Dean Arnold Corll (1939-1973)

    Corll was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Mary Robinson and Arnold Corll. After his parents divorced, Dean and his brother Stanley moved with their mother to Houston, Texas. In 1964, he was drafted into the military, but he was released on a hardship discharge a year later so that he could return home to help his mother with her growing candy business. It was there that he earned the name, The Candy Man, because he would often treat children to free candy. He developed a sexual relationship with David Brooks, one of the many kids who hung around the candy company, and the two stayed in Corll's apartment. After the candy business closed, his mother moved to Colorado and Corll began training to become an electrician. In 1970, Brooks walked into Corll's house while he was in the midst of assaulting two teenage boys. Corll bought Brooks' silence with a car and was then offered $200 for each boy he was willing to lure into Corll's home. Two years later, Brooks introduced him to Elmer Henley.

    Corll gave Henley the same offer per victim and told him that they were sold into a sex slave ring in Houston. Henley refused the offer initially, but took it up in 1973 when his family fell into financial trouble. In late summer 1973, Henley invited fellow teenagers Tim Kerley and Rhonda Williams to Corll's home. There, Corll scolded Henley for bringing a girl into his home. The teenagers then smoked, drank, and huffed fumes until they passed out. Henley woke to find himself tied up along with Williams and Kerley. Corll and Henley argued, with Henley managing to convince Corll to untie him by promising to participate in the murder of Williams and Kerley. Corll had brought a pistol for the murders and placed it down when he began ripping Kerley's clothes. Seeing an opportunity, Henley took the gun and attempted to ward Corll off. He stepped forward though, forcing Henley to fire five shots at him and killing him. At the trial, it was revealed that Corll had raped, tortured, and murdered at least twenty-eight boys during 1970-1973, all of them between 13 and 20 years old. Many of them were associated with Henley and Brooks, who both ended up with life sentences due to their parts in the murders.

Garden of Devotion
Grand View Memorial Park
Pasadena

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29° 39.853, -095° 06.411