elmer wayne henley interview

Articles must link back to the original article and contain the following attribution at the top of the story: This article was originally published by the, Articles cannot be rewritten, edited or changed beyond alignments with house style books. Forty-five years ago this August, Houston's most notorious serial killer met his end. Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (born May 9, 1956) is a convicted American serial killer and painter incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. In the beginning he seemed quiet and in the background, and that made me curious. To compensate, any people Henley paints are in black and white while his other works are usually in color. After listening to the evidence presented, the jury initially indicted Henley on three counts of murder and Brooks on one count. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. Thats exactly what I did. 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. She has made commercials and short films in the past. Weve got this problem of culpability, the lawyer had said earlier, when the two of us were seated outside in his dusty Cadillac, the windowsills too hot to touch. He had a big build, but he was flabby. During his trial, Henley's written confessions were read. When I interviewed serial killer, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., in October 2010 and discovered that a second victim of the "Houston Mass Murders," Mark Scott, 17, abducted on April 20, 1972, had. I got along with everybody. The eyes dominate a face most notable for its nastiness, speckled green and too large, conveying an extraordinary distance that continues to impress long after the gaze wanders, the ready smile fades. Although some of the victims' families were suspicious of the postcards, authorities were reluctant to investigate the disappearance of boys who appeared to be runaways. In 1994, at the suggestion of a Louisiana art dealer, Henley began to paint as a hobby, in part as a means of generating income for himself and his mother. When they questioned Henley about the items, he completely broke down. CLICK TO WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY ONLINE: https://docsonline.tv/serial-killers/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_content=psycho-killer-elmer-wayne. Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox. 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. Phillips knows Brian Falcon and Mike Huffine of Silver Rock. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . His homosexuality played second fiddle to this aura of experience and latent power, as viewed in the boys narrow perspective. The Dreymala family and others are seeking Zoom meetings with the parole board to express their opposition to Henleys request. Henley was convicted for the murder of 27 young men and boys in 1974. While he insisted it was only meant to be a night of fun, not a night of torture and murder, this seems nave on Henleys part. Dean Corll began his spree as a serial killer when he murdered his first victim in September 1970. Henley is currently housed in Texas' Mark W. Michael Unit. According to Texas Monthly, Henley and Brooks began roaming the Houston Heights neighborhood, smoking marijuana, drinking beer, and shooting pool. Nor was he deterred when Dean Corll told him he had abducted, tortured, and murdered a close friend of Henleys, David Hilligeist, in May 1971. When Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. was introduced to Dean Corll in 1971, he had no idea that he had been targeted by one of Americas most vicious serial killers. 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 agreed to accompany police to each of the burial sites to assist in the recovery of the victims. "I thought I was looking at Hannibal Lector," she said of her first meeting with Henley. When Brooks was 14, Corll began molesting him, all the while showering him with gifts and money to keep him quiet. Corll, on the other hand, did not make fun of Brooks. Henley will shortly be sentenced to 594 years by a San Antonio court, but that is a formality. Elmer Wayne Henley: The Truth About The Person Who Killed The Candy Man. Elmer Wayne Henley (left) admired Dean Corll (right) and wanted to make him proud. One day, Brooks walked in on Corll raping two teenage boys. Henley then left the youth alone with Corll, believing he was to be sold into the sex slavery ring. To make sure he stayed shot.. The oldest of the couples four sons, Henleys childhood home was an unhappy one. His mother married a salesman, divorced him, later married a merchant seaman and divorced again. As Corll began to assault and torture Tim Kerley, Henley began to cut away Williams' clothes with the knife Corll had handed him. Following advice from his defense counsel, Henley did not take the stand to testify in his own defense, although one of his attorneys, Will Gray, did cross examine a number of witnesses. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. However, in early 1972, he decided he would "help find a boy" for Corll, as he was in dire financial circumstances. Elmer Wayne Henley (left) and David Owen Brooks (right) in 1973. Other evidence included the torture board Corll handcuffed his victims to and the body box that he used to transport bodies to burial sites. 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! How Galvestonians used to dance until they dropped (for fun), a former figure skater turned journalist, and other Lone Star State stories. [5][6], Prior to his leaving high school, Henley became acquainted with a youth one year his senior named David Brooks. He then turned himself over to police, confessing his involvement in one of the country's largest murder sprees. Andy Kahan, the victim advocate for Houston Crime Stoppers, said that several murder other victims relatives are concerned and angry about the request. the Texanist, is a staff writer. His father was an alcoholic who physically assaulted his wife and sons. He does NOT deserve to have any compassion for any illness as my brother was not even treated with basic humanity.. At first I wondered what it was like to kill someone. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. Dean Corll, known as the Candy Man, was. Bettmann/Getty Images (l.) / Netflix (r.), Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (left) is portrayed by Robert Aramayo in the Netflix series. Henley, then 17 years old, shot Corll dead on August 8, 1973.[2]. Kahan said so far, he lacks details about the nature of Henleys request. Dean Corlls deadly crime spree had finally come to an end. 