Murder In America - EP. 149: TEXAS - SERIAL KILLER Daniel Lee Corwin: The Worst Man In Texas (PT. 1)

Episode Date: March 29, 2024

It's the 1970's, in Texas, and a dark crime spree was brewing. And though the warning signs were there, they were largely ignored. Eventually, this darkness would erupt in a rash of violence, leaving many women dead and a few small communities in Texas changed forever. You're listening to MURDER IN AMERICA. - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Quence.com slash America. The podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects. Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children. This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned. The story I have for you today was recommended by my grandma. You see, she lives in a very small East Texas town called Normandy. In a few months back, she was talking to me about Normandy's,

most infamous murder. In 1987, a 72-year-old woman named Alice Martin was going on her daily walk just minutes away from my grandma's house when she vanished. Alice was well known within the town. My dad and uncle were even friends with her sons. And news of her disappearance spread quickly. Immediately everyone in the community came together to try and find her. In their mind, she probably had a medical emergency while on her walk. Maybe she tripped and fell and was waiting for help to arrive. But after hours of searching, no one could find her. My dad and late grandfather fly airplanes, and they even flew around Normandy to see if they could spot Alice from up above. Now eventually she would be found, but it was not the outcome anyone expected.

Alice Martin's body was found nestled behind some trees near a pond. She was completely nude and had been raped, strangled, and stabbed to death. Then her killer used a knife to carve a disturbing smiley face into her back. Things like this just don't happen in small towns like Normandy, especially to elderly women who are just simply going on a walk. Alice's murder completely stripped all sense of safety, leaving everyone in Normandy wondering who could have done this. Little did they know, a serial killer named Daniel Corwin had passed through their small town

and spotted Alice on her walk. And sadly, Alice's murder was just the start of his reign of terror across East Texas. So this is the story of serial killer Daniel Corwin. I'm Courtney Browne. And I'm Colin Browne. And you're listening to Murder in America. Corwin was born on September 13, 1958, in Garden Grove, California. His parents, Nancy and Philip Corwin, were originally from upstate New York.

But due to Phillips' job, managing factories, they moved around a lot to places like California, Kentucky, Tennessee. But they would ultimately settle down in Temple, Texas. At the time they moved to the Lone Star State in 1970, 70, Nancy and Philip had four children, and Daniel was a lot different than his siblings. They all had darker complexions, dark hair, brown eyes. But Daniel had bright blue eyes and hair that was almost white when he spent time out in the sun. But as a whole, the Corwin's appeared to be your all-American family.

They worked hard, they were respected within their community, and they had a strong connection to the First Presbyterian Church. At the Heart Temple, Texas is the town's oldest congregation, first place. Presbyterian Church. Built in 1913, the Gothic-style sanctuary with beautiful stained glass windows had served as a beacon of faith within the community. When the Corwin's moved there, they immediately joined the congregation who welcomed them with open arms. And to them, the church was not just a place of worship, but a second home where each family member played an active role. The mother Nancy sang in the church's choir. The father, Philip, helped teach the youth group, as well as the Boy Scout

troupe there, and their son Daniel would help with the upkeep of the church by mowing its lawn. On the outside, Daniel appeared to be a normal kid. He enjoyed fishing, boy scouts, and riding his bike through town. He also loved art and was always drawing different animals. But when it came to his education, Daniel struggled. He had a hard time with reading and even had to repeat the third grade because of it. And throughout school, his report cards were usually filled with C's and D's, with an occasional F here and there. But despite his learning struggles, Daniel appeared to be a good kid. He was very obedient and respectful to authority, and it was well known that he had a deep-seated desire for adult approval.

Any time an authority figure needed something, Daniel was the first to jump up and and help. Daniel was eager to please, always said yes ma'am, no ma'am, and he lived for positive reinforcement. A psychologist would later evaluate him when he was a teenager and was noticeably struck by Daniel's dependency on his parents' approval. During that evaluation, Daniel answered a questionnaire, where he wrote, I feel that I can never leave my parents. I am best when I'm with my parents. My greatest worry is that my parents might die before I'm ready. Now, some may find these answers endearing. It's sweet that a teenager loves and respects their parents that much.

