James Dreymala, a 13-year-old boy, tragically lost his life on August 5, 1973, in Pasadena, Texas. He was the final victim of Dean Corll, a notorious serial killer also known as the 'Candy Man' due to his family's ownership of a candy factory in Houston Heights. Corll, along with his teenage accomplices Elmer Wayne Henley and David Owen Brooks, was responsible for what became known as the Houston Mass Murders.
This series of crimes involved the abduction, torture, and murder of at least 28 boys between 1970 and 1973.
James, a young white male, was lured to Corll's Pasadena apartment, where he was strangled. His body was later buried in a Houston boat shed alongside other victims. The discovery of James's body marked the beginning of the unearthing of Corll's heinous crimes. His bicycle, which he had been riding before his disappearance, was found near his remains.
The case came to light when Henley, one of Corll's accomplices, fatally shot Corll in self-defense on August 8, 1973. This act led to the revelation of the murders and the subsequent recovery of the victims' bodies. Henley and Brooks were later convicted for their roles in the killings. Henley received six life sentences, while Brooks was also sentenced to life imprisonment. The crimes shocked the nation and remain one of the most gruesome chapters in American criminal history.