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 is the compleat American punk, the kid your mother warned you against becoming if you let smoking stunt your growth. Henley is currently housed in Texas' Mark W. Michael Unit. Although he initially confessed to killing only one man, authorities soon learned Henley was one of three serial killers who abducted and killed at least 28 boys, ages 13 to 20 between 1970 and 1973. August 10, 2022, 11:21 AM, CDT. Other evidence included the "torture board" Corll handcuffed his victims to and the "body box" that he used to transport bodies to burial sites. Porras was reluctant to say whether she considered Henley sincere in his thoughts, saying simply, "I think (the documentary) sends a powerful message. As Henley claimed in an interview with Texas Monthly, Corll allegedly promised him $200 for every boy he brought to him, as part of "a homosexual porn ring in California." 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]. I dont really feel about it, you know. Their discovery began when they first saw the dead body of Dean Corll. Elmer Wayne Henley feels many things, remorse not among them. It was a promise she kept, until now.. Huffine pointed out that the video's purpose was to encourage parents and children to become more aware of their surroundings. He was still talking about organized theft, and wanting to know in case was I cornered, was I willing to off the guy. Dean searched for a climax he never found, says Henley. Henley represents a larger problem because he seems to be quite sane. When asked how he felt about killing his friend and mentor, Elmer Wayne Henley told Texas Monthly he did exactly what Dean Corll trained him to do. At the time, the so-called Houston Mass Murders were described as the most lethal in modern U.S. historythe Pope sent his condolences and Truman Capote considered writing about the case as a sequel to his book In Cold Blood. But through all these years, one of his victims remains unidentified. 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. The State of Texas presented a total of 82 pieces of evidence . [18] The same month, a 19-year-old named Richard Kepner was abducted while walking to phone his fiance from a pay phone.[19]. The next day, Corll paid Henley $200. In the spring of 1973, Henley attempted to enlist in the U.S. Navy, but his application was rejected on June 28 due to the fact he had dropped out of high school andalthough a later intelligence test would reveal his IQ to be 126[20]possessed a limited education. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Even with the COVID-19 epidemic rendering prison conditions infinitely more hazardous, Texas officials rarely granted compassionate release. Henley then fired a further three rounds into the rear of his right shoulder and upper back, killing him. Two additional youths, John Sellars and Michael Baulch, were killed on July 12 and 19. Dean had been training me to react, to react fast and to react, greatly. They made their billions, but they werent going to be controlled by the government.. 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. Henley began cutting away the girl's clothes as Corll placed the pistol upon a table, undressed and climbed on top of Kerley. [36] He was tried for a second time in June 1979 and was again convicted of six murders and again sentenced to six life terms although to run concurrently rather than consecutively. Henley, answering in a soft voice, said, "No, ma'am, I'm not a serial killer. However, Henley is not a typical aging and ailing Texas prisoner. The depths of Corlls depravity soon started to come to light. In 1991, 48 Hours produced a segment on the Houston Mass Murders, which included an interview with Henley in prison. Maybe theres not just twenty-seven murders. Henley stated to police that Corll had paid him and Brooks $200 for each victim they were able to lure to his apartment, and informed police that Corll had buried most of his victims in a boatshed in Southwest Houston, and others at Lake Sam Rayburn and High Island Beach. No one had the energy to discover what was common knowledge among students: that any kid who wanted could turn on and pick up a few bucks by allowing a certain fat electrician to go down on himand that some who had done so were no longer around. Rubber thong sandals dangle from grubby toes; gone are the wispy beard and shoulder-length hair of those blurred news photos, replaced by dark, oily curls pressed against his head. Brooks introduced Henley to Corll, a heavyset employee of the Houston Lighting & Power Company, who was twice their ages. [12] At Corll's home, Corll and Henley devised a ruse in which they would lure a youth to Corll's home and Henley would then cuff his hands behind his back, release himself, then con the victim into placing the handcuffs upon himself. "I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live.". Later, he got down to the fact that we was going to be killing people. Stantons parents, James and Elaine,and his sister Michelle definitely dont want Henley to be released and feel that he can be treated in prison for whatever is wrong with him, Michelle Wilson said via email. Wikimedia CommonsDean Corll was viewed as a friend to many children in Houston. Then, go inside the notorious crimes of Killer Clown John Wayne Gacy. 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. As reported by ABC13, Elmer Wayne Henley led authorities to the bodies of the majority of the victims. First appearance: Episode 4. Thats something Ive tried to build in me. Only when Porras asks specifics about the crimes does Henley refuse to answer. PS I will be back in late August. When Brooks was 12, hed met Dean Corll, a man twice his age. [14], On March 24, Henley, in the company of Corll and Brooks, persuaded an 18-year-old friend of his named Frank Aguirre to accompany him to Corll's home on the promise of smoking marijuana with the trio. White fatigues hang open at the neck, revealing a sunken chest and the colorless flesh of the restricted prisoner. Some of those who live around what was once the home of Dean Coryll, know about the horrible things that happened here others don't. Instead, he was held several days and tortured before being murdered and buried in Corlls rented boatshed. On Aug. 8, 1973, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. brought his friends Tim Kerley and Rhonda Williams to Corlls home. 