But given the other issues Daniel was experiencing, it's clear that there's some dysfunction in his life. You see, throughout his teenage years, Daniel would often wet the bed, which is usually a sign of emotional turmoil. However, his parents didn't seem that concerned about it. They dismissed it as Daniel being a heavy sleeper. Other people that knew Daniel said that something was just off about him.

While he was very friendly with adults, he often didn't get along with kids his own age. In fact, many of his peers didn't like him at all, named Bruce Smith, would later say that Daniel was known to be sneaky and a liar. On one of their Boy Scout trips, the boys were instructed to bring a roll of coins so they can get snacks from the vending machines. But Daniel forgot to bring his. So instead, he just stole the money from the other Boy Scouts. From then on, the boys knew to never leave their belongings unattended around Daniel Corwin. Now, obviously, stealing a roll of coins is not a recipe for a budding serial killer. But Daniel's life was about to take a sharp and disturbing turn, revealing the true

darkness that lurked within him. Before Daniel ever committed his first crime, people felt extremely uncomfortable around him, especially women. While he was spirited and friendly around adults, Daniel became severely shy and reserved around girls. Cindy Walter, whose family was also a part of the First Presbyterian Church, said that he never made eye contact, and he had this awkward slouch when he walked. People would try to talk to Daniel, but he couldn't ever carry out a conversation.

Cindy would later say that Daniel never outright did anything to her, but she did say, he always scared me. We all thought he was weird. Some people just have a good intuition, I guess, and Cindy seemed to be spot on. You see, a close family friend of the Corwin's would later reveal a disturbing story about Daniel regarding animal cruelty. In that incident, the friend said that Daniel got in a fight with his older sister, and in response, he murdered their family cat to get back at her.

So by now, we see that Daniel is exhibiting two very common early behaviors of serial killers, bedwetting and cruelty to animals. And it's also around this time when he began peeping into girls' windows. There was a big rumor going around town that Daniel Corwin was a peeping tom. But many of the town's people just brushed it off as teenage boy behavior. However, no one truly knew just how dangerous. Daniel Corwin really was. Which brings us to March 15th, 1974.

That day, Raymond and Gretchen Finn decided that they needed a date night. Gretchen had given birth to their son a few months prior, and she was exhausted, so a kid-free dinner and movie with her husband was well overdue. Earlier that day, they called Kathy Chote and asked her to babysit. Kathy was new to town and just four days shy of her 14th birthday. She was also a very sweet girl who loved children. So when the Fens asked her to babysit, she was happy to accept.

She arrived at the Fenn's house, and as Raymond and Gretchen left for their date, Kathy played with the baby in the front yard, gently rolling a ball back and forth on the grass. As darkness fell, Kathy took the baby inside, gave it a bottle, and then settled him into his crib for a peaceful night's sleep. Her work for the night was pretty much over, so from there she went to the family's living room and put on a movie. But about an hour or so in,

Kathy heard what sounded like a glass door opening. Curious, she got up to investigate, and it was there where she saw that the family's side door was ajar by about a foot. But for whatever reason, Kathy didn't give it much thought. She simply closed the door, locked it, and returned back to her movie.

But soon after, she heard another sound. This time, it was the piercing cry of the baby. Kathy quickly got up to check on him, but when she turned the corner, her stomach dropped. There, in the dark hallway, was a nude man, holding a knife. And before Kathy could even react, he delivered a chilling threat. If you scream, I'll kill you.

From there, he motioned Kathy towards the Fenn's primary bedroom, and as soon as she stepped inside, he ordered her to undress. Using his knife, the man cut a piece of her shirt and shoved it into her mouth, gagging her. And from there, Kathy was brutally raped. Throughout it, she screamed out in pain. but every time she did, her attacker would aggressively tell her to shut up. Once the assault was over, she quickly grabbed her clothes and ran to the nearest bathroom,

locking herself inside. But moments later, she heard a loud bang on the bathroom door. Give me my clothes. Kathy hadn't realized it, but she accidentally grabbed his clothing as she attempted to get away. And knowing he wouldn't leave without them, she quickly, unlocked the door and shoved them out. She would later recall that she even told the man, I'm sorry for taking his clothes. Even in the midst of her assault, she realized how horrible it was apologizing to the man who just raped her. But more than anything, she just wanted him to leave,

and he would. But before walking out of the home, he left her with an interesting comment. I live across town. You don't know me. And with that, he left. But Kathy wouldn't dare leave that bathroom. She stayed there until the fends made their way back home. And when they walked through the doors, they could hear Kathy crying in the bathroom. When she finally came out, she recounted the horrible assault she faced within their bedroom. And from there, they quickly called 911. Within minutes, the police arrived at the house and took Kathy's statement.

