“John Doe 1973” and Dean Corll, also known as the “Candy Man” serial killer.Photo:Missingkids.org; Alamy
Missingkids.org; Alamy
Forensic artists have released a new reconstructed image of the last known victim of Texas serial killer Dean Corll, also known as “Candy Man,” in the hopes of positively identifying the boy on the 50th anniversary of the discovery of his body.
The boy, who is still listed as “John Doe” on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, was one of 17 people found dead in a Houston-area boat storage shed on Aug. 9, 1973, perNCMEC’s website. Police believe he was between the ages of 15 and 18 and had been dead for at least a year before his body was recovered.
According toNCMEC,the boy was White, “with possible admixtures including Hispanic,” and a medical examiner said he had brown hair that was about seven inches long. He stood between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-7 inches tall and had a mild form of spina bifida, which could have impacted how he walked.
Additionally, forensic artists with NCMEC and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences jointly produced digitally reconstructed photos of the items discovered with the boy’s body.
NCMEC says “John Doe” was wearing belted Catalina brand swim trunks with colored stripes. The swim trunks also had the letter “C” in the center of the wings on the silver buckle.
The victim was wearing a khaki-colored long-sleeved ’70s-style shirt and belted Catalina brand swim trunks, the NCMEC says.Missingkids.org
Missingkids.org
The victim was also found with a khaki-colored long-sleeved ’70s-style shirt with a red, white and blue peace symbol on the back that read “USA,” dark blue corduroys, brown leather cowboy boots, and a knotted leather ankle bracelet.
Leather cowboy boots were also found with the boy’s remains; the front of the khaki-colored long-sleeved ’70s-style shirt.Missingkids.org
Between 1970 and 1973, Corll and his two teenage accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks, were responsible for the kidnapping and murders of at least 28 young boys and men, the post states.
Corll was dubbed the “Candy Man” because he worked at his family’s candy factory when he was younger and often gave out free candy to the boys in the neighborhood, per NCMEC. He was reportedly an electrician at the time of the murders.
The victims became known as the “Lost Boys,” many of whom ranged in age from 13 to 20 and had vanished from the Houston Heights neighborhood. At the time, many believed police brushed off the disappearances as runaways.
Dean Corll, also known as the “Candy Man” serial killer, who murdered at least 28 young boys and men in the early 1970s in Houston, Texas.AP Photo/Houston Chronicle
AP Photo/Houston Chronicle
The slayings, which became known as the “Houston Mass Murders,” came to light on Aug. 8, 1973, when then 17-year-old Henley and then 18-year-old Brooks led investigators to multiple locations where the bodies had been dumped, according to NCMEC. Police had initially responded to a 911 call at Corll’s home in Pasadena, Texas, where they say they found both Corll and Henley, who allegedly confessed to fatally shooting Corll in self-defense.
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Both Henley and Brooks pleaded guilty to their roles in the murders and were subsequently sentenced to life in prison. In 2020, Brooks died in prison because of complications from COVID-19. Since then, officials have denied Henley’s request for parole and he remains imprisoned, KHOU-11 reports.
Elmer Henley (right).Bettman Archive
Bettman Archive
Over the years, 27 of Corll’s victims have been identified, but the 28th still has no name.
“John Doe’s” DNA has been entered into national DNA databases, including CODIS, and investigators have been actively looking for a match since 2005, per NCMEC. They have also attempted genetic genealogy, but have not gotten any leads.
“We remain hopeful that this young man’s family and friends are still looking for him,” said Carol Schweitzer, supervisor of NCMEC’s Forensic Services Unit.
“He may have siblings, cousins, classmates, neighbors, or friends who have always wondered what happened to him,” Schweitzer added. “This young man’s friends and classmates would be in their late 60s to early 70s and we hope that this new imagery reaches them and helps bring in that one single lead needed to resolve this case.”
Anyone with information on “John Doe 1973,” is asked to call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences and reference case number ML73-3356.
source: people.com
