David Owen Brooks (born February 12, 1955)^[1] is an accomplice of American serial killer Dean Corll who, along with Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., abducted, raped, tortured, and murdered at least 28 boys in a series of killings spanning from 1970 to 1973 in Houston, Texas. The crimes, which became known as the Houston Mass Murders, came to light after Henley fatally shot Corll.

Corll's victims were typically lured to a succession of addresses in which he resided between 1970 and 1973 with an offer of a party or a lift. They would then be restrained by either force or deception, and all were killed by either strangulation or shooting with a .22-caliber pistol. Brooks and Henley helped Corll bury 17 of their victims in a rented boat shed; four other victims were buried in woodland near Lake Sam Rayburn; one further victim was buried on a beach in Jefferson County; and at least six victims were buried on a beach on the Bolivar Peninsula.

Many of the victims had been friends of Brooks and Henley. At the time of their discovery, the Houston Mass Murders were considered the worst example of serial murder in American history.^[2]

Since his 1975 conviction, Brooks has repeatedly been denied parole (most recently in 2015).^[3][4][5]

Childhood[edit]

Brooks first met Corll in sixth grade. In Brooks' oral confession, he admitted to allowing Corll to perform sexual acts upon him from the age of 12,^[6] for which he was paid with gifts or cash.

Houston Mass Murders[edit]

In December 1970, David Brooks entered an apartment Corll rented, unannounced, to discover Corll in the act of sexually assaulting two teenage boys whom he had strapped to a four-poster bed. According to Brooks, Corll "jumped up and said 'I'm just having some fun!'"^[7] He promised Brooks a car in return for his silence; Brooks accepted this offer and Corll subsequently bought him a green Chevrolet Corvette. Brooks was later told by Corll that the two youths had been murdered, and he was offered $200 for any boy he could lure to Corll's apartment—an incitement he accepted.^[8] He would remain an active participant in the abduction and abuse of Corll's victims until Corll was shot dead by another of his teenage accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, on August 8, 1973.^[9]

In the winter of 1971, Brooks had introduced Elmer Wayne Henley to Corll—likely as an intended victim. In addition to participating in the abductions and murders of the victims, both Brooks and Henley also burglarized several addresses, for which they two paid small sums of money.^[10]

Brooks was found guilty in David Owen Brooks vs The State of Texas in 1975. He was found guilty of the June 4, 1973 abduction and murder of 15-year-old William Ray Lawrence. An appeal against Brooks' conviction was lodged, but this appeal would be dismissed in 1979.^[11]

Media[edit]

Film[edit]

• A film loosely inspired by the Houston Mass Murders, Freak Out, was released in 2003. The film was directed by Brad Jones, who also starred as Dean Corll. This film largely focuses upon the last night of Dean Corll's life, prior to Henley shooting him and contacting authorities. The film has procured mostly mixed to positive reviews, though Jones' performance was acclaimed.^[12]


• Production of a film directly based upon the Houston Mass Murders, In a Madman's World, finished in 2014.^[13] Directed by Josh Vargas, In a Madman's World is directly based upon Elmer Wayne Henley's life before, during, and immediately after his involvement with Dean Corll and David Brooks.^[14] Limited edition copies of the film were released in 2017.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Cited works and further reading[edit]

• 
  Cawthorne, Nigel; Tibballs, Geoff (1993). Killers. Boxtree. pp. 408–412. ISBN 0-7522-0850-0. 
  


• 
  Olsen, Jack (1974). The Man With the Candy: The Story of the Houston Mass Murders. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-1283-0. 
  


• 
  Wynn, Douglas (1995). On Trial for Murder. Pan Books. ISBN 978-0-330-33947-6. 
  

External links[edit]

• 
  2018 news article detailing victims' families ongoing efforts to ensure David Brooks remains incarcerated


• David Brooks' confession.
  


• David Brooks' confession specific to the case of William Ray Lawrence
  


• 
  Online offender profile information pertaining to David Owen Brooks, as authorized by he Texas Department of Criminal Justice