Updated sketch shows last known unidentified 'Candyman' victim almost 50 years later

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For 50 years, he's been known as John Doe. Now, a new picture could finally give a name to the last known, unidentified victim of notorious serial killer Dean Corll, known as "The Candyman."

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a brand-new facial reconstruction image of what the victim may have looked like in life.
[Ads /]
Authorities hope family and friends recognize the picture and help identify him.

"We remain hopeful that this young man's family and friends are still looking for him," Carol Schweitzer, supervisor of NCMEC's Forensic Services Unit, said. "He may have siblings, cousins, classmates, neighbors, or friends that 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."

He was found with swim trunks, a '70s-style long-sleeve shirt, and cowboy boots. Artists also created "cleaner" versions of the clothing.


"We want to make sure we're creating an image that the public won't be fixated on because there's dirt or blood on the shirt," Colin McNally explained, a supervisor of NCMEC's Forensic Imaging Unit. "We want to make sure we're creating the most accurate depiction as possible."
[Ads /]
Corll and his two teenage accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks, were responsible for the murder of at least 28 boys and young men in the Houston area from 1970 to 1973 before the term "serial killer" was coined. Corll was called "The Candyman" because his parents owned a candy store.



Henley killed Corll in Pasadena and led police to the victims' bodies on August 8, 1973.

Authorities believe John Doe was a 15-to-18-year-old white male and stood between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall.

If you have any information on John Doe 1973, please call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, reference case number ML73-3356.

For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
[Ads /]
Watch this episode of Texas True Crime, where ABC13's Jessica Willey takes you inside the stomach-turning Candyman mass murders, terrifying a city and shocking the nation at a time before the term "serial killer" was ever coined.


Watch ABC13 Originals, including Texas True Crime, on your favorite streaming devices, like Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and GoogleTV. Just search "ABC13 Houston."