She admitted that she didn't know her attacker's identity because the entire assault, assault took place in the dark. But she was able to get a brief glimpse of him when she opened the bathroom door to throw his clothes out. Over the next few minutes, Kathy racked her brain, trying to give investigators a good description of a rapist. And as she did, Raymond Fenn couldn't help but notice that his description was eerily similar to their 15-year-old next-door neighbor, Daniel Corwin, the same boy that was rumored to be a peeping Tom. Raymond shared his suspicion with the investigators, and they wrote it down in their notes.

But from my understanding, Daniel was not questioned right away. The investigators told Kathy that they would stay in touch, and from there, she was forced to continue on with life, as if nothing even happened. But a little over a week after the assault, Kathy saw something that made her sick to her stomach. There, walking in the halls of her school, was her rapist. And it was none other than Daniel Corwin.

This was particularly shocking because he had told Kathy he lived across town, so she never expected to see him again. But following this, she immediately went to the police and told them that she was confident. Daniel Corwin was the one who raped her. Soon after, the Temple Police would stop by the Corwin household to question Daniel. And of course, he denied any involvement. But when asked what he was doing on the night of the assault, he admitted that he was home with his siblings.

So from here, the police asked Daniel's parents if they could give him a polygraph, and they agreed. Two days later, they went to Austin, where a state examiner conducted three separate polygraph tests. But unfortunately, the results were inconclusive, meaning they didn't have enough to arrest him. Even further, when Kathy was first interviewed, she told investigators that her attacker might have been this boy that went by Speedy at another school. Again, she was under the impression that her attacker lived across town, and he did match

his description. However, after seeing Daniel Corwin in school, she knew for a fact that he was the one who raped her. But with the inconclusive polygraph and the misidentification in the beginning, there was nothing they could do, according to investigators. And Kathy was devastated. Not only would she never get justice, but the Corwin family worked hard to make sure this story never hit the media. In their minds, Kathy's accusations against Daniel were nothing more than a bizarre misidentification. And from there, Daniel Corwin was free to go on with his life, which meant many more women would be hurt. By May of 1975, Daniel was a sophomore at Temple High School, and through his own admission, he was still struggling to fit in.

One of his classmates named Jim Huggins would later say that Daniel was pretty unremarkable, saying, quote, he was in my study hall. I never saw anyone socialized with him. He was just one of those guys, you see him, and you just forget him. end quote. However, by the end of that school year, everyone would know Daniel's name. On Friday, May 16, 1975, the Corwin family planned a weekend getaway with their church's youth group. So Daniel was able to get out of school early that day. At noon, he walked out of his class and made his way towards his car. And as he did so, he noticed another student who was getting out early as well. Her name was a Brenda Evans. She was also in the 10th grade. In that day, she was given a pass to leave early

so she could complete an extracurricular assignment. But as Brenda walked to her car, she noticed Daniel Corwin leaning on the car next to hers. The two had been going to school together since middle school, so she knew who he was. Being friendly, she asked, hey Daniel, how's it going? As she opened her car door. But the next thing she knew, Daniel was standing at her side brandishing a knife. And he tells her, move on over. Let me in. At first, Brenda thought it was some sick joke. She even said, you're kidding, right? But the look on his face quickly informed her that he was not kidding. And he quickly snapped at her again. Damn it, I said move over. Brenda quickly did as she was told and shifted over to the

the passenger seat. She didn't really have another choice, as he was now pressing the knife into her side. From here, Daniel quickly hopped into her car, started the ignition, and sped out of the parking lot. Trying to remain calm, Brenda asked Daniel what his intentions were. Where are you taking us? What's the matter? she asked. But Daniel remained silent and continued to speed down the road. Eventually, they turned right on 31st Street, making their way further out of town, far away from anyone that could help her. After crossing over I-35, there were open fields all around them, with an occasional mobile home here and there. Daniel eventually turned her car onto Eberhardt Road, leading them even further into the secluded, unfamiliar. Then, once they reached a

