Dean Corll accomplice in notorious Houston mass murder could be released on parole

David Owen Brooks, was one of Dean Corll's accomplices in what became known as the Houston Mass Murders of 1970-73. Texas officials in December 2014 began reviewing his case for possible parole. David Owen Brooks, was one of Dean Corll's accomplices in what became known as the Houston Mass Murders of 1970-73. Texas officials in December 2014 began reviewing his case for possible parole. Photo: Texas Department Of Criminal Justice Photo: Texas Department Of Criminal Justice Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Dean Corll accomplice in notorious Houston mass murder could be released on parole 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

A Harris County man convicted of helping notorious serial killer and sadist Dean Corll lure at least 28 boys to their death is up for possible release following a Thursday hearing.

David Owen Brooks has gone before the parole board roughly 20 times in the more than four decades since he was sent to prison for his role in the Houston Mass Murders between 1970 and 1973. But now, thanks to a new law passed in 2015, if he isn't released this time it could be another ten years before he's up for parole again.

"The bottom line is serial killer and parole are oxymoronic terms to begin with. And in this case there's no compelling reason to release him," said city of Houston victim advocate Andy Kahan, who headed up to Angleton for the hearing this week along with the parents of Stanton Dreymala, believed to be Corll's last victim.

BACKGROUND:For murder victim's parents, an agonizing ritual

"We're 99.9 percent confident he'll be denied, so we were really just pursuing getting the maximum set-off," Kahan said. A decision is expected in several weeks.

James Dreymala was more cautious.

"This is not first time we've gone through this so we know that, again, it's not over till it's over," he said. He and his wife Elaine are believed to be the last surviving parents of Corll's victims.

The killings came to light in 1973 after 17-year-old Elmer Wayne Henley called police to say that he'd shot Corll, the 33-year-old electric company worker who'd masterminded the gruesome slayings.

Henley said he had killed Corll after the older man threatened to rape and kill him and two other teens during a party at a bungalow.

But after the initial confession, another story emerged; Henley told police he could lead them to bodies. Lots of bodies.

Inside a stall at Southwest Boat Storage, authorities discovered the remains of 17 slain and tortured boys buried under the dirt floor, covered in plastic and a layer of lime. Eventually Henley admitted that he'd helped lure the unsuspecting victims, along with the help of then-18-year-old David Owen Brooks.

LAST TIME:"Houston Mass Murders" killer denied parole

In exchange, the serial killer had paid the pair $10 to $200 per child. In some cases, Brooks and Henley had helped with the torture and killing. Eventually, police probed other sites and found at least 28 victims.

"This was one of the most notorious serial killings in this country's history," Kahan said. "The term 'serial killer' wasn't even invented yet, it wasn't even known to criminologists. Hence it was always called the Houston Mass Murders."

Brooks was first eligible for parole in 1979 and Henley the following year. They've since been up for release every 18 months to 3 years, though Henley was given a 10-year set-off in his last parole review in 2015.

Though the Dreymalas expressed concern about the possibility of Brooks' release, Kahan was more confident and said it only boiled down to a question of whether the set-off would be ten years or something less than that.

"I have a better chance of growing my hair back than he does of getting parole," Kahan said.