Gregory Malley Winkle, a 16-year-old male, tragically lost his life on May 29, 1971, in Houston, Texas. Born on January 24, 1955, in Alameda County, California, Gregory was one of the victims of the infamous serial killer Dean Corll, also known as 'The Candy Man.' Corll, along with his teenage accomplices, abducted, tortured, and murdered at least 28 teenage boys and young men between 1970 and 1973 in Houston and Pasadena, Texas. Gregory's ethnicity is not explicitly mentioned in the available sources.
On the day of his death, Gregory and his 13-year-old friend, David Hilligiest, were abducted while walking to a local swimming pool. They were lured into a white van and subsequently taken to an apartment rented by Corll on West 11th Street. Both boys were subjected to horrific abuse before being murdered. Gregory's cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to strangulation, as confirmed by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.
The bodies of Gregory and David were discovered in 1973 among 17 other victims in Corll's boat shed, located at 4500 Silverbell Street in Houston. This gruesome discovery was part of the larger investigation into the Houston Mass Murders, which shocked the nation. Corll's crimes came to light after one of his accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, fatally shot him in self-defense during an altercation. Henley and another accomplice, David Brooks, were subsequently arrested and convicted for their roles in the murders. Both received life sentences for their involvement.
The case of Gregory Malley Winkle and the other victims of Dean Corll remains one of the most chilling chapters in American criminal history. It highlights the devastating impact of unchecked violence and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable individuals.