gravel pit. He parked her car next to an old abandoned shack. Daniel then killed the engine and put his knife right up to Brenda's face. Take your clothes off. Brenda glanced around, knowing that no one would be able to hear her scream. Daniel, what's wrong with you? She asked. Shut up, damn it, just take him off. When she didn't follow orders, Daniel shoved her into the back seat and crawled on top of her. If you don't take your clothes off, I'll rip them off. Okay, okay, she said. Can you just get out of the car for a second so I have some room? Surprisingly, Daniel listened.

But as soon as he stepped out, he changed his mind. He then lunged at Brenda and began tearing at her blouse. She screamed as loud as she could, as Daniel ripped off her clothing and threw them into a puddle of mud outside the car. The next thing Brenda knew, Daniel was undressing himself and climbing on top of her. She did her best to thrash and get away, but there was nothing she could do. Just like with Kathy, Daniel overpowered her and raped her. By the time he was finished, Brenda was in survival mode.

She even began speaking to him in a calm tone, trying to reason with him. With the brutality of the assault, she was in a survival mode. she knew that he was capable of killing her, so she needed to play our cards right. After gaining her composure, she turned to him and said, I'll give you my car and I won't tell the police anything if you just leave me alone.

But Daniel said nothing. Instead, he stepped out of the car and grabbed her muddy clothes. After throwing them at her, Brenda got dressed, thinking this nightmare might actually be over, But then Daniel grabbed his knife and said, Get out.

There was something about the way he looked at her, a look so evil she knew not to follow his orders. But at that moment, Daniel grabbed Brenda by the arm and attempted to pull her out of the car. In response, she pulled her knee towards her face and kicked him in the groin as hard as she could. Hopefully, in doing so, she would be able to get in the driver's seat and drive away.

But it wouldn't be that easy. Now red with anger, Daniel grabbed Brenda and yanked her out. He then attempted to open the trunk, likely to put her inside, but it jammed. He then looked off in the distance and saw a mound of dirt. Pointing his knife towards it, he told Brenda, Head over there. Brenda hesitantly took a few steps before turning back to face him. And then suddenly she felt the cold knife press against her.

her neck. In that moment, she knew she had to fight back, or she would never make it out alive. So she went to tackle him, but once again he overpowered her, pushing her to the ground. Daniel then straddled over her, pinning her arms to the ground with his knees, so she couldn't move. And it was then, when Daniel grabbed the knife and plunged it towards her. Brenda was able to flinch, so the knife ended up in her upper arm. But from there, he grabbed it again, and in one swift motion, he sliced it across her throat. Brenda immediately grabbed her neck, which was now gushing with blood. And she took this moment to look at Daniel's face.

He wasn't panicked, he didn't look crazed. He just had this intense, blank stare, a look that didn't change as he stabbed her once more in the stomach. He then took the knife and held it right above her heart. And this time, with a slight smile on his face, he slowly pressed it into Brenda's chest. She knew that Daniel was not going to stop until she was dead. So Brenda closed her eyes and laid as still as she possibly could. And then finally, he got up.

Brenda wouldn't dare open her eyes, but she could tell that he was still standing there, watching her, making sure she was dead. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, but then finally she heard him walk away. Thinking Brenda was dead, Daniel then walked over to a large piece of wood lying near the abandoned shack.

He picked it up and walked over to Brenda's body. And with deliberate force, he threw it down on top of her. The wood covered most of her body, except her feet. So from there, he scooped up handfuls of dirt and leaves, and began covering them. To obscure the scene even further, he grabbed a bunch of hay and scattered it all over the piece of wood.

And with that, he was satisfied with his work. Under the wooden vegetation, Brenda could hear him get into her car and start the engine. Finally, he was leaving. But a wave of terror washed over her when she heard her car speeding in her direction. She thought he was about to run her over.

