The Life Journey of Wayne

As of December 5, 2025, lockdown continues without email…

Wayne was the eldest of four sons born on May 9, 1956, in Texas. On August 8, 1973, he confessed to the police for his involvement in the Houston Mass Murders. This information is available to the public from his perspective, offering facts and timelines with a compilation of documents.

In addition to writing blogs, he has become an excellent artist. He began painting and sketching as a hobby in the 90s to express emotions and his journey, which does not include the violence with which he was associated. Wayne has a red and green color deficiency, so he uses primarily black and white in his serene imagery.

For details on the biography of Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., reach out to him with your questions.

It’s funny that people all over the world have been told the results of my parole review within hours of it occurring yet I have not officially received an answer even now. Apparently, I am the least significant participant in the entire endeavor. The denial was not unanticipated and I was not really surprised, but it would be untrue for me to not say it was a disappointment. Maybe it is just that one cannot ever completely give up hope, but, for some reason, I felt like I was being seriously considered…not. It doesn’t help that, at 69 years old, a ten-year set off is, statistically, just wishful thinking. They’ll be surprised when I’m here for that 😊

Now that this is out of the way I plan to renew my attempt to get some action in court. This time around I am aware of the time limitations and prepared to work within the limits. Already working on it, but, then again, I’ve been preparing for this the last few months. What I do know is I am going to need my friends to stick with me. This time can only be done well when I have people behind me and who I can depend upon. I’ve never done time alone and the very idea is scary. Ultimately, and I know this is the question, I am going to be ok. I know I have done the right thing since August 8,1973 and am at peace with myself. While they have my liberty, my body constrained, I am utterly free. They cannot take my freedom.

Recently there has been a spate of questions sent to the site asking about details of particular crimes. Rather than answering each question separately, I have decided to give this blanket answer to such queries.

I will not answer any questions asking for details of any particular crime. Period, full stop. I have in the past, and will in the future, fully cooperate with the professionals whose job it is to learn as much as possible about such crimes and the people who commit them. Indeed, it is my firm belief that it is incumbent I do so. I will do anything I can do to help prevent such crimes, or to assist in apprehending the perpetrators.

It is my belief these questions are asked innocently with no underlying purpose. However, I wonder if the questioners have given full thought to what harm putting the particulars online could cause?

I feel public discussion of the details of these crimes would be abhorrently crude, has no place in polite conversation, and could cause undue harm and pain to the families of the victims. These families have suffered enough and I will have no part in causing further harm to them.

Furthermore, I am ashamed of my past and have no wish to relive it time and again for the sake of conversation. I live each and every day with the shame and guilt of my past. I relive that shame and guilt often in my dreams. I see no good reason to parade that shame and guilt online.

You may understand my stance, or you may not. You may agree with me, or you may not. Regardless, this is my position and I have stuck with it for over half a century. Please try to understand.

Take care and be safe, people.

For those who have been awaiting answers to questions and/or replies to messages.

During this last lockdown, the authorities, in their infinite wisdom…not!…decided to teach us a lesson regardless of whether we, personally, had violated any disciplinary rules, all without any sort of due process, by turning off all of the apps on our tablets. This meant I had no access to any entertainment apps, no phone, no email outgoing and no mail incoming whatsoever, no podcasts, no education apps, and no access to my personal photos. While being confined to my cell for security/safety reasons makes some sense taking the apps is punitive and should not have been done without due process while taking access to my photos is just plain mean, egregious, serves no honest security purpose at all.

In any case, this is why I have been out of touch. Sorry to have caused you any alarm and very sorry to have seemed to neglect you. The tablets were restored about 1600 hours yesterday, June 4th, so my plan is to try to get caught upon over the next couple of days.

Generally, I am alright, if a bit frustrated to have been cut off from my friends. One sincerely hopes this will not become a regular thing. Spent much of my time reading, which has long been my go to in order to pass time and avoid my troubles. Thank my mother and grandmother for instilling a reading habit in me as a child.

Take care and be safe, people.

