wasn’t interested in Corll at the time so I’ll revisit them.

I finished Clown/Candy last night. Shaking my head at 1. The repeated releases of Norman and subsequent devastation he caused in so many lives and 2. The files/index cards repeatedly vanishing. I have saved that link, thanks.

Regarding his drinking, I do the same when I’m about to diet. I kind of go in a sugar frenzy because I know it’s all ending (it never does but that is a whole nother subject lol). So, the frenzied drinking/violence in makes sense in that context.

 

[Ontheriver]

Only if you believe the official kill count. But there are suspicious gaps and glaring hints to a much higher number of victims.

If we go by the FBI book, the keys Dean Corll kept from his victims were his souvenirs/trophy/keepsakes - and those numbered into triple digits. The district attorney was quoted with the curious count of 'Between 75 and 100'. However this was counted..

Oh, I would bet money that there are more victims. I came up with a list of about 10 -13 more through various readings on this case. Yes, there are some suspicious gaps. In 1973 there was witnesses who described seeing men matching the trio's description burying wrapped objects on Galveston Beach on Feb/March and in May, two times when there were no known victims. But, I feel pretty confident that there were at least two periods (not sure how long) in which Dean was not killing. Wayne and David would get nervous about the killings and convince Dean to stop going to the Heights to pick up boys or he would get caught. They said he would stop for short periods but would always end up going back up to the Heights. He also had a hydrocele which can sometimes cause pain and decrease the sex drive. What FBI book are you referring to? Is the 75 - 100 span the number of souvenirs or the number of victims?

 

[boondocksaint]

Oh, I would bet money that there are more victims. I came up with a list of about 10 -13 more through various readings on this case. Yes, there are some suspicious gaps. In 1973 there was witnesses who described seeing men matching the trio's description burying wrapped objects on Galveston Beach on Feb/March and in May, two times when there were no known victims. But, I feel pretty confident that there were at least two periods (not sure how long) in which Dean was not killing. Wayne and David would get nervous about the killings and convince Dean to stop going to the Heights to pick up boys or he would get caught. They said he would stop for short periods but would always end up going back up to the Heights. He also had a hydrocele which can sometimes cause pain and decrease the sex drive. What FBI book are you referring to? Is the 75 - 100 span the number of souvenirs or the number of victims?

The general consensus of the FBI experts on the subject is that highly ritualistic and organized rapists/killers like Corll keep 'trophies' of victims. This was partly because they wanted to relieve a particular event and also because they consider their crimes as their own twisted version of an achievement (leading generally boring, uneventful lives beyond that).

Police found what amounted to at least 75 up to 100 keys in a box in Corll's house, which Brooks and Henley confirmed as belonging to the victims (the Scott family found their son Marc's key in it). Since Corll had a very strict MO, it stands to reason that he had as many victims as he had keys, though again, who knows.

Going with the theory that Corll got started even before the candy factory closed, with a 5-6 week cooling off-period between each murder and some fails due to outside reasons you could potentially arrive at such a number.

And remember, both Brooks and Henley described Corll as secretive, so the known case is really just part of a bigger picture.

PS: the police could have just let the parents of these 'lost' boys from '66-'73 years have a look into that box and i'm pretty sure they could have identified a lot more victims without digging them up, but it either didn't occur to them or they just said 'Oh well, what difference does it make?'

 

[boondocksaint]

In this new book by Katherine Ramsland & Tracy Ullman, a whole lot of puzzling questions regarding this case receive answers and what's more, the grooming perspective (Henley was a willing interview participant) gains a much better understanding not only of the (often misstated) timeline, but also of the short, laconic and downright cruel confessions of both young accomplices back in 1973 (it's unfathomable today that there weren't more psychologically probing interviews, but that's the 70's for you).

Some things remain dubious and the book all too often walks the raised-eyebrow edge when it comes to kind-of-absoluting Henley, who somewhat self-servingly repeats his mantra here that he only tried to please Corll. This may be an understandable psychological state for someone in his position after so many years (and he doesn't offer glib excuses), but when all is said and done, there's still an awful lot guilt to take.

