Texas EquuSearch digs in new search for victims' remains in Houston's most notorious serial killing

PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- More than four decades after Houston's most notorious serial killings came to an end when the alleged killers turned on each other, the area's best-known search and rescue group began unearthing a Pasadena yard in hopes of bringing more missing victims home.

Crews from Texas EquuSearch used equipment to begin digging Wednesday in a yard on Lamar Drive.

The bodies of 27 victims were uncovered by authorities in August 1973 in three locations after Dean Corll was shot and killed by Elmer Wayne Henley.

Henley and another person, David Brooks, were Corll's accomplices in the murders, kidnapping and sexually torturing the young victims.

But Henley turned on Corll, telling the Pasadena Police Department on the morning of Aug. 8, 1973, that he'd shot Henley.

Henley then told police Corll had tortured and murdered six teenagers at Corll's home. He led police to a boat storage shed on Silver Bell Street in Houston where the first eight bodies were found. Nine more bodies were found a day later at that location.

Four more bodies were found near Lake Sam Rayburn in east Texas. The day after Henley's arrest, Brooks turned himself in, and the two men led police to six bodies at High Island.

Texas EquuSearch representatives have said they believe there are a number of young victims who were never found.

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Wednesday night's digging is part of their search to find any remains of those victims.

Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller announced in August that, with the help of new equipment from Earth Measurement Corporation, they hope to find the remains of those victims.

While no remains were found Wednesday night, Miller said he plans to continue the search on Thursday.

Corll was nicknamed "Candyman" because he gave out candy from his family's candy shop to neighborhood children.

Henley was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He was last denied parole in October of 2015. His next scheduled parole review date is October of 2025.

Brooks was convicted of murder and was serving a life sentence when he died in 2020.

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Miller's hope is to bring some families closure.

"Unfortunately, many of the parents have passed away never knowing where their child was," he said earlier this year. "Hopefully there are brothers and sisters out there that can reach out to us."