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Elmer Wayne Henley

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Elmer Wayne Henley Jr.
File:Henley1974.jpg
Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. Pictured at age 18 during his trial in San Antonio, July, 1974.
Born
Elmer Wayne Henley Jr.

(1956-05-09) May 9, 1956 (age 68)
Houston, Texas
Criminal penalty6 Life Sentences
Details
Victims6 (convicted)
Span of crimes
March 24, 1972 – July 25, 1973
CountryUnited States
State(s)Texas
Date apprehended
August 8, 1973

Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. (born May 9, 1956) is a convicted American serial killer, incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) system. Henley was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences on July 16, 1974[1] for his role in a series of murders in Houston, Texas, in which a minimum of twenty-eight teenage boys were abducted, raped and murdered by Dean Corll between 1970 and 1973. Many of the victims were lured to Corll's home by Henley or Corll's other teenage accomplice, David Brooks. Dean Corll, the ring-leader of the murders, was shot dead by Henley, then 17-years-old,[2] on August 8, 1973.

Henley is serving six life sentences as a result of his involvement in the murders, at that time considered the deadliest case of serial murders in American history.[3]

Early life

Henley was born May 9, 1956 in Houston, Texas, the eldest of four sons born to Elmer Wayne Henley, Sr. and Mary Henley (née Weed). His father was an alcoholic and a wife-beater who also physically assaulted his sons, whereas his mother, although strict and religious, was nonetheless protective of her children and strove to ensure her children received a good education and refrained from trouble. The couple divorced in 1970, when Henley was aged fifteen. Henley's mother retained custody of her four sons.

Initially, Henley had been a superior student at school.[4] However, upon his parents' divorce, Henley took a series of menial, part-time jobs to help his mother with household finances and his grades dropped sharply. At the age of fifteen, Henley dropped out of high school.

Prior to his leaving high school, Henley became acquainted with a youth one year his senior named David Brooks. The two youths became friends and often played truant together.[5] 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.[6] Initially, Henley was oblivious to the true extent of Corll and Brooks' friendship: although he later stated that despite the fact he admired Corll because he worked hard, he also suspected Corll was homosexual and concluded Brooks was "hustling himself a queer."

Nonetheless, Henley occasionally began spending his free time Corll's company. Corll initially informed Henley that he was involved in organized theft, and he, Brooks and Henley did burglarize several addresses, in each instance for which Henley was paid small sums of money.[7] On one occasion during the time Henley was involved in petty theft with Corll, in an apparent test of character, Corll asked Henley if he would be willing to kill if required, to which Henley replied "Yes."[8]

The same year, Henley became aware of an insidious pattern of disappearances in his neighborhood: since the previous December, a total of eight teenage boys aged between 13 and 17 who had lived in his neighborhood had disappeared. Two of the youths, David Hilligeist and Malley Winkle, who disappeared on May 29, 1971 on their way to a local swimming pool, had been his close friends and Henley had himself actively participated in the search for the two boys before Brooks took Henley to meet Corll again in the winter of 1971.[9]

Introduction to Dean Corll

In the winter of 1971, when he was aged fifteen, Wayne Henley was again taken by David Brooks to meet Corll. 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." At Corll's home (where he was possibly taken as an intended victim), the youth was told by Corll that he belonged to an organization based in Dallas which recruited young boys for a homosexual slavery ring. Henley was offered the same fee as Brooks ($200) for any boy he could bring to Corll.[10]

Henley later informed police that, for several months, he completely ignored Corll's offer. However, in early 1972, he decided he would "help find a boy" for Corll as he was in dire financial circumstances.[11] 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. The pair then drove around Houston Heights and, at the corner of 11th and Studewood, Henley persuaded a youth to enter Corll's GTX. The victim was lured to Corll's Schuler Street apartment on the promise of smoking some marijuana. At Corll's address, Henley helped con the teenager into donning the handcuffs,[12] then watched Corll pounce on the youth, tie his feet and place tape over his mouth. Henley then left the youth alone with Corll, believing he was to be sold into the homosexual slavery ring. The next day, Corll paid Henley $200.

