Sex-torture killings toll 27; largest U.S. mass murder

From First Page

?

have accused Dean A. Corll, 33, killed last Wednesday by Henley, of being the leader of a trio of homosexual sadists.

Some 100 spectators clustered near the grave-digging operations despite a line of storms that threatened to halt the search.

Pathologists have had problems identifying many victims because the bodies are badly decomposed.

Houston Police Chief Herman Short yesterday defended his department's han dling of missing person reports.

Some parents have said police were unresponsive to their inquiries about missing youngsters.

"It appears that some people — and some in the news media are trying to make it appear the police department has not done all it could or should have in this case." Short said.

•

The department's undermanned staff gives missing person reports as much attention as possible, but his men are swamped by the sheer numbers of such reports, more than 5,200 last year, he said.

At a hearing in state district court, Judge George Walker refused a request by Henley's lawyer to have the youth put in an isolation cell. The lawyer argued that Henley was being verbally abused by the other prisoners.

Dist. Atty. Carol Vance said despite the judge's refusal, he and the sheriff had, agreed to separate Henley from the other prisoners.

Police are still uncertain when the kill.. ing began or how many lives have been taken. Henley said he has known Corll only about two years. Brooks said he met Coril several years earlier, but told police that Corll had talked of killings he had committed years prior to their meeting.