During August 1973, police recovered the bodies of twenty-seven teenage boys from three different grave-sites; two additional victims were added by 2011, bringing the total body count to 29.
In memory of the Lost Boys of Houston. May they never be forgotten:
Frank Aguirre
Frank Aguirre, 18, was reported missing in March 1972. His place of employment told his mother he left in his car when they closed at 10pm. Elmer Wayne Henley confessed to killing Frank and led police to a stretch of beach in High Island to recover his body.
Billy Baulch, Jr., 17, was reported missing in May 1972, along with his best friend, Johnny Delome, 16. Elmer Wayney Henley confessed to killing both boys, but has not been prosecuted for killing Billy ... even though his identity was confirmed by DNA back in 2010.
Michael Baulch, 15, was last seen by his mother in July 1973. She had given him money to get his hair cut before his father got home and to purchase a pack of cigarettes. When he didn't return she thought he'd taken off to Louisiana to work on a shrimp boat. Michael's brother, Billy, 17, had been missing since May 1972, along with Johnny Delome, 16. Elmer Wayne Henley confessed to killing all three boys, but has yet to be prosecuted for the murders of Michael and Billy, despite DNA tests being performed in 2010 confirming their identities.
On Father’s Day weekend 1973, Elmer Wayne Henley, David Brooks, and Dean Corll picked up Raymond Blackburn, 20, when he was hitchhiking home to Baton Rouge to see his wife and hold his newborn son. After the trio buried Blackburn's body near Lake Sam Rayburn, they stopped in Beaumont and mailed his last paycheck to his wife along with a letter telling her he would be home in a week or two.
Charles Cobble, 17, was last seen in July 1973, along with his best friend, Marty Ray Jones. The following day, both parents received a phone call from their sons demanding a sum of $1,000 be paid, but provided no further details. Both boys lived across the street from Elmer Wayne Henley in the Ben Hur Apartments. Henley confessed to shooting Cobble in the right temple and led police to his body buried in the boatshed.
Johnny Delome, 16, vanished with his best friend, Billy Baulch, Jr., 17, in May 1972. According to David Brooks, Johnny was shot in the head by Elmer WayneHenley with a .25 automatic. He said when the bullet came out of Johnny's ear, the boy begged Henley to stop, but he got a strand of rope and strangled him instead. Henley also strangled Billy, but has yet to be prosecuted for his murder, despite having a DNA test that confirmed his identity back in 2010. Henley's parole hearing is next year in October 2025.
Homer Garcia, 15, was last seen in July 1973 when he completed his drivers' education class at Coaches Driving School in Bellaire. He had called home saying he was going to a party at a friend's house and would be home in the morning, but he never arrived. Elmer Wayne Henley confessed to killing Homer and led police into a dense forest near Lake Sam Rayburn to recover his body.
James Glass, 14, and his friend Danny Yates, also 14, were last seen in December 1970. They disappeared after attending a special service at the Evangelist Temple on W 11th St., near the Heights.
According to David Brooks, he made a surprise visit to Dean Corll’s apartment while Corll was living on Yorktown (October 1970 - December 1970). Brooks claimed he saw two boys strapped to Corll's bed and was promised a car in exchange for his silence. He said he hitchhiked back home and was given a Corvette about a year later.
Glass and Yates were the first known victims Corll buried in the boatshed.
Ruben Watston Haney, 17, was last seen by his mother in August 1971. She reported that he visited her at her office, saying he was going to the Galleria, a new shopping center in Southwest Houston that had opened the previous year.
She gave him some spending money, but later that evening, around 9 p.m., he called his grandmother and told her he was going to Brenham with some friends to play in a band and would be home in a few days.
When he failed to return, his mother traveled to Brenham but was unable to locate him.
David Brooks initially claimed that he left when Ruben arrived at Corll's apartment but later admitted in a second statement that he was present when Ruben was killed. Although Brooks was charged with Ruben's murder, he was never prosecuted.
Richard “Ricky” Hembree, 13, and Wally “Jay” Simoneaux, 14, were last seen in October 1972 after they were let out from school at Hamilton Junior High.
According to David Brooks, the boys were killed the following day at Corll's apartment on Westcott. He said Elmer Wayne Henley "accidentally" shot Ricky in jaw with a .22 caliber pistol that morning, but it didn't kill him right then. Little Ricky lingered in agony with a bullet fractured jaw until Henley and Corll strangled the boys later that day. Henley has not been prosecuted for the murder of either boy.
David Hilligiest, 13, and Malley Winkle, 16, disappeared Memorial Day weekend in 1971. They were last seen walking to their neighborhood swimming pool. The Hilligiests hired a PI, printed up posters, and their friendly neighborhood, Elmer Wayne Henley, helped hand them out. Mrs. Hilligiest said Henley always inquired about David and reassured her that the boy would come back.
Jeffrey Konen, 18, was a scholarship student at the University of Texas in Austin who hitched a ride home to Houston in September 1970. He vanished after being dropped off at the corner of Westheimer and Voss in Southwest Houston. He told the driver he was going to catch another ride to see his girlfriend, who lived in West University. He never arrived.
Although Konen's case received media and police attention, none of the tips helped to locate him.
Konen was the first known victim of Dean Corll and the first victim recovered from the beach in High Island.
Marty Ray Jones, 18, was last seen in July 1973, along with his best friend, Charles Cobble. The following day, both parents received a phone call from their sons demanding a sum of $1,000 be paid, but provided no further details.
Elmer Wayne Henley confessed to strangling Marty with Corll's help, and said "it's a lot harder to choke someone than what they show on TV." Marty's body was recovered from the boatshed buried beside Charles Cobble, 17.
Billy Lawrence, 15, vanished near the Houston Heights neighborhood in June 1973. His father didn't report him missing because he had received a letter from his son postmarked June 6 that said he had gotten a job in Austin and would be back home sometime mid-August.
Elmer Wayne Henley confessed to his murder and led police into a dense forest near Lake Sam Rayburn to recover his body.
Elmer Wayne Henley also confessed to strangling Mark Scott, 17, who was last seen by his parents in April 1972. According to David Brooks, Mark arrived with Henley at Corll's house on Schuler. After they tied one of Mark's hands, he fought for his life and nearly stabbed Dean with a knife (if only). While Dean grabbed the hand with the knife, Wayne ran and got the pistol, and Mark just gave up.
FYI: In October 2010, I shared my interview with Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr.,with KHOU. This was the second story aired within two months about my research, which demonstrated that two of Henley's victims—Michael Baulch, 15, and Mark Scott, 17—had been misidentified by the Harris County morgue. Although Henley confessed to killing both boys and DNA tests confirm Baulch's correct identity, he has yet to be prosecuted for the murders. Henley is eligible for parole next year.