Luckily, though, he wouldn't. Instead, Daniel drove within inches of her head and took off down the road. Brenda continued to lay there for a few more minutes, just in case he was watching from afar. But after she felt like the coast was clear, she used all of the strength within her to push the wooden board off her body.

And to her surprise, she was able to stand. Brenda would later learn that her bra actually saved her life that day. When Daniel stabbed into her chest, the knife actually caught onto her bra. metal underwire, which essentially shielded her heart from the blade. But even so, Brenda was severely injured. She had just been stabbed in the arm, stomach, and her throat had been cut, so she knew she needed to get help immediately. Somehow, she was able to make it to the nearby road, where she attempted to flag down a car. The first car zoomed past her, but the second car stopped

to help. From there, they rushed her to a nearby gas station, where they were finally able to call 911. And luckily with this incident, Brenda knew exactly who her attacker was. And soon enough, the Temple Police were on the lookout for 16-year-old Daniel Corwin. After attacking Brenda Evans, Daniel sped down the road and ultimately ditched her car. From there, he would go on foot until he ran into someone he knew. Her name was Janie Hart, and as soon as Daniel saw her, he asked for a ride to the Ford dealership, where he was scheduled to meet his father that afternoon. Jamie didn't have anywhere to be, so she led him in, having no idea the crime he'd just committed.

The two would even stop by Dairy Queen for his soda, and Janie would later tell police, I asked him what he had done all afternoon. He said that he had done some pretty strange things today and said nothing more of it. From there, Janie made the drive to the Ford dealership. After learning of Brenda's attack, Officer Kenneth Miller quickly drove to the Corwin's house to see if Daniel was home. Interestingly enough, he was actually one of the investigators and Kathy Choate's rape the year prior.

All of the investigators knew that Daniel was likely responsible in that case, but now even more so. When Officer Miller knocked on the Corwin's front door, no one answered. And when he went to turn back to his car, he saw Gretchen Finn standing in front of her home next door, the very home that Kathy was raped in the year prior.

Officer Miller quickly informed Gretchen of what was going on, and she responded, that's about right. I knew that boy was responsible. Daniel's mother works at the Temple National Bank downtown. Maybe she knows where he is. From there, Officer Miller made his way to the bank, where he located Nancy and one of her daughters. They were just about to leave to meet with Philip and Daniel so they could go on their weekend youth trip.

But now, there was a change of plans. After filling Nancy in on the accusations against her son, she told the officer that Daniel was likely at the first Presbyterian church. That's where they planned to all meet that afternoon. So from there, Officer Miller makes his way over, with Nancy and daughter following close behind. As he neared the church, he saw the Corwin's brown station wagon driving nearby, and Daniel was behind the wheel. Officer Miller quickly turned on his sirens, signaling for Daniel to pull over, but he doesn't. Instead, Daniel speeds off down the road, going around 93 miles an hour. Officer Miller eventually pulls up behind him, making eye contact with a 16-year-old.

And for whatever reason, in the heat of the moment, Daniel decides to give up. He pulls the car over on the side of the road and surrenders. From there, Daniel Corwin was placed under arrest and brought to the police station for a formal interview. But while being booked, his parents, Nancy and Philip, burst through the front door of the station and yelled out to their son, quote, Danny, don't say anything.

Deep down, they knew exactly the kind of boy their son was. They likely even knew that he was responsible for Kathy. rape the year prior. But they were willing to do anything to protect him. Following his parents' advice, Daniel did not talk to the police about what happened that day. But luckily, Brenda would survive her attack, and there was more than enough evidence to charge him. So following this, Daniel was placed in the Bell County Jail. But sadly, much like with Kathy's case, the news of Brenda's attack was barely even covered in the media. In fact, just one single article was written about it, but it was tucked away in the back pages of the Temple Daily Telegram. The article also shied away

from any of the violent details. So in the beginning, it was hardly even talked about around town. Daniel stayed at the Bell County Jail for about a month, and during his time there, he told a psychologist that one of the other inmates had raped him. Now, the psychologist tried to schedule him for a physical exam after this alleged rape. But Daniel refused, and there was no evidence that an assault actually occurred, so nothing came of it. Many people believed that Daniel made the story up. Maybe he thought he could garner sympathy,

especially given the gravity of the charges he was facing. But following this, Daniel would be released from jail after his parents paid a $10,000 bond. And surprisingly, everybody welcomed Daniel back into the community with open arms, especially members of the First Presbyterian Church. When word got out about the charges Daniel was facing, the congregation at the First Presbyterian Church were shocked. There was just no way that sweet little Daniel could have committed such a heinous act. After all, Daniel had grown up in the church.

