John Manning Sellars, a 17-year-old white male from Orange County, Texas, was tragically killed on July 12, 1973, just two days before his 18th birthday. His death was part of a series of murders committed by Dean Corll, a notorious serial killer active in Houston and Pasadena, Texas, during the early 1970s. Corll, often referred to as the 'Candy Man,' was responsible for the abduction, rape, torture, and murder of at least 28 teenage boys and young men between 1970 and 1973.
On the day of his disappearance, John Sellars was abducted and subsequently shot four times in the chest with a rifle. His body was then transported and buried at High Island Beach, a location where several of Corll's victims were discovered. Notably, Sellars was the only victim buried fully clothed, which was atypical compared to other victims associated with Corll.
The circumstances surrounding Sellars's death raised questions among investigators. At the 1974 trial of Elmer Wayne Henley, one of Corll's teenage accomplices, Harris County medical examiner Dr. Joseph Jachimczyk expressed doubts about whether Sellars was indeed a victim of Corll. This skepticism stemmed from the fact that Sellars was killed with a rifle, whereas Corll's other known victims were typically strangled or shot with a .22 caliber pistol. Additionally, Sellars's car was found burned-out near Starks, Louisiana, a week after his disappearance, adding to the complexities of the case.
Despite these uncertainties, several factors suggest a connection between Sellars's murder and Corll. Sellars's body was discovered bound hand and foot, consistent with the manner in which Corll's victims were restrained. Furthermore, the burial site at High Island Beach, approximately two miles from other victims' graves, aligns with Corll's known disposal patterns. However, neither Henley nor David Brooks, another of Corll's accomplices, specifically mentioned Sellars in their confessions, leaving some ambiguity regarding his inclusion among Corll's victims.
The broader investigation into Dean Corll's crimes led to the arrests and convictions of his accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks. Henley was convicted of six murders and received six consecutive 99-year sentences, while Brooks was convicted of one murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Corll himself was killed by Henley on August 8, 1973, during a confrontation at Corll's residence, effectively ending the series of murders.