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. The jury heard evidence from both Rhonda Williams and Tim Kerley, who each testified to the events of August 7 and 8 leading to the shooting of Dean Corll, plus the testimony from various police officers who recited and discussed the written statements each youth had made and described how both Brooks and Henley had led them to each of the burial sites. Eventually he calmed down and would give the two teenagers alcohol and drugs. Elmer Wayne Henley initially ignored Corlls offer, only changing his mind in early 1972 because he needed the money but Henleys later actions suggest that the money was only part of it. He gave him money and provided him with a place to stay when he didnt want to go home. From what Wayne says, there may be more bodies out there. He gestured vaguely in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico, where in August 1973, police discovered the remains of seventeen teen-age boys beneath the dirt floor of a boat shed, wrapped in plastic shrouds and laced with lime, and subsequently dug up ten more along a lonely stretch of beach. [45], A pen pal with whom Henley has corresponded has also organized several exhibitions of his artwork. Was Texaswas the countryhoneycombed with the decomposing victims of some hidden force so demonic that it eluded ordinary perception and even memory lay buried? He said, "Dean had been training me to react, to react fast and to react, greatly. "I also said he would have a chance to apologize and say what he feels.". In one of the more dramatic moments in Houston television history, Jack Cato, a reporter for Houston's NBC television affiliate KPRC-TV, accompanied Henley and police as Henley led them to the storage shed where he and Corll had buried some of the murder victims' bodies. While Holden and Bill sweated through a thousand work shirts in a humid Georgia, Wendy and a nervous Gregg took on the interview of this week's killer: Elmer Wayne Henley, an . But Henley wanted money. Elmer is one of the most respected voice actors in the business. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on March 4. 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His mother moved to Colorado, but this time Corll didnt go with her. 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 didnt have to do nothing but steal. Henley dropped out of high school at the age of 15, and it was around the same time that he met 16-year-old David Owen Brooks. I feel remorse because Im supposed to, he says, and he is laughing. At Corll's address, Henley helped con the teenager into donning the handcuffs,[13] then watched Corll pounce on the youth, tie his feet and place tape over his mouth. Even after Elmer Wayne Henley found out what happened to the first boy hed lured to Corlls home, he didnt stop. Looking back, I can see he was carrying a burden he was trying to. I just found that, this show still continues to amaze me a few years after. 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. David Brooks parents were also divorced, so were the parents of most of the victims. All rights reserved. Henley pleaded for his life, promising to participate in the torture and murder of the other youths if Corll released him. He was getting drunk too much, getting too rowdy. By the time he finally made an advance, I was an accomplice.. I liked being there. medically recommended intensive supervision. Three years before his death, his mother had sent him an inspirational book entitled This Thing Called You. Sometimes it takes two people half an hour.. However, things became more sinister when the older man suggested committing murder. I wanted to find out what his deal was. Dean looked up and he was surprised. Corll was furious that a girl had been brought to his house, telling Henley in private he had "ruined everything." [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. On July 16, 1974, after hearing closing arguments from both prosecution and defense, the jury retired to consider their verdict. Between August 8 and 13, 1973, a total of 27 boys between the ages of 13 and 20 were found buried at the three locations Henley (and later, Brooks) had stated they and Corll had buried the victims, with an additional victim being discovered in 1983. "[7], The same year, Henley became aware of an insidious pattern of disappearances in his neighborhood: since the previous December, a minimum of eight boys ages 13 to 17 had disappeared from Houston Heights. The Astrodomes Decline From Eighth Wonder to Eighth Blunder of the World, Matthew McConaughey Is Monetizing His Whole Vibe. Visiting time has expired. After he killed Dean Corll, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. untied Tim Kerley and Rhonda Williams, picked up the phone, and called 911. There is a coziness here that goes beyond sweating together. In his confession given almost two years later, Henley told detectives Brooks lured him to Corll's home on the promise he could participate in "a deal where I could make some money." 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. I stayed around because there was no reason for me to leave. Henley was one of the subjects interviewed for the project. When Porras first met with Henley, according to the Houston Chronicle, she said, I thought I was looking at Hannibal Lecter., As the interview went on, she relaxed more, realizing Henley was not as terrifying as she initially thought. Im glad I got it over with, telling. Trial and Conviction. He could be around people, but still you never knew what Dean Corll was doing. Thats what kept me around before he started talking about killing people. He was 18 years old at the time of his conviction. Hen. 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. At the end of the conversation, Henley told Porras, "You have your interview. By the time Richard Kepner had been killed and buried at High Island, Henley had assisted in the abduction and murder of a minimum of nine teenage boys. She later said, I do believe he has remorse for what hes done. Texas did not adopt life without parole sentences until 2005. Promotional materials distributed by your outlet, including all social media work, must include cites for the Observer and our reporter. [27]:161 Henley was not charged with the death of Dean Corll, which was ruled self-defense. Once the teenagers passed out, Corll tied up and gagged all three of them. Maybe thats what started it, the divorce and all I trapped him over the head with the vacuum cleaner, and called the police.. On October 3, Henley assisted Corll in the abduction and murder of two Heights boys named Wally Simoneaux and Richard Hembree. She inscribed it: From your 54-year-old mother who has just begun to live. 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