What am I currently reading?
Sitting beside me is “White Waters and Black” by Gordon MacCreagh. It is a nonfiction account of a scientific expedition through the Amazon River Valley written humorously and with the intent to contain “…nothing of any scientific value…”

What have I been, in general, reading the last couple of years?
Recently I have been reading mostly Urban Fantasy along with the occasional novel of historical fiction. Truthfully, I have been more interested in the escapism of fantasy.

What psychiatric assistance/support have I received since being in prison?
I received a little psychiatric support in the early 1980s that was mainly in the form of a mood elevator for around two years, ostensibly for a near nervous breakdown. No other support was offered, nor available, until Dr. Katherine Ramsland helped me the last couple of years to find answers and reorder my thinking. Any other work I had to do on my own through books and self-reflection. I now know I was not experiencing a nervous breakdown but was going through complex post-traumatic stress.

In early 2020, a new friend introduced herself via mail: Alexis Lehrer, who began by telling me she had no questions to ask about my past as anything anyone needed to know was available online, if one would but search. Alexis wanted to help, if she could, and explained how she saw my situation. Our views differed in that I carried much guilt and accepted full responsibility for my past. Alexis believes that some of the guilt and much of the responsibility is not mine to shoulder but belongs to Dean Corll as a predator of teenage boys, a groomer/user, and as a human trafficker. To show me her line of thinking and to educate me about my own life, Alexis sent me three things: two books and a document. These were, in order of introduction: “Trauma and Recovery” by Dr. Judith Herman, “Obedience to Authority” by Stanley Milgram, and a copy of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. These opened my mind up enough that I was able to benefit greatly from my talks with Dr. Ramsland.

How is my health?
I’m pretty sure that I’m in good health for an almost 69-year-old but my pool for comparison is not the best. There is hypertension that has been medicated and controlled for the last thirty years. There is some arthritis in my hands, shoulders, and knees…the knees being the worst. That is to be expected since I have lived, worked, and exercised my entire life on concrete. Really, I feel good.

What of my family?
The immediate family I had when I was arrested, which includes my maternal grandmother, have all passed away except for the next oldest sibling. They stuck with me while they lived and are the source of my strength. Mom was with me, and we spoke daily, until December 19th, 2023. I may never fully recover from losing Mom. The youngest brother, Vernon (Fuzzy), passed three months after Mama and is the only one of us boys who had children: a nephew and a niece, both have made me a great uncle:).

Do I know what happened to Dean’s brother Stanley?
No. I never knew Stanley and have never kept up with Dean’s family.

Did I know Dean’s mother?
No. To forestall any more such questions, let me state clearly that I never met any of Dean’s family, not once.

What was the dynamic between Dean Corll, David Brooks and me?
Dean was the dominant personality and everything revolved around him. Dean’s wants and moods determined how David and I reacted and we watched him carefully. David and I would try to guide Dean’s attitudes, but it was not always possible and became impossible as time passed. The dynamic becomes a bit more confused because, while Dean was in charge and David and I worked together to please him, David and Dean were a working pair that I had to satisfy on my own. I know this is simplistic, but it is the way it was. If further questions could make this dynamic a bit more clear please feel free to ask them.
Be well and stay safe, people.

Why would David refer to “Dean’s car”?
To the best of my knowledge, the Corvette, and any other vehicles David drove, were always Dean’s and the titles remained in his name. David never actually owned a vehicle. Remember David had just turned 18 years old in January of 1973, months before the arrest, and could not own property prior to his 18th birthday.

What was the dynamic between me a David?
It was fluid and ran the gamut. I’m not certain it ever settled into any one thing. First, we were teenaged boys and that has its own tumultuous effects in the best of times, which we were not experiencing. Add to that Dean’s manipulations in his effort to control us and we never really had a chance of normality.

Was David a morally bankrupt individual?

First, I do not feel that I am competent, either professionally or emotionally, to answer the question. Second, I was never in touch with David after our arrest so cannot gauge whether, or not, he grew as a person. I hope that he did.

Too, I want to remind you that Dean Corll began to groom David when David was 12 years old. On the day of my arrest, it would behoove us to view David with that in mind. What kind of morality David grew into after coming to prison is another question that I do not have the answer to.