He and his family were good people. So despite the evidence against him, most of the congregation stood behind him, believing the allegations were either false or just a big misunderstanding. Now, Brenda Evans' father, Reginald Evans, was actually a very prominent figure within their community. He served as Temple's chairman, and he was also on the school board for most of the 1960s. Reginald was very vocal about his daughter's case. and he made his expectations abundantly clear to the temple prosecutors. He wanted Daniel Corwin prosecuted to the full extent for trying to murder his daughter. Reginald also expected his community to rally behind him.

But sadly, that wasn't really the case. The Corwin family had deep ties to the First Presbyterian Church, and many prominent members of their community were a part of their congregation, including Temple's mayor, Jamie Clements. Another member of the congregation who stood behind the Corwin family was a man named Frank Mayborn, who pretty much controlled all of the media in Temple, including the town's newspaper, radio station, and broadcasting channel.

Interestingly enough, Frank Mayborn and Mayor Jamie Clements would often meet with the church's minister, Wilson Keenan, and in these meetings that were held at, the church, the three men would discuss strategies on how they were going to navigate Daniel's case and his family's reputation. Now, I will say, Mayor Clement spoke highly of the Corwin family, but he did think that Daniel should be excluded from the church until his trial was over. But the other men, along with many members of the church, showed unwavering support for Daniel and his family. People began to whisper that Brenda must have enticing that,

him that day and that Daniel simply gave in to the devil's temptation and that he just needed a little guidance. The church began to spread these rumors throughout town, labeling Brenda as a whore. And soon enough, the phone in the prosecutor's office began ringing off the hook. Phone calls were pouring in from people in their community, proclaiming Daniel's innocence. Prosecutor Bob Odom would later say, quote, I've tried numerous sexual assault cases, and this one drew the most pressure I have ever received. End quote. As the prosecution prepared for Daniel's trial, they couldn't believe the amount of people who stood behind Daniel Corwin,

a boy who literally slit his victim's throat after brutally raping her. Now, interestingly enough, Daniel was given a polygraph exam that he passed. But we know now that polygraphs aren't reliable. Sometimes guilty people pass them, and innocent people fail them. So investigators decided to use a manipulation tool to try and call Daniel's bluff. After the results of the polygraph came back, they lied and told Daniel that he failed it. And it was then when he finally confessed. Daniel Corwin went into great detail on everything that happened during Brenda Evans' rape and assault.

And those details matched everything that Brenda told investigators on May 16th, 19th. Shortly after Daniel's confession, Prosecutor Bob Odom was sitting in his office when the door burst open. Standing there was Reverend Keenan from the First Presbyterian Church, along with several of the church's elders, and they started pleading with him to dismiss Daniel's case. Bob Odom couldn't even believe what he was hearing, and he told the group,

No way, the kid slit her throat. But the group continued. Please, Bob, what about just sending him to a juvenile treatment facility? Yet with each plea, Bob remained steadfast, reiterating that Daniel Corwin slit the girl's throat and that no amount of pleas were going to change his mind. But Bob was painfully aware that this trial was not going to be easy, especially for Brenda Evans. He knew that Daniel's defense would do everything in their power to tear her to shreds during cross-examination, and he made sure to prepare her for that.

When he did, it was obvious that Brenda was not ready for it, so they agreed to offer Daniel Corwin a plea deal. If he pleaded guilty to her rape and assault, avoiding a trial, he would receive a sentence of 40 years in prison, and Daniel would ultimately accept this deal. Surprisingly, his hearing would come and go, and the media barely even covered it. In fact, after getting sentenced, there was just one small paragraph mentioning it in the back pages of the Temple Daily Telegraph.