The identity of this first victim Henley assisted in the abduction of is not known, although it is possible the youth was 17-year-old Willard Karmon Branch, who disappeared in February of 1972 and was found buried in Corll's boat shed.

Participation in killings

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. At Corll's home, Aguirre was plied with marijuana, then persuaded to handcuff himself before Corll dragged Aguirre to his bedroom and secured him to his torture board before he was raped, tortured and strangled before being buried at High Island Beach.[13] Henley later claimed that he attempted to talk Corll out of raping and killing Aguirre, but Corll adamantly refused. At this point, Corll informed him the youth he had previously assisted in the abduction of had been killed and that Aguirre was to suffer the same fate.[14] Later, Corll and Brooks informed Henley that his childhood friend, David Hilligiest, had also been killed and buried in his boat shed along with his swimming companion Malley Winkle.[15]

Despite the revelations to the reality of the fate of the boys brought to Corll, Henley nonetheless continued to assist Corll and Brooks in the abductions and murders of youths, who would be lured to Corll's home either alone or in pairs. 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. As had been the case with Frank Aguirre, Scott was raped, tortured, strangled and buried at High Island Beach before another two Heights youths, Billy Baulch and Johnny Ray Delone, were also murdered and buried at High Island on May 21.

Corll moved to an address at Westcott Towers in June of 1972 and within one month, a 17-year-old youth named Steven Sickman had been murdered. On October 3, Henley assisted Corll in the abduction and murder of two Heights boys named Wally Simoneaux and Richard Hembree. David Brooks later stated Hembree was accidentally shot in the mouth by Henley who, according to Brooks' confession 'just came in (the room where the two boys were bound) waving the .22 and accidentally shot one of the boys in the jaw. ' The two boys were killed later the same day Hembree was shot and later buried in the boat shed. One month later, a 19-year-old named Richard Kepner was abducted while walking to phone his fiancee from a pay phone.

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. On February 1, 1973, Corll abducted and killed a 17-year-old youth named Joseph Lyles, apparently without the assistance of Henley, who had temporarily moved to Mount Pleasant in early 1973.

File:WilliamLawrence1973.jpg
Billy Lawrence, aged 15.

"Dear Daddy,

I have decided to go to Austin because I have got a good job offer. I am sorry that I decided to leave but I just had to go.

PS I will be back in late August. Hope you understand, but I had to go.

Daddy I hope you know I love you.

Your son,

Billy."

Transcript of letter Bily Lawrence was forced to write to his father by Corll.[16]

In the spring of 1973, Henley attempted to enlist in the U.S. Navy, but his application was rejected due to the fact he had dropped out of high school and possessed a limited education. In a 2010 interview, Henley stated: "I couldn't leave anyway. If I did go, I knew Dean would go after one of my little brothers, who he always liked a little too much."

Nonetheless, between June and July of 1973: he, Brooks and Corll had killed a further eight victims between the ages of fifteen and twenty, at least six of whom Henley participated in either the abduction of or murder. On June 4, a 15-year-old friend of Henley's named Billy Lawrence was abducted and, after 3 days of abuse and torture at an address Corll had moved to in Pasadena, strangled with a ligature and buried at Lake Sam Rayburn. Less than two weeks later, a 20-year-old hitch-hiker named Raymond Blackburn was likewise strangled and buried at Lake Sam Rayburn before a 15-year-old South Houston youth named Homer Garcia was shot and buried at the same location after his July 7 abduction. Two further youths, John Sellars and Michael Baulch, were killed on July 12 and July 19 and on July 25, Henley lured two friends named Charles Cobble and Marty Jones to Corll's apartment where, two days later, Cobble was shot and Jones strangled before the youths were buried in Corll's boat shed.

On August 3, Brooks and Corll - without the assistance of Henley - abducted and killed a 13-year-old Pasadena boy named James Dreymala. The youth last called his mother stating he was at a party. Dreymala was strangled and buried in Corll's boat shed.