Thank you for your question.

Do you feel like Corll ruined your and the other helper’s life?

Yes, I do believe Corll ruined both mine and David Brooks’ lives. We were his targets, but in a different way. In my case, Corll’s influence led me in a direction completely opposite of where my upbringing and inclination would have led me. Corll ruined my life, and endangered my soul, though he didn’t succeed in killing me.

Why do you bother to answer questions about your crimes? I mean I respect it, but if I were you I’d probably get sick of people only seeing me as that 17-year-old kid who was arrested in August 73.

Yes, I do, indeed, get tired of answering the same questions repeatedly and being treated as the 17-year-old I was 52 years ago. I have not only aged but have matured and grown as well. I have grown into the man my mother and grandmother raised me to be, one they need not be ashamed of. The reason I continue to answer questions is with the hope that someone somewhere will benefit from the knowledge of what can happen to young people who come in contact with a predator. The law enforcement community, parents, educators, everyone needs to be aware of how predators operate, how to recognize them, and to have some idea of how to deal with the situation when it arises. The predators are at work today, here, and while most instances are not as extreme as mine, they are every bit as horrendous to the victims they have preyed upon. If answering questions time and time again, even though it disturbs me still, will save even one person from victimization then any time and effort on my part will have been worth it.

Hey, so I was wondering about your old Facebook page? Was it really yours? Bc no offense, I’m just looking for ur side of the story, but you were promoting your own jewelry line on it? I thought you didn’t make money off any of your art, or draw exploitative artwork, yet that’s what I saw…… Just hoping you can clear it up for me.

Yes, there once was a Facebook page that belonged to me, though I hesitate to claim the one you speak of without seeing it myself, so you may be looking at “my” page. Bear in mind that I have never had actual internet access and the page was done by a third party.

Did I make money from arts and crafts? Yes and no. Yes, things were sold, but at a much lesser price than market it takes funds to continue to do crafts I used funds to support the volunteer work I did and I did not, by any criteria, get rich.

I would like people to understand that living in prison is not free. We are given only the basics for survival and anything more must be purchased. For instance, deodorant, shampoo, moisturizer, postage (beyond 5 stamps which are eventually paid for anyway), and much more must be bought by the inmate. Texas does not pay its inmates for work, and I hated the idea of my mother having to support me.

You said you saw some exploitative art on the site I question that. The only things anyone ever had comment on were the Gothic style jewelry which, yes, I did make. One produces the product that is in demand and Goth jewelry was being requested. All pieces were taken from an instruction book entitled, “Gothic Jewelry” by Harriet Smith, one piece in particular that I recall was the “Sweeney Todd Earrings” depicted on page 74 of Ms. Smith’s book. Goth was, and is, a legitimate real fashion style. I, also, made innumerable Candy Cane earrings for Christmas that no one ever questioned as exploitative.

Thank you for your questions and I stand ready should you have more.

What would you say to the people that think even though u were groomed, you still had to have a little bit of evil in u to do what you did?

I believe that a groomed individual reflects only the personality and intent of the groomer. It is the same, though not exactly, as brainwashing. Remove the groomed person from the situation and they will revert to their true selves. This is a simplified answer, but you should reach the same conclusion with research. Begin with “The Serial Killer’s Apprentice,” then the referenced works therein.

Do you think u deserve parole?

Yes.

Do you think you can or have redeemed yourself?

Redemption is a difficult term. In Christian terms, I am redeemed in the eyes of God through Jesus by true contrition and asking for forgiveness. This is an absolute. Worldly speaking, in the eyes of many, including myself, I cannot ever undo the harm I have taken part in. I can, however, lead a life, even in prison, that is antithetical to my past life under Corll. Further, I believe God left me alive for a reason and it is incumbent upon me to always act in such a way to fulfill that purpose, whatever it is and even though I may never know what it is.

Did you or Brooks ever burglarize the victims’ homes?

No burglaries. Strange question.

Why should anyone believe you’re telling the truth about Frank Aguirre?

I can think of no reason why anyone should believe what I say about Frank Aguirre’s death, except it is the truth and what I have said from the beginning. Honestly, at this point in time, the only person I wish would believe that is Debbie Aguirre.

