Spotlight: Dr. Katherine Ramsland
As a professor of forensic psychology, Dr. Katherine Ramsland has spent years learning what makes a killer. In her book “The Serial Killer’s Apprentice,” she and co-author Tracy Ullman took a new look at the chilling case of the Candyman Killer, Dean Corll, and his teenage accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. Now, a new documentary from Wolf Entertainment and inspired by the book is coming Sunday, August 17th to Investigation Discovery — and features never-before-seen interviews with Elmer himself, conducted by Dr. Ramsland. We talked with Dr. Ramsland about what it was like to work on the documentary and the book, what drew her to this terrifying story, and what we can ultimately learn from it.
Q: What drew you to the story of Dean Corll and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr.?
A: I was interested in Henley. I had initially accepted the portrayal of him as a bad kid who had sacrificed his friends for money, but when I saw a brief interview with him about his artwork. He seemed articulate and self-reflective, and I thought there could be more to the story. In addition, there hadn’t been much research on accomplices to serial killers from their point of view, and I hoped to get him to tell me about it. Wayne had never before told his story in detail. I’d talked to other killers, but Wayne was different. He hadn’t aspired to be a killer, and he felt deep shame for his participation in Corll’s scheme. Interviewing him at times felt more like assisting him with therapy.
Q: Tell us about the process of writing the book. What was it like to immerse yourself in this story?
A: Writing the book was a team effort. My co-author, Tracy Ullman, had already done associated research on sex trafficking in the Houston/Dallas area during the time when Corll said he was part of a network like this. I interviewed Wayne Henley, and we consolidated the information to form a more comprehensive and accurate picture of what had happened in their case. The research into police records was eye-opening also, as we found many errors and omissions. We worked hard to fill in holes and correct the mistakes in order to retell the story more accurately.
Q: Tell us about your involvement in the documentary — what was it like to work on?
A: When I first talked with Wayne, I didn’t yet even foresee a book, let alone a documentary. I was glad to have Tracy take the lead with this project, as she had more experience in production. I was an executive producer, but my role was mostly being a narrator — I’ve been involved in many documentaries, including as an executive producer, so I already knew some of the challenges. It was exciting to see it all come together into a final product under a tight deadline.
At times while we were working on this project, as we dug up gruesome crime scene photos and footage, it felt like we were there. Having the goal of using this work as a way to bring attention to the problem of predators that’s more prevalent today than 50 years ago helped to deal with the tragic and gritty aspects. We have a higher goal than just telling a true-crime story.
Q: What do you hope people take away from watching the documentary?
A: Kids are vulnerable to predators, and when a kid is in trouble, someone needs to listen and help. This particular story might have happened 50 years ago, but it’s still being played out today — now on a bigger stage. In the age of the Internet, kids are easier targets, and at the same time, predators have become more sophisticated. They also have greater means and resources for drawing kids into bad situations, grooming them, and leveraging them to stay quiet. Wayne wasn’t an inherently bad kid; he had needs and hopes, like any kid, and a predator came along and exploited them.
Watch The Serial Killer’s Apprentice on Sunday, August 17 from 9-11PM ET/PT on ID and streaming on HBO Max.
