"Swimsuit Boy" is the only unidentified victim of serial killer Dean Corll. His body was discovered in 1973 and he most likely disappeared between 1971 and 1972. 15 boys have been ruled out as being the decedent as of June 14, 2023.
Case[]
The decedent was discovered on August 9, 1973 following a confession from Dean Corll's accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley. Corll, Henley, and another boy named David Brooks committed several murders in southwest Houston, Texas. They buried their victims in three locations, a rented boat shed, High Island Beach, and Lake Sam Rayburn. This victim was found inside the boat shed along with the bodies of Roy Bunton, Steven Sickman, Willard Branch and Randy Harvey.
Though Henley and Brooks admitted to being present for several of the murders, they couldn't recall murdering this particular victim. As a result, it's believed that this victim was murdered sometime in the spring of 1971 or 1972.
Recent developments[]
He was undergoing testing by the DNA Doe Project, but their involvement with the case had been put on an indefinite hold at the request of the investigating agency in August 2020.
Investigators received a tip in the mail about the decedent possibly being a boy named "Bobby French". The tip also included several photos of Bobby that bore a “striking” resemblance to facial reconstructions made of the decedent. The tip has been looked into, but none of Bobby's family members have been located. The person who sent the tip has also never been located.
Characteristics[]
- Brown hair.
- Good dentition with no fillings.
- Mild form of spina bifida.
- Chronic irritation of sternal end of clavicles.
Clothing and accessories[]
- A gray T-shirt with a blue peace symbol on the back, containing the letters "USA" with "L84MF" written by hand below the symbol.
- Multicolored swim trunks.
- Brown cowboy boots.
- Dark blue corduroy pants.
- Knotted leather ankle bracelet.
Exclusions[]
- Mark Bachelder
- Peter Bonick
- Alan Bourque
- Colin Egan
- David Hesterlee
- Jay Joggerst
- Dermot Kelly
- Rick Lamson
- Norman Prater
- Derran Rogers
- David Waggoner
- Mitchel Weiser
- David Yeager
Gallery[]
.jpg "Swimsuit boy shirt (back).jpg (199 KB)")
Sources[]
- Swimsuit Boy at NCMEC
- Swimsuit Boy at FACES
- Swimsuit Boy at NamUs
- Swimsuit Boy at the Doe Network
- Swimsuit Boy at the Texas Department of Public Safety
- Dean Corll on WikipediaPOSTMORTEM WARNING
- Elmer Henley Jr. on Wikipedia
- David Brooks on Wikipedia
- Swimsuit Boy at the DNA Doe Project
- KHOU
- Houston Chronicle
- Forensic Magazine