Elmer Wayne Hensley, Jr. Part II

 

Contacting authorities

After Henley had shot Corll, he and Kerley began weeping as Kerley repeatedly thanked him for saving his life, and Williams screamed for him to release her. Although Henley initially contemplated simply fleeing the scene, he looked up the number for the Pasadena Police Department (PPD) in Corll's telephone directory, blurting to the operator at 8:24 a.m.: "Y'all better come here right now! I just killed a man!"

As the trio sat on the curb outside Corll's home waiting for the police to arrive, Henley slumped forward, weeping and rocking back and forth with his head in his hands as Williams—also weeping—draped one arm across his shoulder and attempted to reassure him everything would "be alright". As Kerley stared vacantly across the street, Henley mentioned to him that he had "done that (killing by shooting) four or five times."

Minutes later, Officer Jerry Jamison arrived at Lamar Drive. Henley informed Jamison that he was the individual who had contacted the police and indicated that he had "killed a man inside [the house]". Jamison placed all three inside his patrol car before entering the property to observe the body of Dean Corll sprawled face-down in the hallway; he then returned to his car and read all three their Miranda rights. In response, Henley shouted, "I don't care who knows about it! I have to get it off my chest!" Jamison then called for a detective unit to transport the three to the PPD. En route, one of the officers noted Henley repeatedly mentioned the decedent had "a warehouse or small storage room where [the decedent] had buried some bodies".

The PPD initially questioned Henley about the killing of Corll; he recounted the events of the previous evening and that morning, explaining that he had shot Corll in self-defense after he had bound, then threatened to kill all three, and he had persuaded Corll to release him. His accounts were corroborated by Kerley and Williams—both of whom indicated Henley had likely saved their lives. As such, the detective questioning Henley believed he had indeed acted in self-defense.

Initial statements

When questioned regarding his earlier claim that as Corll had threatened to kill Williams, Kerley and himself that morning, Corll had shouted that he had killed several boys, and that investigators had noted the floor of the room where the three had been bound, assaulted and threatened was covered in thick plastic sheeting in addition to locating numerous dildos, rolls of binding tape, a tube of petroleum jelly, pairs of handcuffs and a toolbox containing thin glass tubes within the property, Henley explained that since the winter of 1971–72, he had actively participated in the abductions and, later, murders of several victims. Corll had offered to pay him $200 for each victim he was able to lure to his apartment, although he had never received any significant sums of money for any victim following the first abduction. He also divulged that David Brooks had also been an active accomplice, albeit for a longer period of time than he.

Henley insisted he had initially believed the boys he abducted were to be sold into a Dallas-based organization for "homosexual acts, sodomy, maybe later killing," but that he had soon learned Corll was himself murdering the victims procured. He also gradually admitted to having assisted Corll in several murders in addition to having actively participated in the torture of "six or eight" victims before their murder, also informing police that Corll had buried most of his victims in a boat shed in Southwest Houston, and others at Lake Sam Rayburn and High Island Beach.

Although police were initially skeptical, Henley remained adamant as to his claims; he also provided investigators with the names of three boys whom he and Brooks had procured for Corll: Cobble, Hilligiest, and Jones. A call to the Houston Police Department (HPD) headquarters revealed all three had been reported missing from Houston Heights. Hilligiest had been reported missing in the summer of 1971; the other two boys had been missing for just two weeks. He agreed to accompany police to each of the burial sites to assist in the recovery of the victims, beginning with the boat shed where he insisted the three victims whose names he had initially provided detectives—Cobble, Hilligiest, and Jones—had been buried.

Search for victims

Seventeen victims in varying stages of decomposition would be recovered from the boat shed on August 8 and 9, with four separate arm bones not belonging to any victim—each appendage later confirmed to belong to the same individual—also recovered on the second day of the search. All of the victims found had been sodomized, and most victims found bore evidence of having been subjected to brutality and sexual torture: pubic hairs had been plucked out, objects had been inserted into their rectums, and glass rods had been inserted into their urethrae and smashed. Cloth rags had also been inserted into the victims' mouths, and adhesive tape had been wound around their faces to muffle their screams. One victim had been emasculated, whereas the penis of another victim had been almost completely severed by human teeth. The eighth victim recovered was found buried with an electrical cord with alligator clips attached to each end; the thirteenth and fourteenth bodies unearthed bore identification cards naming the victims as brothers Donald and Jerry Waldrop, whereas the body of the fifteenth victim had suffered several fractured ribs before his murder.