But with that, in April of 1976, 17-year-old Daniel Corwin was sent off to the Ferguson unit at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville. Upon his arrival, there were already around 2,000 inmates, most of whom were first-time offenders in their early 20s. Now, like we mentioned earlier, Daniel was always known to respect authorities. and he lived for approval and validation. So it didn't come as a surprise to know that he thrived in prison. He was your quintessential model prisoner. The other inmates even referred to him as the warden's boy because he was always going out of his way to volunteer

and help the prison staff with whatever they needed. And it ended up working in his favor. Because Daniel was so respectful and trustworthy, he got a lot of privileges. Unlike the other prisoners, Daniel was allowed to go anywhere, where he wanted within the prison without having a pass. He was also exempt from routine searches, which was extremely rare.

He even took over a leadership role within the prison, overseeing various workshops. Because of all of this, Daniel acquired a celebrity status of sorts. He also used his time wisely. While in prison, he taught himself how to play the organ and would play it during the prison's church services. During the holidays, he'd put his artistic skills to use and line the prison hallways with drawings of Santa, reindeer, and ornate Christmas trees. He really seemed to make the most out of his stay,

and he was considered an inspiration to the people around him. Being an ideal prisoner would ultimately work out in Daniel's favor. You see, throughout the 1980s, Texas's population began to grow, and so did the use of crack cocaine. Because of this, there was a huge wave of incarcerations, and the Texas prison system was getting extremely overrun. So by the mid-80s there was this urgency to release prisoners that they thought were rehabilitated. Now at the time, inmates could be considered for parole after serving just one-third of their sentence.

But now that they were overcrowded, they changed it to just one-fourth of their sentence. They were also considering parole for inmates who had had good behavior. So in Daniel's case, he was now eligible for parole in 1986. The year prior, when the parole board looked at his record, they saw a model prisoner. Not only did he have excellent behavior, but he also completed a ton of classes. Daniel was no longer a danger to the world, so he was ultimately granted parole in 1985 after serving just nine years of his 40-year sentence. Which is crazy.

Daniel was a violent offender, and instead of releasing people, who were there on drug convictions, they decided to release him, a decision they would go on to deeply regret. But on November 11, 1985, Daniel Corwin walked out of the prison gates, while many of his fellow inmates and prison officials bid him for well. It was an inspiration seeing Daniel released back into the world. He was one of those rare success stories, a truly rehabilitated man, or so they thought. At the age of 27 years old, Daniel Corwin moved back in with his parents. By then, they had a house on the outskirts of temple, further removed from the life they once knew. After Daniel went away to prison, the First Presbyterian Church still supported them, but some people

in town weren't as accepting, so they moved. And things just weren't the same without their precious son. Daniel was their pride and joy, so as you can imagine, they were elated to have him back home. Philip and Nancy even submitted a new family photo with Daniel to the First Presbyterian Directory, and the congregation, once again, welcomed him home with open arms. In their minds, a good Christian boy like Daniel should never have even gone to prison in the first place. His crime was merely a lapse in judgment, brought on by a promiscuous girl who enticed him, and the First Presbyterian Church was committed to helping Daniel transition back into everyday life, with as much ease and comfort as possible.

Believe it or not, they even gave Daniel a leadership role as the church's new youth leader. In the months following his release from prison, Daniel seemed to be adjusting well. He even ventured into something he had never done before, a relationship. Daniel started dating a 20-year-old girl named Beckley-Xley, who was a junior at the University of Mary Harden-Baylor,

and Belton. Interestingly enough, Daniel used to babysit Becky when she was a little girl, which is a horrifying thought. But now that she was an adult and he was freshly out of prison, they rekindled a relationship and fell in love. The Corwin's were thrilled about their relationship. Not only was it Daniel's first real girlfriend, but more than anything, they just wanted Daniel to to have a normal life. And dating is what normal people do. But Daniel wasn't normal. And it wouldn't be long until Becky caught on to this.

And their relationship wouldn't last very long. But as a condition of his parole, Daniel also had to attend regular sessions with a psychologist. And although he seemed to be doing well on the outside, it was clear that Daniel was still struggling. His psychologist notes revealed someone suffering from a lot of inner turmoil.