Were there any times Brooks was away from Corll, like you were in February and March of 73? I ask bc I heard that u hitchhiked together once.

The sole instance of David and I hitchhiking was one time we went to Pineville, Louisiana… him to see his mother and me to see his sister Susie.

Do you paint/draw from your imagination, photos or memories, or all? Your work is quite good.
Thank You
Marjorie

Majorie, thank you for complimenting my artwork. I do appreciate it when people see the beauty I am trying to portray. In answer to your question: I work primarily from photos, though some landscapes are done in combination of both imagination and photographs. Having grown up on the Gulf Coast, I’ve seen many beaches from Texas to Florida, but my paintings derive from Florida beaches. The mountain scenes are from photos and the serendipity of paint knife work… I’ve never had the pleasure of actually seeing mountains. Thank you for your interest. Take care and be safe.

If you could imagine how your life was supposed to go, what do you see?

Truly, I rarely imagine how life could have gone since it never had the chance to be other.  I don’t see anything extraordinary but more mundane.

Would you have married, had children?

The answer to both is yes.  Basically, Mom raised us boys to be husbands and fathers as she believed these to be the best of aspirations.  I like children and think I could have been a good father.

What would you have done for work?

Again, because of how my life has went, it is hard to really imagine what I would have chosen as work.  I have discovered I have an affinity for numbers, not so much the math, but the numbers involved in stock/inventory as well as the accounting thereof.  Also, I am a good manager and people person.  Then, too, I’ve taken practice LSAT exams in which I scored reasonably well.  I enjoy reading case law and the logic involved with law, so, maybe, I would have been a decent attorney.  It will forever be a mystery, won’t it?

Would it be a struggle to adjust to life outside in 2026?

I don’t think it would be a struggle, although it would require some effort, but there’s no doubt it would be an adventure.  I am not adverse to change and am fairly resilient.  Over the years, I have made an effort to keep as current as possible on current affairs, technologies, and lifestyle so I would not become totally out of touch.  Plus, I have had wonderful people who support me and assist me in keeping up.  Those same people would be there to help me adjust to living outside and I am certain it would be fun and successful.

Did Dean feel remorse?  Did he ever comment on his activities?  

While I am unable to say what Dean felt inside himself, I can say that he never indicated through word nor deed any remorse, neither did he comment on what he was doing.  Dean lived his life like he was a character in a spy drama (his favorite show was “Mission Impossible”) and I’m not really clear just how connected he was to reality.

Why aren’t there videos of Dean?

There are no videos because videos had yet to be invented.  Bear in mind that this was all before the digital age had dawned.  Most telephones were still rotary dialed.  The sole digital watch was a Texas Instruments watch that was way beyond normal people’s price range.   There was no such thing as a PC, cellphone, or video camera.  Nixon was President  and gasoline could be purchased at an independent station for 19.9 cents per gallon.  I’ve been locked up for over half a century, don’t forget.

Is there anyone from my past I would like to reconnect with?

 There are a number of people I would love to reconnect with, way too many to list, but here are a few. My first real girlfriend, Susan G Rutledge. Still recall her phone number, 861.0939…of course, back then it was Underwood 10939. Went to my first concert with Susan where we saw The Jefferson Airplane Peter, Paul, and Mary Poco Seco among others. Then, I miss my cousins Cynthia and Donna as well as a good friend James Dallas Chapman. There are way more and I cannot say any are more important than the other just that I always wonder about Susan.

What motivates you to continue on, particularly in your current situation?

