William “Billy” Lawrence Murder Details and Investigation Timeline

It was the summer of 1973 when everything turned upside down for the Lawrence family in Harris County, Texas, as 15-year-old William Ray “Billy” Lawrence disappeared without a trace. As explored in HBO Max/ID’s ‘The Serial Killer’s Apprentice,’ it later came to light that he had actually been tortured, killed, and buried by a local serial killer as well as his two acquaintances. Therefore, of course, there was a lot of media and publicity around this whole ordeal, making us wonder more about who this victim really was, his experiences, and the aftermath of it all.

Billy Lawrence Was Killed Following Days of Torture

Born on March 11, 1958, in Houston, Texas, to Mary Elizabeth Walton Lawrence and Horace James “Jimmy” Lawrence, William Ray “Billy” Lawrence was the younger of the couple’s two boys. By all accounts, he and his elder brother James Michael Lawrence were typical youngsters by the time the 1970s rolled around, but they were also a lot more empathetic and emotional. That’s because they had sadly lost their mother in December 1965, making Jimmy a widowed single father who did his best to be there for his kids while also providing for them.

The single father was reportedly really proud of his sons since they were not only the apples of his eyes but also rather bright in their own right, making them have a healthy, stable relationship. Therefore, on Monday, June 4, 1973, merely three months after his 15th birthday, when Billy called his father to let him know he had been invited to go fishing with “some friends,” he agreed. The fact that Billy had specified he was going to Lake Sam Rayburn, near Lufkin in Texas, and had promised to return in “two, three days … maybe Thursday” had also helped the patriarch. Jimmy had given his blessing for the trip, so he and Billy ended their conversation with “I love yous,” unaware this would be the last time the father would ever get to see or hear from his son alive.

That’s because while Billy believed he was going fishing, he was actually kidnapped and murdered, the details of which didn’t come into light until two months later. Jimmy had received a strange letter from Billy dated June 5, stating he was going to Austin for a job opportunity, but it didn’t fit what the teen had told him over the phone. Despite missing reports and extensive search efforts, it was only on August 9, 1973, that his remains were recovered from where they had been buried by the beach. According to records, Billy was kept bound and gagged by his primary captor for three days, being allegedly repeatedly assaulted before he was strangled to death with a cord. In other words, his homicide was extremely brutal, which had only come to light following the confession of the accomplices who had helped the former not only lure the then-teenager but also reportedly kill him.

Billy Lawrence Was a Victim of a Serial Killer and His Accomplices

It was shortly before 8:30 am on the morning of August 9, 1973, that local police officers responded to a 911 call regarding a shooting at 2020 Lamar Drive in Pasadena, Texas. Once they arrived, they found three teenagers sitting outside with a .22 caliber weapon near them, and one of them then identified himself as Elmer Wayne Henley before indicating they would find the remains of Dean Corll inside. Then-18-year-old Elmer asserted he had shot the 33-year-old in self-defense, but then went on to claim he had also killed several boys alongside David Brooks over the past three years at the behest of the man who is now dead. What investigators never imagined was they they would find physical evidence indicating the same in Dean’s bedroom, ranging from sex toys to restraints to much more.

Dean Corll

When investigators questioned Elmer regarding his claims, he asserted that he and David had been procuring boys for Dean since 970, just for him to sexually assault and murder them. He backed his statements by not only giving details but also taking investigators to the spots where their remains had been buried, which he knew because he had also aided in disposing of them. That’s when Billy Lawrence’s remains were also recovered from near a dirt road at Lake Sam Rayburn, with him having a cord still tied around his neck. His cold remains were wrapped in plastic sheets before being covered with lime, so his bones and structure were intact, which helped in his positive identification.

Elmer Wayne Henley

Billy was one of at least 27 of Dean’s victims, and he had reportedly endured severe torture before he was strangled to death. According to court records, Dean had ordered his two accomplices – Elmer and David – to “bring (him) a boy” on June 4, 1973, so they lured Elmer’s 15-year-old acquaintance. Once they returned to the Lamar Drive address, as per documents, the teenager was repeatedly sexually assaulted because Dean “really liked” him. He was reportedly “kept alive” for three days, but he did endure abuse and torture while being bound to Dean’s bed, including psychological abuse. It was allegedly made clear to him that he would never return home, which is why Dean also forced him to write the letter to his father in the hopes that no one would search for him for at least a few weeks or months.

Billy Lawrence’s Perpetrators Were Convicted

While Elmer and David both confessed and essentially corroborated their statements in 1973 itself, it wasn’t until 1974 and 1975 that they stood trial for the respective charges against them. On  July 1, 1974, the former was charged with the murders of six teenage boys whom he himself had lured to Dean’s apartment between March 1972 and July 1973, including Billy. During court, his confessions played a significant role, especially as he had also stated that strangling an individual to death “was not as easy like they show on TV.” He was convicted and sentenced to six consecutive terms of 99 years in prison, but he was never arrested, charged, tried, or found guilty for Dean’s shooting death because it was ascertained to be in self-defense.

David Brooks

As for David Brooks, he was only charged with the murder of Billy, for which he stood trial in February 1975. During the proceedings, his defense attorney argued that while nobody can or will dispute the brutal way in which the 15-year-old was killed, there was no evidence indicating the defendant was his killer. They said in their closing argument that “The state has proven David Owen Brooks of being an accessory to murder; the state has not established a murder case … They have proved accessory to murder—not murder.” Nevertheless, he was convicted as charged after less than 90 minutes of deliberations, for which he was then sentenced to life in prison. Sadly, David has since passed away – he was 65 at the time. He died on May 28, 2020, of complications from COVID-19 in a Galveston hospital after being rushed there from his cell at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Polk County, Texas.

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