August 8 party

On August 8, 1973, Henley brought a further potential victim, 19-year-old Timothy Kerley, to Corll's home upon the promise of a party. Before Corll was able to manacle Kerley to his torture board, the pair left Corll's home to purchase sandwiches. Henley and Kerley later returned to Corll's home - in the company of a 15-year-old girl named Rhonda Williams. Corll was furious a female had been brought to his house, telling Henley in private he had "ruined everything." Externally, however, Corll remained calm: he waited until Henley and the other two teenagers were unconscious from drinking and smoking marijuana before binding and gagging them.

Henley woke to find Corll placing handcuffs upon his wrists,[17] Kerley and Williams had each been bound and gagged and lay alongside Henley on the floor.

Corll then dragged Henley by his cuffed hands into his kitchen and placed a .22 caliber pistol against his stomach, threatening to shoot him. Henley pled for his life, promising to participate in the torture and murder of the other youths if Corll released him. 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.

Henley was handed a long hunting knife by Corll, who ordered him to cut away Williams' clothes, insisting that he would rape and kill the youth as Henley would do likewise to Rhonda Williams. Henley began cutting away the girl's clothes as Corll placed the pistol upon a table, undressed and clambered on top of Kerley.

Shooting of Corll

As Corll began to assault and torture Tim Kerley, Henley began to cut away Williams' clother with the knife Corll had handed him. As he did so, Williams lifted her head and asked Henley "Is this for real?" Henley replied in the affirmative and Williams then asked Henley whether he was to "do anything about it," upon which Henley grabbed the pistol Corll had lain on a bedside table and ordered Corll to stop what he was doing, shouting: "You've gone far enough, Dean!"

Even with a weapon pointed at him, Corll was not cowed: he walked towards Henley, shouting "Kill me, Wayne! You won't do it!" Henley fired a round at Corll, hitting him in the forehead. As Corll continued to advance upon him, Henley shot him a further two times in the shoulder, upon which Corll staggered out of the room the teenagers were held. Henley then fired a further three rounds into the rear of his right shoulder and lower back, killing him. He then released Kerley and Williams, phoned the Pasadena police and subsequently confessed to his role in the Houston Mass Murders.

Confession

On the evening of August 8, Henley confessed to police that for almost three years, he and David Brooks had helped procure teenage boys - some of whom had been their own friends - for Dean Corll. Henley unequivocally stated that since the winter of 1971, he had actively participated in the abductions and, later, the murders of the victims. He stated that Brooks had also been an active accomplice - albeit for a longer period of time than he.

Henley stated to police that Corll had paid he 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. He agreed to accompany police to each of the burial sites to assist in the recovery of the victims.

File:Henley Blackburn August 1973.jpg
Elmer Wayne Henley, pictured at Lake Sam Rayburn on August 9, 1973.

Between August 8 and August 13, 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.[18] Seventeen of the victims were found buried in the boat shed, a further four victims were found at Lake Sam Rayburn, six bodies were found buried at High Island Beach (although the body of a seventh victim buried at High Island, Mark Scott, still lies undiscovered at this location) and the body of a 29th victim was found buried at Jefferson County Beach in August 1983. All the victims found were young males and many had been sexually tortured in addition to being sexually assaulted. Autopsies revealed each victim had been killed by either strangulation, shooting or a combination of both.[19]

At Henley's trial in 1974, one of the bodies found buried at High Island, that of 17-year-old John Manning Sellars, was disputed as being a victim of Corll by a forensic pathologist who examined his remains.[20] The youth, who vanished on July 12, 1973, had died of four gunshot wounds fired from a rifle, whereas each other victim of the Houston Mass Murders had either been strangled or killed by the .22 caliber pistol Henley had used to kill Dean Corll. However, Henley and Brooks had led police to Sellars' body on August 13, 1973 and the youth's body was found bound hand and foot and buried in a manner similar to Corll's other known victims.