He even admitted how scared he was to delve into his own psyche for fear of what he might uncover. He also talked about his fear of rejection, feelings of disgust, and the guilt he felt for his past crimes. Daniel would continue visiting this psychologist for over a year, and during their time together, he seemed to be making the most of it. He was very honest about what he was going through. He even talked about how he didn't feel comfortable interacting with females, given his past crimes. Now, it should be noted that Daniel rarely ever talked to his psychologist about his attack on Brenda Evans.

It seemed to be a touchy subject for him. But after about a year in therapy, he finally decided to open up about it. He told a psychologist that the reason he attacked her was because of his deep-seated anger and fear of rejection, issues that stemmed from not being able to fit in with people as age. Daniel admitted that he tried to assimilate into the social fabric of Temple High School, but it was always so hard for him, and he didn't know why. And over time, the constant rejection from his peers just boiled over, causing him to commit the unthinkable.

Now, as disturbing as this confession is, the fact that he was able to finally talk about it was progress in his psychologist's size. Maybe Daniel Corwin was truly on the path towards rehabilitation. In the fall of 1986, Daniel even applied for college and was accepted into Texas A&M University as a computer science major. He started his academic journey in January of 1987, but only went to school part-time. In the eyes of everyone around him, Daniel was turning a new leaf, and he would soon get an opportunity that would change his life forever. One day after church, while he was standing outside of First Presbyterian Church, Daniel was spotted by someone he used to know from prison.

The man's name was John Heyman, and he used to teach one of the prison's classes while Daniel was incarcerated. After seeing him, John decided to pull over and say hello. The interaction only lasted a few minutes. But after John left that day, he couldn't help but think about how well Daniel seemed to be doing, which was pretty rare to see in his line of work.

So John wanted to help him out. After leaving the church that afternoon, he decided to speak with his friend Ben Pruitt about hiring Daniel. You see, Ben Pruitt owned a cabinry business called Personal Touch Cabin Tree, and he was hiring at the time. John Heyman vouched for Daniel, and soon enough, he got a call that he was hired. Now, Daniel was still going to school at Texas A&M,

but he only went on Tuesdays and Thursdays. so the rest of the week he was free to work. So every week, Daniel would drive from Temple to Personal Touch Cabin Tree, which was north of Huntsville. The shop was in a pale green warehouse in a quiet part of town, and it was the perfect job for him. He made decent money, and he was allowed to go to school. The only problem was that the shop was about two hours away from his parents' house,

so every week he would have to put a lot of miles on his car. But Daniel was a good worker. So after a while, his boss Ben offered to let him stay in his rental house in downtown Huntsville. It was a great opportunity for him. Daniel now had a good job, a good boss who believed in him, and a place to live. The only conditions they gave him were that he had to stay out of trouble and he had to stay in school. Daniel readily agreed to both, promising to hold up his end of the bargain. However, it was a promise he wouldn't be able to keep.

Up until this point, Daniel had done a good job of staying out of trouble, but unbeknownst to everyone, deep down, he was still that sick, perverted man who had a desire to harm women. Since his release from prison, he had been able to keep these thoughts under control. But one day, Daniel spotted 72-year-old Alice Martin walking down the road, and those dark thoughts, began to consume him. As he drove down the road, he looked around and he saw that there were no other cars. It was just he and Alice and no witnesses. So it's here, where he finally decided to give in to those dark fantasies that had been dormant for so long. And on that February day in 1987, Daniel would commit his most heinous crime to date. So join us next week as we walk you through Daniel Corwin's descent and how he quickly became one of East Texas's most infamous killers.

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Hey, everybody, it's Colin here. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. We were topping podcast charts this week, breaking new records with the show. All thanks to everybody who's out there listening to our extended murder in America family. Thank you so much to everybody who tunes in every week to listen to Courtney and I ramble on. Seriously, it means the world to us. I want to give a shout out to some of our new patrons this week.

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For $10 a month, you get the early access, plus two full-length bonus. episodes of the show. And for $20 a month, you get a bonus episode of Murder in America every single week in addition to these main feed episodes early and ad free. We have an amazing family on Patreon. We have a lot of fun on there. So please come join the family. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Murder in America where we post photos from every single case that we cover. But yeah, next week's episode definitely takes a sharp and disturbing dark turn. So you're not going to want to miss it. Thank you all for listening. have a great weekend and we'll catch you on the next one