(my favourite nugget is a Halloween story that has both accomplices coming over to borrow Corll's car, only to discover him sitting on sacks full of candy, so they both decided to ditch date engagements and spent the night with him, horrified by the prospect of what may happen to the poor kids that would come knocking)

The Serial Killer's Apprentice

A psychological examination of the blurred line between…

www.goodreads.com

 

[Marysel]

About Ramsland's new book:
It describes in great detail the circumstances surrounding the rape of Billy Ridinger, which were voiced at one of the court hearings.
I will give some excerpts from it for possible discussion, because the way it happened in many details does not correspond in general to the way the typical crime of this trio is presented. Highlights in the text are made by me. The most important thing in the passage seems to be that they had an equipped hook on the ceiling. This information, at least to me, has never been encountered.

Corll picked him up. Brooks and Henley were both present.
“Shortly after we got there,” Ridinger said, “Dean got out one pair of handcuffs and started fooling around with them and was telling me that he could show me some tricks about getting out of handcuffs, and while he was showing me, he suddenly snapped the handcuffs on my wrists with my hands in front of me. Then someone put a pillowcase over my head, and they wrestled me to the floor and tied my ankles. I couldn’t see anything, but I heard hammering. Someone took the pillowcase off my head and Dean took the tape off my mouth, which had been placed there during the struggle. Dean then tied my hands to some big metal hooks that were high up on the wall of the room and tied me there with some rope and tied a piece of the rope around my neck so that if I tried to get loose it would strangle me.”
Corll used a knife to cut off Ridinger’s clothes. “[H]e was playing with my penis and sucking on my penis, and when I tried to resist, he hit me in the stomach and told me if I didn’t cooperate, he would call somebody else over who was worse than he was. During this time, Wayne and David were in the room, and Wayne had a pistol strapped to his belt. From the time he tied me up until around 11:00 P.M., Dean would play around with me and then go and watch television and come back to me and start again and he would rub himself against me and commit sodomy on me.”
Corll forced Ridinger to drink beer and wine. Then he brought in the restraint board. “David and Dean untied me from the wall, and Wayne held a pistol while they handcuffed me to the rings on the board on my back with my hands spread, and then they tied my feet to the bottom of the board.
Then Dean lay down next to me and started rubbing himself on me and sucking my penis and masturbating himself at the same time.” He said that Henley watched this activity. Brooks left for several hours. When he came back, Henley and Brooks went to bed while Corll positioned himself alongside Ridinger for the rest of the night. The next day, Brooks told Ridinger he wanted to help him, but he was afraid of the other two. Corll said something similar, implicating Henley as the one holding the line. “I had the impression they might kill me.” The three captors conferred in another room. “Then Wayne came into the room and told me that they were thinking about letting me go, and he said if I ever said anything it would be all over for me.”

---

from chapter 6 "Trials and Troubles".

 

[boondocksaint]

About Ramsland's new book:
It describes in great detail the circumstances surrounding the rape of Billy Ridinger, which were voiced at one of the court hearings.
I will give some excerpts from it for possible discussion, because the way it happened in many details does not correspond in general to the way the typical crime of this trio is presented. Highlights in the text are made by me. The most important thing in the passage seems to be that they had an equipped hook on the ceiling. This information, at least to me, has never been encountered.

Though keep in mind that Ridinger was not just a hitchhiker or local kid, he clearly was in Corll's inner circle - and i am certain that he got a deal out of that testimony that they would drop any investigation of his involvement in return. Houston Police may have been callous and lazy, but it's improbable that they didn't figure that any boy who ran around Dean Corll for the better part of 10 years and was still alive was potentially involved to some degree.

A chilling little side note: one of the dead boys named Rusty Branch had a father who was a police officer. He died looking for his son of a heart attack, but in this book it is revealed that Rusty told him at one point that Corll tried to molest (or proposition) him, so he went after Corll with a shotgun but never found him. Might have been little Rusty's death sentence.