As the first bodies were unearthed and before developments about Corll's death were reported via media, a reporter for Houston's NBC television affiliate KPRC-TV, named Jack Cato, overheard Henley pleading with investigators to allow him to phone his mother. He offered Henley the use of his mobile radio telephone to call his mother prior to her learning via the media of police developments. When Henley's mother answered the telephone, Henley stated, "It's Wayne", to which his mother replied, "Yes, this is Mama, baby." Henley then blurted the words, "Mama ... I killed Dean" into the receiver, confessing that he had killed Dean Corll and was "at that warehouse he keeps" with the police. The entire conversation was captured on film and was broadcast nationwide by NBC Nightly News that evening.

Further discoveries and full confessions

Accompanied by his father, David Brooks presented himself at HPD headquarters on the evening of August 8. He provided a statement in which he admitted to having known Corll since 1967 and that, beginning in 1969, he had allowed Corll to perform oral sex upon him for money, for which he was paid up to $10. Initially, Brooks denied any knowledge of or participation in the murders, although he admitted to having known that Corll had raped and killed two teenagers while residing at an apartment on Yorktown in late 1970, and that, in return for his silence in this matter, Corll had purchased him the green 1969 Chevrolet Corvette he drove. He then elaborated: "When Dean had a place on Schuler, he was hanging around with Mark Scott, and before that, he was with Ruben Watson. They both disappeared—maybe he killed them."

On the morning of August 9, Henley gave a full written confession detailing his involvement with Corll and Brooks in the abduction and murder of numerous victims over the previous eighteen months. In this confession, Henley readily admitted to having participated in approximately eleven abductions and to having personally killed several victims by either strangulation or shooting, adding that Brooks "was with us on most of them". Although he had initially believed the victims were to be sold as houseboys to the organization Corll had claimed to belong to, he had soon discovered Corll was raping and killing his victims, although he had continued to assist Corll and Brooks in the crimes. Furthermore, Henley insisted that although Corll had paid him the agreed sum of $200 for the first victim he had lured to his home, he had never subsequently paid him any direct fee for participating in the abductions and murders. After providing his statement, Henley spoke with his mother, informing her he had confessed everything and urging her to "be happy for me, because now, at last, I can live". That afternoon, Henley accompanied the police to Lake Sam Rayburn. Two additional bodies were found in shallow, lime-soaked graves in woodland located approximately one hundred yards from the nearest road. Inside the lakeside log cabin owned by Corll's family at this location, police found a second plywood torture board, rolls of plastic sheeting, shovels, and a sack of lime.

After conferring privately with his father, Brooks gave a full confession on the morning of August 10 in which he admitting being present at several killings and assisting in several burials, although he continued to deny any direct participation in the murders—insisting he "never actually killed anyone but was in the room when they happened and was supposed to help if something went wrong". According to Brooks, Henley's role had initially been the same as his, but Henley soon actively participated in the torture and murder of many of the victims killed from early 1972 onward, and he "seemed to enjoy causing pain", being particularly sadistic in the murders committed while Corll had resided at Schuler Street.

When questioned about the plywood torture board found at Corll's home, Brooks stated many victims had been restrained to this device, particularly if Corll intended to keep them alive for extended periods of time, adding: "Once they went on the board, they were as good as dead ... it was all over but the shouting and the crying." Brooks's confession estimated Corll had killed between twenty-five and thirty boys, most of whom had been buried in the boat shed, with approximately four buried at Lake Sam Rayburn, and "five or more" victims to be located at High Island Beach. He agreed to assist investigators in locating the victims buried at the beach.

On August 10, Henley again accompanied police to Lake Sam Rayburn, where two more bodies were found buried alongside a dirt track just 10 feet (3 m) apart. That afternoon, both Henley and Brooks accompanied police to High Island Beach, leading police to the shallow graves of two further victims, both of whom were markedly decomposed. Four further victims would be located at High Island Beach on August 13, making a total of 27 known victims—at the time, the worst case of serial murder, in terms of the number of victims, in the United States.

All the victims found were males between the ages of thirteen and twenty, many of whom had been sexually tortured and severely beaten in addition to being sexually assaulted. Autopsies revealed each victim had been killed by either strangulation, shooting, or a combination of both.

