The Scientist and the Serial Killer

The Search for Houston's Lost Boys

By: Lise Olsen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The true story of how one dedicated forensic scientist restored the long-lost identities of the teenaged victims of the “Candy Man,” one of America’s most prolific serial killers

“A masterwork of crime writing . . . Lise Olsen has taken a fifty-year-old story and made it new and fresh and terrifyingly real.”—S. C. Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author of Rebel Yell

Houston, Texas, in the early 1970s was an exciting place—the home of NASA, the city of the future. But a string of more than two dozen missing teenage boys hinted at a dark undercurrent that would go ignored for too long. While their siblings and friends wondered where they had gone, the Houston police department dismissed them as runaways, fleeing the Vietnam draft or conservative parents, likely looking to get high and join the counterculture.

It was only after their killer, Dean Corll, was murdered by an accomplice that many of those boys’ bodies were discovered in mass graves. Corll, known as the “Candy Man,” was a local sweet-shop owner who had enlisted two teens to lure their friends to parties, where they would be tortured and killed.

All of Corll’s victims’ bodies were badly decomposed; some were only skeletal. Known collectively as the Lost Boys, many were never identified and some remained undiscovered. Decades later, when forensic anthropologist Sharon Derrick discovered a box of remains marked “1973 Murders” in the Harris County Medical Examiner’s office, she recalled the horrifying crime from her own childhood, and knew she had to act. It would take prison interviews with Corll’s accomplices, advanced scientific techniques, and years of tireless effort to identify these young men.

Investigative journalist Lise Olsen brings to life the teens who were hunted by a killer hiding in plain sight and the extraordinary woman who would finally give his unknown victims back their names and their dignity. With newly uncovered information about the case, The Scientist and the Serial Killer immerses readers in an astonishing story and reveals why these horrific events remain relevant decades later.

captivating Book

Having spent lots of time in the Heights is how I learned of the corll murders. Author does an amazing job of storytelling and humanizing those poor boys. Best book I've read on the topic.

Uncovering evidence with determination

“The Scientist and the Serial Killer,” authored by Lise Olsen, provides details on the years spent by Dr. Sharon Derrick to identify victims of Dean Arnold Corll, a serial killer active in the early 1970s. He, along with two teenage accomplices, abducted and murdered at least 29 boys in Texas. The hours of research are evident in the details of the victims, the communities, the families, and Derrick’s modern-day work in forensic anthropology. Derrick attempts to match unidentified remains with a name for their families. Limited technology, social norms, and overwhelmed law enforcement at the time of the murders contributed to decades before the resolution of some of the identities in this horrific event.

Lise Olsen underscores the obstacles Derrick faced, including the handling of missing person reports and the lack of attention given to the string of disappearances in Houston. The narrative emphasizes the emotional weight of each identification, presenting the lives of the victims and their families. The True Crime non-fiction showcases advancements in forensic science over the decades, which helps readers unfamiliar with the field. Moments of harsh reality, Derrick’s dedication uncovered brought closure to some families and serves as a testament to the persistence required in the pursuit of justice for Corll’s victims.

The narrator, Hillary Huber, delivered a precise rendition. The pacing was as perfect as the intonations during some investigative conversations. Coril, known as The Candy Man, a monster, was revealed as each layer of investigation unfolded, the three years of his killing spree. Listening to the facts may be easier for some fans of True Crime than reading.

The thirty years needed to tell the tale of “The Scientist and the Serial Killer” illustrate many mistakes in handling the victims’ deaths. Recommended to fans of true crime, who will be fascinated by the changes in forensic science, law enforcement procedures, and national databases that facilitate solving serial crimes today.

How tragic

This was such a horrific story and the lives it affected is unbelievable. The dedication and perseverance of the medical examiners, the family members is admirable. The narrator was great and it was a good read.

Absolutely fantastic story!

This book held my attention fully. Very enjoyable writing, and the narration is very engaging. I was first drawn as I had a great interest in learning more about The Candyman, was was transfixed by the stories of the victims, their families, and the professionals.

Deeply researched, well told

Author Lise Olsen shows great empathy in telling this story of a serial killer who stalked the Houston area in the 1970s, of a botched police investigation that failed to find and identify all the victims, and of the forensic scientists who worked for years to sort out the mess. Excellent reading by Hillary Huger, too.