Investigation Discovery has dropped The Serial Killer’s Apprentice, a new documentary focusing on the Candy Man Killer Dean Corll and his accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
There’s plenty of true crime content to dive into this month, from the upcoming Hulu series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox to Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser from Netflix.
But The Serial Killer’s Apprentice is also well worth your time. Corll was known as one of the most brutal murderers in American history, having abducted, sexually assaulted, tortured, and killed at least 28 teenage boys and young men in the early ‘70s in Texas.
Alongside retelling what happened through expert testimony and the victims’ loved ones, the new documentary sees criminologist Dr. Katherine Ramsland speaking with Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., marking the first time he’s spoken about his crimes in over 50 years.
Where is Elmer Wayne Henley now?
Henley is currently serving a life in prison sentence at the Barry B. Telford Unit, a state prison located in Bowie County, Texas. He is 69 years old.
While Henley is often remembered as Corll’s accomplice and a serial killer in his own right, the new documentary paints a complex picture.
Henley himself was groomed by Corll, initially being manipulated into luring other boys under the promise of money and acceptance. However, soon enough Corll implicated Henley in his crimes, making him too scared to leave or notifying the police.
That being said, The Serial Killer’s Apprentice highlights the fact that Henley himself could be bending the truth. And the facts are that Henley murdered six of the 28 victims himself.
Initially, he would just lure the boys and hand them over to Corll, believing that they would be given to a crime ring named the ‘Syndicate’. Corll offered Henley $200 for young boys, claiming they’d be sold as houseboys to wealthy clients across the US.
Henley maintains that he ignored the request at first, but due to his family’s struggling financial situation, he eventually agreed. Over time, he became entangled in Corll’s horrific crimes, helping to bury, torture, and eventually murder other victims.
It’s also worth noting that Henley met Corll in October 1971 – when he was just 15 years old. The case took another unexpected turn in August 1973, when Corll’s reign of terror came to a sudden and violent end.
What happened to the Candy Man Killer?
On August 8, 1973, Henley turned on Corll and fatally shot him at his home in Pasadena, Texas, making the Candy Man killer 33 years old at the time of his death.
That night, Corll had invited Henley and two teenage friends to his house. After drinking and sniffing glue, the trio passed out, during which time Corll tied them up with the intention of killing them.
Henley, who had already begun questioning Corll’s brutality, managed to convince him to release him, but soon realized they were still in danger. Quickly, Henley grabbed Corll’s pistol and shot him multiple times, killing him on the spot.
The incident immediately blew open Corll’s crimes. Once in police custody, Henley confessed not only to killing Corll but also to helping lure and bury the victims over the previous few years.
Henley tells Ramsland, “I did not implicate myself immediately. Somewhere along the line there I just decided it was better to be honest about everything.”
He even led investigators to the burial sites, which included boat sheds, beaches, and woodland across Texas. This marked the beginning of what became known as the Houston Mass Murders, then considered the worst serial killing case in American history.
Corll himself earned the nickname the ‘Candy Man Killer’ because his family owned a candy factory in Houston, and he was known for handing out free sweets to local children.
Could Henley ever be released?
Although there is a chance, it’s unlikely Henley will ever be released from prison.
In 1974, Henley was convicted of six murders and sentenced to six consecutive terms of 99 years’ imprisonment, which didn’t include the death of Corll as it was ruled self defense.
Henley did successfully appeal the verdict but was again convicted of six murders in 1979, only this time the jury recommended for his sentences to be served concurrently.
As such, he first became eligible for parole in July 1980. But on this occasion and on each following hearing, he’s been denied parole. His next eligible application date is scheduled for October 2025.
Henley’s repeated parole denials reflect the courts’ position that, despite his young age at the time of the crimes, his direct involvement in six murders and role in covering up others’ deaths make him too great a risk to ever reenter society.
Lieutenant M.P. Jackson, Pasadena, Texas PD, says in the true crime documentary, “Wayne may or may not have been groomed. Wayne was very young. But the repetitive nature of his offences tells me that he is a continuing danger to society.”
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