Disputed victim

One of the six bodies found buried at High Island, that of 17-year-old John Manning Sellars, was later disputed as being a victim of Corll by Harris County Medical Examiner Joseph Alexander Jachimczyk. Sellars had died of four gunshot wounds fired from a rifle, whereas all the known victims of the Houston Mass Murders had either been strangled or killed with the same .22 caliber pistol Henley had used to kill Corll. The official tally of victims was reduced to twenty-six in 1974 after Dr. Jachimczyk testified that Sellars "probably was not" murdered by Corll and his accomplices.

Henley and Brooks had not led police to Sellars' body, and neither specifically mentioned the teenager as being a victim. The grave site had been revealed to investigators by a truck driver on August 13 and was located over two miles from the other five victims buried at this location. Nonetheless, although Sellars' body was not wrapped in plastic sheeting, the youth's body was found bound hand and foot and buried like Corll's other known victims.

Indictment

On August 13, 1973, a grand jury convened in Harris County to hear evidence against Henley and Brooks. The jury heard evidence from both Rhonda Williams and Timothy 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 signed confessions Henley and Brooks had given and described how both had led them to each of the burial sites. The assembled jury also heard the testimony of a youth named William Ridinger, who had been abducted by Corll, Henley, and Brooks in the summer of 1972 and who testified as to his torture and abuse at the hands of the trio before Corll agreed to release him.

After hearing over six hours of testimony, on August 14, Henley was indicted on three counts of murder, and Brooks on one count. Bail for both was set at $100,000. By September 7, the number of murder indictments against Henley had risen to six, with Brooks ultimately indicted on four counts of murder. Henley was not charged with the death of Dean Corll, which prosecutors would rule on September 18, had been committed in self-defense.

On October 8, Henley and Brooks were brought to court to face a formal arraignment. Henley was charged with six counts of murder and Brooks with four counts. Both youths pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. A subsequent hearing to suppress Henley's August 9 written confession on the grounds that Henley had not been informed of his legal rights or allowed to see a lawyer beforehand saw Judge William Hatten rule his confession admissible at his upcoming trial.

Trial and conviction

Henley was brought to trial before Judge Preston Dial in San Antonio on July 1, 1974, charged with the murders of six teenage boys whom he himself had lured to Corll's apartment between March 1972 and July 1973. Henley was defended by William Gray and Edwin Pegelow, with Carol Vance and Donald Lambright prosecuting the case. Henley formally entered a plea of not guilty to the charges on the opening date of his trial.

The State of Texas presented a total of 96 pieces of evidence throughout Henley's trial, including the written confession Henley had given on August 9, which was read to the court in which he admitted killing or assisting in the abduction and murder of several youths, including the six teenagers for whose murders he was on trial. Other pieces of evidence presented included the wooden box used to transport the victims' bodies to the various burial sites and the plywood body board upon which many victims had been restrained. Within the wooden box, investigators had found several strands of human hair, which examiners had concluded came from Charles Cobble.

A total of 25 witnesses testified as to Henley's involvement in the abductions and murders on behalf of the prosecution, including Detective David Mack Mullican, who had attended the Lamar Drive crime scene before the discovery of Corll's crimes and had spent three days in Henley's company before and following his August 9 confession. Mullican outlined Henley's admissions as to the differing methods of torture used by Corll on several victims, how one victim had been kept alive for three days simply because Corll had "liked" him, and how Henley had informed him that strangling an individual to death "was not as easy like they show on TV", adding: "When we killed Marty Jones, I had to get Dean to come and help me." When questioned further about the plywood board used to restrain the victims, Mullican testified that Henley had informed him that to restrain the youths, he, Brooks, and Corll had "handcuffed (the victims) to the board and sometimes to a wall with their mouths taped so they couldn't make any noise". Mullican's testimony was accompanied by the introduction of evidence directly related to the murders by prosecuting District Attorney Carol Vance.

Following advice from his defense counsel, Henley did not take the stand to testify in his own defense. Although one of his attorneys, William Gray, did cross-examine a number of prosecution witnesses, the defense did not subpoena any witnesses to testify on behalf of their client. Gray also urged the jury to "judge [the] evidence as unemotionally as you can". On more than 300 occasions, Henley's attorneys raised objections to the testimony given or evidence presented against Henley. Almost all were overruled.

