The Lingering Mystery of Houston's Lost Boys
THE SCIENTIST AND THE SERIAL KILLER is the gripping, upside-down detective story of a Texas forensic anthropologist named Sharon Derrick who, determined to close the cases of the notorious 1970s Houston-area serial killer Dean Corll, has painstakingly deployed the latest science to identify victims who had become known as the Lost Boys of Houston. This unforgettable narrative of forensic science, missing persons, and unsolved crimes by award-winning investigative journalist Lise Olsen is expected to be published in 2025 by Random House, an imprint and a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
"Why Dean Corll, the 'Candyman' killer, should still give you nightmares." Read Lise's article in the Houston Chronicle opinion pages.
| The Lost Boys | |||
| Below are the boys in order of disappearance. Listed in red are recent Identifications and corrections made through the efforts of Sharon Derrick. | |||
| Year 1970 | Name | Age | Date |
| 1 | Jeffery Alan Konen | 18 | 9/28 |
| 2 | Danny Michael Yates | 15 | 12/13 |
| 3 | Jimmy Glass (James Eugene) | 14 | 12/13 |
| Year 1971 | |||
| 4 & 5 | Donald Waldrop | 15 | 1/30 |
| 4 & 5 | Jerry Lynn Waldrop | 13 | 1/30 |
| 6 | Randall Lee Harvey | 15 | 3/9 |
| 7&8 | Malley Winkle (Gregory Malley Winkle | 16 | 5/29 |
| 7&8 | David William Hilligiest | 13 | 5/29 |
| 9 | Identified in 2017 (partial remains) | 17 | 7/1 |
| 10 | Ruben Williford Watson (Haney | 17 | 8/17 |
| 11 | Identification unconfirmed | unknown | unknown |
| Year 1972 | |||
| 12 | Frank Anthony Aguirre | 17 | 3/24 |
| 13 | Mark Scott - confirmed victim, body unrecovered |
18 | 4/20 |
| 14 & 15 | Billy Gene Baulch, Jr. | 17 | 5/21 |
| 14 & 15 | Johnny Ray Delome | 16 | 5/21 |
| 16 | Steven Kent Ferdig Sickman | 17 | 7/20 |
| 17 | Roy "Ikie" Bunton | 19 | 8/21 |
| 18 & 19 | Wally Jay Simoneaux | 14 | 10/4 |
| 18 & 19 | Richard Edward Hembree | 13 | 10/4 |
| 20 | Richard Alan Kepner | 20 | 1/19 |
| Year 1973 | |||
| 21 | Joseph Allen Lyles | 17 | 2/1 |
| 22 | Raymond Stanley "Ray" Blackburn | 20 | 6/15 |
| 23 | Homer Louis Garcia | 15 | 7/7 |
| 24 | Michael Anthony "Tony" Baulch | 15 | 7/18 |
| 25 | Billy Lawrence (William Ray) | 20 | 6/4 |
| 26 | John Manning "Johnny" Sellars | 17 | 7/12 |
| 27 & 28 | Marty Ray Jones | 18 | 7/25 |
| 27 & 28 | Charles Cobble | 17 | 7/25 |
| 29 | James Stanton Dreymala | 13 | 8/3 |
For interviews and information, contact Lise Olsen at liseolseninvestigates@gmail.com
Olsen is represented by Susan Canavan, Waxman Literary Agency.