What has motivated me since my arrest have been many, many things but I will give you the most important and constant, rather than a long list of everything. First, has been a desire to move past who I was under Dean, to be who I am naturally and who my mother and grandmother raised me to be. I wanted to never again do anything to make Mom and Nonna ashamed of me, to be less than proud of me. I’ve tried to live in a way, to act in ways that justify all those who’ve cared for and supported me throughout the years. Secondly, without getting too deep, I believe there is a reason I survived Dean, a reason for my continued existence, that if I manage to fulfill this reason, I will not have lived only a negative in life. I may never know my reason, but if I strive to do right and correct then, maybe, I can have a positive effect in the world. I do not want to be remembered solely for what transpired under Dean. The last I’ll mention is that I live and act as best I can to belie all those who counted me as useless, who have refused to recognize a child’s helplessness in the face of evil, who have used me as whipping boy for so many others failures/evils, whose naivete is showcased by their refusal to see truth even as it was presented on day one, and to show I am strong enough, man enough, to survive, to thrive, under the load of whatever guilt/responsibility/punishment people need to place upon me in order to absolve themselves from examining the societal failures that allows the Dean Corlls of the world to exist.

I’ve always believed that surviving what I survived must mean something. I don’t pretend to know the reason, but I’ve tried to live in a way that gives my life a positive purpose. If I can help someone, encourage someone, or simply show that a person can grow beyond the worse chapter of their life, then maybe my existence hasn’t been only a negative. I am motivated by the quiet hope that people will one day understand the full truth of what happened – not for sympathy, but for accuracy. I was a child in a situation no child should ever face and for many years I have carried the weight of other people’s misunderstandings in silence. If I can help someone see what may be happening to a child today so they can understand and help them now, then I serve a purpose. Today, I try to live in a way that speaks for itself. I cannot change the past, but I can show through my actions today who I have worked so hard to become. If that helps even one person see beyond the myth to the human being I am now, then that’s enough. If that helps just one child navigate their own horror, then I am content.

What are the things you’ve struggled with most in life since being imprisoned?

That’s a huge question.  One would think any person would have innumerable struggles when/while imprisoned, most would likely be considered trivial.  I’ll try…

 I experienced severe CPTSD that did not begin to subside to manageable levels until my talks with Dr. Ramsland.  I had difficulty sleeping and, when I did sleep, was plagued with terrible dreams.  I was unable to give the 15-year-old any grace and tended to shoulder all the blame for what happened, despite the fact that, as a juvenile, I had no true agency. That’s the short version.

It was a struggle to know I was not there for my mother and grandmother when they needed me, especially at the end of their lives.  That was something that truly made my soul ache.

Struggling now with the knowledge I have not been able to afford to have a marker placed on my Mama’s grave.  This seems to be indicative of just how much I failed her.

There are the small things such as missing being involved with the computer/digital age from the beginning, the idea that my notoriety has precluded any assistance being offered, knowing I will never be a father, the idea I can never do anything to change the past, etc…

Then, there is the struggle to live a life and to grow as a person in here.  I believe I have had a modicum of success with this, but growing as a person is a lifelong endeavor, isn’t it?

There is little doubt this listing could go on and on, but this hits many of the major points.

How do you cope with the guilt and shame?

Thank you for asking this very important question. Shame and guilt are things I’ve carried for most of my life. When something this big happens to you as a kid, it doesn’t just disappear — it stays with you, and you learn how to carry it without letting it break you.

It’s taken me a long time, but with the help and insistence of my friends, I’ve been able to educate myself about what really happened to me and why. I wasn’t a willing participant. I was a kid who was groomed, manipulated, and trapped by an adult who knew exactly how to use my vulnerabilities. Understanding that truth has helped me see my past with more clarity and compassion.

Some people say I’m “using grooming as an excuse.” I understand why they might feel that way if they’ve only ever heard the headlines. But grooming isn’t an excuse — it’s the reality of what was done to me. It explains how a child can be pulled into something he never chose or understood. Acknowledging that doesn’t erase the pain or the responsibility I carry; it simply tells the truth about how it happened.

So to answer your question about how I live with the shame and guilt — it’s education. Learning the facts and the context of what took place has helped me understand the situation I was trapped in. That understanding doesn’t remove the weight I carry, but it helps me make sense of it and live with it in a healthier way.

I’ve tried to show my remorse through my actions, not just my words, and by making the most of my life even behind bars. I’ve spent decades working to grow, to contribute where I can, and to live in a way that reflects who I am now — not the frightened kid I once was.

And this isn’t something from the past — grooming and coercive control are still happening to kids today. The more we educate ourselves about how these dynamics work, the better we’re armed to recognize them, stop them, and protect the children who are living through it right now. If my story can help even one person understand the signs, then something good can come from all this.