On July 15, 1974, both counsels presented their closing arguments to the jury: the prosecution seeking life imprisonment; the defense a verdict of not guilty. In his closing argument to the jury, District Attorney Carol Vance apologized for not being able to seek the death penalty, adding he considered Henley as "a monster who should be removed from society" and describing the case as the "most extreme example of man's inhumanity to man I have ever seen."

Edwin Pegelow delivered the closing argument on behalf of the defense. Pegelow did not dispute the fact Henley—by his own willing admission—had assisted in the commission of the crimes, but emphasized he had brought the murder spree to an end by killing Corll, and had subsequently willingly divulged his knowledge of and participation in the crimes to authorities in addition to helping locate the victims' bodies, when he could have remained silent.

Conviction

On July 16, the jury retired to consider its verdict. After 92 minutes of deliberations, they reached their conclusion: Henley was found guilty and sentenced to six consecutive 99-year terms of imprisonment. On July 25, Henley and his attorneys filed an appeal, contending that Henley had been denied an evidentiary hearing; that the jury had not been sequestered; that a motion to move the initial trial away from San Antonio had also been denied; and that the presence of news media in the courtroom had also prejudiced his trial.

Henley's conviction was overturned on appeal on December 20, 1978. He was tried before Judge Noah Kennedy in Corpus Christi in June 1979, with Henley again represented by defense attorneys William Gray and Edwin Pegelow. On June 27, Henley was again convicted of six murders and again sentenced to six life terms, although the terms were to run concurrently rather than consecutively.

Elmer Wayne Henley first became eligible for parole on July 8, 1980; on this occasion—and each successive parole hearing to date—he has been denied parole, and he has stated that he does not expect to be released from prison. Henley's next eligible parole date is scheduled to occur in October 2025, when he will be 69 years old.

Henley is currently incarcerated in the Telford Unit in Bowie County.

David Brooks was tried before Judge William Hatten in Houston on February 27, 1975, charged solely with the June 1973 murder of William Ray Lawrence. He chose to plead not guilty. Brooks was defended by Jim Skelton and Elaine Brady, with Assistant District Attorney Tommy Dunn and Donald Lambright prosecuting the case.

 

Brooks's defense attorneys argued that their client had not committed any murders and attempted to portray Corll and, to a lesser degree, Henley as being the active participants in the actual killings. Assistant District Attorney Tommy Dunn dismissed the defense's contention outright, at one point telling the jury, "Was he an innocent bystander? This defendant was in on this killing, this murderous rampage, from the very beginning. He tells you he was a cheerleader if nothing else. That's what he was telling you about his presence. You know he was in on it."

In the state's closing argument, prosecutor Donald Lambright outlined the ordeal endured by Lawrence over the period of three days, stating: "What kind of hell do you think he went through for three days?" He then described the teenager's ultimate death as "a blessing" in that his murder put an end to Lawrence's suffering. Lambright also outlined the fact that, unlike Henley, Brooks had continued to financially profit from successive victims' deaths—receiving "gifts and gratuities" from Corll.

In a 40-minute closing argument, defense attorney Jim Skelton argued that nobody disputed the brutality of Lawrence's murder, and that although the state had proven Brooks to be an accessory to Lawrence's murder, the state had failed to produce any evidence his client had killed Lawrence or any of the other victims, stating: "The state has proven David Owen Brooks of being an accessory to murder; the state has not established a murder case ... They have proved accessory to murder—not murder."

Skelton also argued the state had failed to prove an actual motive for his client's participation in Lawrence's death, and had based their entire case upon circumstantial evidence and urged the jurors, "before you convict, you've got to find an act to punish".

Conviction

Brooks's trial lasted less than one week, although the jury deliberated for just 90 minutes before announcing they had reached a verdict: Brooks was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on March 4. He did appeal his sentence, contending that the signed confessions used against him were taken without his being informed of his legal rights and the erroneous application of certain legal arguments, but his appeal was dismissed in May 1979.

