Investigators share new photo of Houston Candy Man’s murder victim to help identify him

HOUSTON – Authorities have shared a new reconstruction photo of one of the victims of the Houston “Candy Man” killer to try to identify the young man, according to a news release from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

This new photo was released about 50 years after John Doe 1973 was murdered.

Dean Corll was known as “The Candy Man,” and he lived in the Houston Heights area. He carried out the serial killings known as the Houston Mass Murders in the 1970s that claimed the lives of 28 young men and possibly others. His accomplices, David Brooks and Elmer Wane Henley were also convicted for their crimes.

“Can you help us solve the final mystery?” NCMEC asked the public.

Police have identified all of Corll’s victims except for one. Investigators shared a new photo of what he may have looked like, and he was probably around 15-18 years old when he died.

“He was found with belted Catalina brand swim trunks with vertical red, turquoise, gold, and dark blue stripes. The swim trunks also had the letter “C” in the center of the wings on the silver buckle,” NCMEC said.

The victim also had a khaki colored shirt with the letters USA on the back. He had brown leather cowboy boots with the word “NEOLITE” on the heel and a knotted leather ankle bracelet and dark blue corduroys.

“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. 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,” NCMEC said.

How we covered this case

Episode nine of the KPRC 2 true-crime docu-series “The Evidence Room” took an in-depth look into “The Candy Man” murders and the men who worked with Corll.

One video featured in the episode showed former KPRC 2 reporter Jack Cato letting one of Corll’s henchmen use his phone to call his mother and confess.

You can stream episodes of the “The Evidence Room” on demand in the KPRC 2+ mobile app or by clicking here.

Related:

• Dean ‘Candy Man’ Corll: One known victim of Houston serial killer remains unidentified; this is what experts say he looked like