I’m grateful for anyone who is willing to approach my past with empathy and a willingness to learn about and understand the context — not just the headlines, but the larger system that failed me and so many others.

Take care and be safe people,

Q:  Why confess? Why take that risk? Do you regret it?

When people look at my actions back then, they most often try to make sense of them as if I were an adult making adult decisions. I was not. I was a 15-year old child living under the control of a violent predator who had already murdered boys I knew and who was threatening my youngest brother. My reality was shaped by fear, manipulation, and the belief I had no way out.

That is why my actions seem at odds with each other. I understand, now, that such contradiction is actually common in kids who are groomed and controlled.  You do things you know are wrong because you are terrified and feel you have no choice. Then, you do things that seem brave because you have reached the end of your rope and are desperate to stop the harm. Both can be true at the same time when you’re a child in a scary situation you have no control of.

When I confessed, I was not thinking about myself or of the consequences. I wasn’t trying to save my own skin. I was thinking about the parents who didn’t know where their sons were. I was thinking about the boys who were still missing and separated from their families. I was thinking about stopping the killing and doing what my mother and grandmother would want me to do. I wanted to end the secrecy. I did not understand that telling the truth would be used against me and, frankly, didn’t care. I thought I was helping.

Do I regret what I did? Yes. I regret every part of it. I regret not being able to protect the boys who were being hurt. I regret not being stronger and brave enough to sacrifice myself rather than do Dean’s will. I regret not being able to protect my own family from the danger we were in. I regret I did not understand how deep the trap was until it was too late.

Do I regret helping the authorities? No. Helping the authorities ended the silence, forced the police to react, brought answers to the families who had been ignored for years, and, finally, brought the boys home. It ended the nightmare. My sole regret is that I did not know how the system would treat a terrified kid who was, finally, brave enough to tell the truth. Even now, knowing how the system will treat me, I would still assist the authorities all over again.

Q:  Did you know it was wrong and just didn’t care?

I knew what was happening was wrong. I wasn’t a child without a conscience; I was a child without power. I was a child without agency. Dean Corll controlled every part of my reality through threats, manipulation, and fear. He told me my youngest brother looked just like a boy he’d long lusted after, the brother of a boy he had already killed. When you are 15 and a grown man tells you something like that, it becomes your whole world. You stop thinking about right and wrong the way adults do. You think about survival.

People often ask why I didn’t go to the police or tell someone. The truth is, I did tell the adults in my life. I told my mother. I told two uncles. No one believed me. In Houston Heights at that time, most people did not trust the police to help them. Families reported missing boys and were told they were runaways. Neighbors reported children being buried alive in a shed and the police dismissed it as a hoax. When the adults around you don’t believe you, and the authorities don’t listen, the predator’s voice becomes the loudest one in your life.

That is how grooming and coercive control work. It’s not just fear, it is isolation, confusion, and the belief no one will help you. Back then, there was not even a vocabulary for what was happening to me. We had yet to become a society aware of serial killers; in fact, the terms “serial killer”, “grooming,” “human trafficking,” “Stockholm Syndrome,” etc. had not been coined. Patty Hearst, the Stockholm bank robbery, and Jeffrey Epstein were in the future. Trauma science did not exist the way it does now. Today, experts recognize what happened to me as a textbook example of grooming and coercive control.

I cared deeply. I was, also, deeply scared. I was trapped. I was trying to protect my family the only way I could see how. That does not excuse anything, not one thing, but it is the truth of what it means to be a child in the clutches of a predator.

I know these questions aren’t easy to ask, and the answers aren’t easy to talk about, but I believe it is important to look at the full context of events, not just the headlines or the way the story has been told in the media for fifty plus years. In situations like mine you have to look past the sensationalism and be willing to understand the facts and circumstances that shape a child’s reality. It is hard to revisit these things, I am ashamed of my past, yet I welcome the opportunity to do so if it helps people see the truth more clearly and to understand how something like this can happen.  More importantly is the hope that these discussions may serve to save another child from sharing my fate.