David Brooks died of COVID-19-related complications in a Galveston hospital at the age of 65 on May 28, 2020, having been admitted to this hospital on May 12 with respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19. At the time of his death, Brooks was incarcerated at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Polk County, Texas, having served forty-five years of a life sentence. He and Henley corresponded on only one occasion in the decades following their respective convictions, in which Brooks responded to a letter from Henley inviting continued correspondence. Neither maintained written contact, with Henley musing in 2011: "He wrote back—he typed his letter and didn't sign it—saying 'Let's stay in touch', but we never did. I mean, in the end, what were we going to say to each other? How we wished we had never met Dean?"

Imprisonment

Shortly after his conviction, Henley began to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, which was not initially diagnosed. To compensate, throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, he occupied himself with prison jobs—frequently working from 5:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. He would occupy much of his time with prison jobs into middle age, stating in 2011: “I try to keep myself busy and I try not to sleep much ... I don't like dreaming about the old days." Henley gradually earned a reputation as a model inmate. He describes himself as a voracious reader and avidly follows current events.

I know that people will always think that I'm evil, but I know it's not true. I know I'm not useless. I know I've become someone my mom would be proud of ... Do you realize I hadn't even gotten my driver's license, and there I was, out committing murders with Dean just because I wanted to please him?

In the decades following his conviction, Henley has granted numerous interviews, although he frequently refuses to discuss his criminal past in detail with members of the press or public. By the late 1990s, he had reconciled himself to the fact that he will most likely never be released from prison, although he did state in 1997: "Don't think I don't have my bad nights and think, 'God, if only I had it to do all over again', but I don't have that—I have today. I'm at a point where I can stand before God and say, 'Here I am' instead of hiding. Maybe this is where I'm supposed to be."

Artwork

In 1994, at the suggestion of a Louisiana art dealer, Henley undertook painting and craftwork as a hobby, in part as a means of generating income for himself and his mother. He has since devoted much of his free time to various forms of art, and several exhibitions of his artwork have been held, with the first being at the Hyde Park Gallery in Neartown, Houston, in 1997. This exhibition drew outrage from some victims' relatives. In 1999, the city of Houston expressed interest in building a monument to victims of violent crime, which Henley said he would be willing to help pay for with part of the proceeds from a second art show.

In interviews, Henley has stated that he suffers from a severe color deficiency in his eyesight that makes it impossible for him to clearly distinguish between reds and greens. To compensate, all the people Henley paints are in black and white, while his other works are usually in color. Henley refuses to paint or draw any images of a violent or exploitative nature; many of his works depict serene imagery such as landscapes, buildings, flowers, and surrealistic imagery. The majority of Henley's artwork is created using acrylics and graphite. He has also designed custom jewelry.

Media

Film

A film loosely inspired by the Houston Mass Murders, Freak Out, was released in 2003. The film was directed by Brad Jones, who also starred as Corll. This film largely focuses on the last night of Corll's life, before Henley shot him and contacted authorities.

Production of a film directly based upon the Houston Mass Murders, In a Madman's World, finished in 2014. Directed by Josh Vargas, in a Madman's World is directly based upon Elmer Wayne Henley's life before, during, and immediately after ins involvement with Dean Corll and David Brooks. Limited edition copies of the film were released in 2017.

Bibliography

Christian, Kimberly (2015). Horror in the Heights: The True Story of The Houston Mass Murders. CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1-515-19072-1

Gibson, Barbara (2023). Houston Mass Murders 1973: A True Crime Narrative. Independent. ISBN 979-8-882-66863-0.

Gurwell, John K. (1974). Mass Murder in Houston. Cordovan Press.

Hanna, David (1975). Harvest of Horror: Mass Murder in Houston. Belmont Tower.

Jessel, David; Wilson, Colin (1991). "The Candy Man". Murder Casebook: Investigations into the Ultimate Crime. No. 102. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-0-748-53511-8.

Olsen, Jack (1974). The Man with the Candy: The Story of the Houston Mass Murders. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-1283-0.

Olsen, Lise (2025). The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston's Lost Boys. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-593-59568-8.

Ramsland, Katherine; Ullman, Tracy (2024). The Serial Killer's Apprentice: The True Story of How Houston's Deadliest Murderer Turned a Kid Into a Killing Machine. Penzler Publishers. ISBN 978-1-613-16495-2.

Rosewood, Jack (2015). Dean Corll: The True Story of The Houston Mass Murders. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1-517-48500-9.

Williams, Paul (1994). "The Pied Piper". Real-Life Crimes. No. 130. Eaglemoss Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1-858-75022-4.