Victims Henley was convicted of killing[21]
1. Frank Aguirre (18)  – March 24, 1972
2. Johnny Delone (16)  – May 21, 1972
3. Billy Ray Lawrence (15)  – June 4, 1973
4. Homer Garcia (15)  – July 7, 1973
5. Charles Cobble (17)  – July 25, 1973
6. Marty Ray Jones (18)  – July 25, 1973

Trial and conviction

Henley was brought to trial in San Antonio in June 1974, charged with the murders of six teenage boys whom he himself lured to Corll's apartment between March 1972 and July 1973.[22] He was found guilty on July 16, 1974 and sentenced to six consecutive life terms. 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.

Appeal

Henley's appeal was upheld: his conviction was overturned on December 20, 1978.[23] He was awarded a new trial in December of 1978. In June, 1979, Henley was tried for a second time. On June 27, he was again convicted of 6 murders and again sentenced to six consecutive life terms.

  • David Brooks was tried in February 1975, charged with the June 1973 murder of Billy Ray Lawrence. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on March 4.[24]
  • Elmer Wayne Henley first became eligible for parole on July 8, 1980;[25] although since this date, he has consistently been denied parole.

Art controversy

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. 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 and flowers and the majority being created using acrylics and graphite.[28]

"All I ask is that they look at my artwork first [...] it may be the only contribution I can give to society."
Henley referring to criticism of his art exhibitions.[29]

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, any portraits Henley draws of humans are in black and white; with his other works usually being drawn or painted in color.[30]

A pen pal with whom Henley has corresponded has also organized several exhibitions of his artwork.[31] In 1997, the Hyde Park Gallery in Houston's Neartown area hosted Henley's first art show. This exhibition drew outrage from some victims' relatives.[30] 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.[32]

References

  1. ^ The Man With The Candy ISBN 978-0743212830 p 219
  2. ^ Serial Killers ISBN 0-7835-0000-9 p.111
  3. ^ The Man With The Candy ISBN 978-0743212830 p 158
  4. ^ The Man With The Candy ISBN 978-0743212830 p. 201
  5. ^ Texas Monthly, April, 1976 edition
  6. ^ Texas Monthly - Apr. 1976 edition.
  7. ^ Texas Monthly, April 1976.
  8. ^ Texas Monthly, April 1976.
  9. ^ The Man With The Candy ISBN 978-0743212830 p 46
  10. ^ Murder in mind ISSN 1364-5803, p18
  11. ^ Henley vs. State
  12. ^ USA Today.
  13. ^ Texas Monthly.com
  14. ^ Texas Crime News.
  15. ^ Henley vs. State.
  16. ^ Texas Crime News, April 2011
  17. ^ [The Man With The Candy ISBN 978-0743212830 p. 100-101/The Man with the Candy p. 100- 101]
  18. ^ ABC Local.com.
  19. ^ Texas Crime News.
  20. ^ Salidart.org
  21. ^ Loislaw
  22. ^ Murder in mind ISSN 1364-5803, p34
  23. ^ http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/program.pl?ID=497125
  24. ^ Beaver County Times archives
  25. ^ "Offender Information Detail Henley, Elmer Wayne Jr." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 20, 2010. Enter the SID "01924387."
  26. ^ TruTv.com
  27. ^ Rhor, Monica. "Serial killer wrestles with his crimes." Fox News. Sunday June 8, 2008. Retrieved on December 12, 2010. "Henley, who turned 52 in May, sits behind a glass divider in the visiting room at the Michael Unit, a Texas prison set amid cow pastures and sprawling ranches about an hour south of Dallas."
  28. ^ http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1997_1392340/artistic-freedom-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-o.html
  29. ^ Houston Chronicle, 1997.
  30. ^ a b "Killer Art". Houston Press. 1997-01-30. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  31. ^ http://www.houstonpress.com/1997-01-30/news/killer-art/
  32. ^ "To Die For". Houston Press. Retrieved 2009-09-13.

External links

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