Delve into a riveting, bite-sized serialized investigation of one of Houston’s most notorious cases. In Houston Mass Murders - A Serial Investigation, true crime author Barbara Gibson picks up where her first book, Houston Mass Murders - 1973, left off, seeking answers to the enduring mystery surrounding the unidentified teenage boys killed by Dean Corll, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., and David Brooks between 1970 and 1973.
Written in a gripping first-person narrative, this serial invites you to sit beside the author as she interviews forensic anthropologist Dr. Sharon Derrick, victims’ families, and later, even Henley himself, uncovering new clues and heart-wrenching insights. From a breakthrough in 2010 that revealed the misidentification of two victims to the persistent mystery of the last unnamed boy, Gibson’s relentless pursuit of truth shines a light on hidden details some would rather keep buried.
This serial builds on the foundation of her first book, which is essential for understanding the full scope of these horrors. Join Gibson on this emotional journey to honor the lost boys and help lay the final victim to rest.
In Serial Part 1, a quest is launched by a mother’s prayer, Gibson discovers a haunting clue, and an in-depth interview with Dr. Sharon Derrick reveals challenges and triumphs, along with disturbing truths that threaten to prevent future identifications of the lost boys. Could a killer’s confession hold the key?
In Serial Part 2, Gibson uncovers forgotten files, chilling evidence, and overlooked stories that expose cracks in the 1973 investigation. Could “extra bones” found on High Island be the twenty-ninth victim? Each clue draws us closer to the victims’ truths as we await DNA results for the lost boy known only as Unknown #22 for forty years.
In Serial Part 3, Gibson dives deeper into the shadows of Houston’s darkest case, unearthing haunting clues in the Sam Rayburn forest that challenge the identities of two lost boys. A second interview with Dr. Sharon Derrick unveils long-awaited DNA and CODIS-MP results, as she shears through red tape to exhume a coffin containing two brothers. A victim’s sister shares a gut-wrenching story of her brother’s murder, her fierce resolve driving Gibson toward a daunting confrontation. As a KHOU interview thrusts the case into the local spotlight, could these revelations finally unmask the last unknown boys—or tear this decades-old case apart?
In Serial Part 4, Gibson braces for a tense three-hour drive to a high-security prison to confront Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. Guided by Skip Hollandsworth’s insights on navigating Henley’s volatile nature, she prepares to question the killer about Unknown #2 and Unknown #16, the boys still nameless from the boatshed. With just one hour to uncover truths that could name the lost boys, Gibson faces a chilling question: can she coax a serial killer, eyeing parole, to reveal secrets that crack this decades-old case, or will his words deepen the mystery?
In Serial Part 5 (Henley Interview, Pt. 2 of 2), Gibson’s prison interview with Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. intensifies, shattering myths about Dean Corll and laying bare why Henley chose to kill, forsaking the chance to save eighteen boys. A new misidentified victim and a decades-old promise from the Harris County DA raise troubling questions. Can Gibson’s probing questions to Henley upend decades of flawed DNA evidence, or will justice for the lost boys and others remain buried?
Explore the available parts and stay tuned as the investigation continues to unfold with more revelations to come.
