David Owen Brooks‘ life took a dark turn at an early age. Meeting Dean Corll while in sixth grade was the beginning of a nightmarish chapter. Brooks became one of many kids who frequented the Corll Candy Company, a place that seemed innocent but harbored deep shadows. For Brooks, the appeal was personal. Corll was one of the few who didn’t mock his glasses, making him a rare adult ally in a world filled with bullies.
Unfortunately, this friendship had a horrifying price. Corll began sexually abusing Brooks when he was just 12 years old. To keep Brooks from telling anyone, Corll showered him with gifts and cash, creating a twisted bond. The situation escalated when Brooks walked into Corll’s apartment unannounced in December 1970. There, he discovered Corll assaulting two teenage boys. Corll’s response to being caught was chilling: he jumped up, claimed he was ‘just having some fun,’ and promised Brooks a car for his silence. That car, a green Chevrolet Corvette, sealed Brooks’ complicity.
Accepting that bribe introduced Brooks to a life of crime. Corll revealed that the two boys were murdered and offered Brooks $200 for any boy he could lure to Corll’s apartment. Brooks agreed, becoming an accomplice in Corll’s heinous acts. The manipulation didn’t stop there. In the winter of 1971, Brooks introduced Elmer Wayne Henley to Corll. Initially, Henley might have been another victim, but Corll saw potential in him as an accomplice. This trio would wreak havoc until Corll’s death in 1973.
Brooks and Henley weren’t just involved in abductions and murders; they also committed burglaries for small sums of money. It’s a testament to how entangled and distorted their lives had become under Corll’s influence.
Brooks’ troubled life came to an end on May 28, 2020, when he died from COVID-19 at the age of 65. His story is a grim reminder of how early trauma and manipulation can derail lives.