Television

A 1982 documentary, The Killing of America, features a section devoted to the Houston Mass Murders.

FactualTV hosts a documentary focusing on the murders committed by Corll and his accomplices. Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Sharon Derrick is among those interviewed for the documentary.

Investigation Discovery has broadcast a documentary focusing on the Houston Mass Murders within their documentary series, Most Evil. This documentary, titled Manipulators, features an interview with Henley conducted by a former forensic psychologist named Kris Mohandie.

The crime thriller series Mindhunter has broadcast an episode mentioning the Houston Mass Murders. This episode was first broadcast on August 16, 2019.

Houston-based news channel KPRC-TV has broadcast an episode focusing on the Houston Mass Murders as part of their crime series The Evidence Room. Hosted by investigative reporter Robert Arnold, this 28-minute episode, titled The Candy Man's Henchmen, was first broadcast in February 2023.

The Serial Killer's Apprentice. Commissioned by Investigation Discovery, this two-hour documentary was first broadcast on August 17, 2025, and contains audio recordings of Henley's interviews with forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland.

Podcast

The Clown and the Candyman (2020–2021). An eight-part podcast series narrated by Jacqueline Bynon, investigating the murders committed by Corll, Henley, and Brooks, in addition to serial killer John Wayne Gacy. This series explores their respective potential links to a nationwide sex trafficking network and the ongoing efforts to identify their victims.

Notes

 Henley's mother's second marriage was soon annulled.

 Following the revelation of Henley's subsequent involvement in the murders initiated by Corll, the mother of David Hilligiest would recollect: "He (Henley) would ask if we had heard anything... and he would look off into the distance. Looking back, I can see he was carrying a burden he was trying to sedate.”

 Some accounts state Branch was abducted in February 1972. However, the Office of the Medical Examiner of Harris County lists Branch's death as having occurred in November 1972.

 Lyles's body would remain undiscovered until August 1983.

 Reflecting on his ambivalent attitude toward Corll, his crimes, and his own involvement in the murders, Henley would later reflect: "My life was kind of schizophrenic. I could get away from Dean and live normally. I could hang out with my friends, see my girlfriends, barbecue with the family, but there was always an undercurrent of fear waiting for Dean to show up. At the same time, I was fearful of being left out ... I didn't feel anchored anymore because the anchor was Dean. When I was with Dean, everything seemed to focus on him, so everything was all right as long as Dean was all right. When I was away from Dean, then I had misgivings and felt responsible and guilty ... He was never able to make me guilt-free."

 Williams had previously been the girlfriend of the victim, Frank Aguirre. Following Aguirre's murder, Henley had informed her on several occasions that she should cease lamenting his disappearance and hoping he would return, as he "[had] a feeling" he would never return home.

 Discussing his mindset and emotions immediately after shooting Corll, Henley would recollect in 2022: "I think the reason I broke down and cried after shooting Dean was because my life was ended. I had finally accepted that anything was preferable to continue with Dean ... I was also closing off a part of my life I had clung to regardless of consequences. I cried because I lost Dean, lost my life, lost my childhood, accepted death, and was just plain relieved ... From the minute Dean tied us up that morning, it was only going to end with [either] Dean's or Rhonda's and Tim's deaths. I would have accepted Dean allowing us to leave, but I also know, now, that only Dean's death was going to release me."

 Kerley would also later inform investigators that Henley also informed him: "If you weren't my friend, I could have gotten $200 for you."

 Henley would later describe Corll's practice of pulling pubic hairs from the victims as a "coercion technique" undertaken to ensure the victims' compliance in the sexual abuse inflicted upon them.

 Henley submitted to a press interview at Lake Sam Rayburn on the afternoon of August 9. When questioned by a reporter named Larry Conners as to what Brooks's role had been in the abductions and murders, Henley simply replied, "Same as mine."

 The body of a seventh victim, buried at High Island, Mark Scott, still lies undiscovered at this location, and the body of victim Joseph Lyles was found buried at Jefferson County Beach in August 1983.

 The six victims Henley was brought to trial for were Frank Aguirre, Johnny Delome, William Lawrence, Homer Garcia, Charles Cobble, and Marty Jones.

 A state law introduced in 2001 would prohibit Texan inmates from profiting from sales of their artwork.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Wayne_Henley