The Morrill Memorial Library is thrilled to partner with Ashland Public Library and other Massachusetts public libraries to host a Q&A with true crime authors Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman, who co-wrote The Serial Killer's Apprentice: The True Story of How Houston's Deadliest Murderer Turned a Kid Into a Killing Machine on Monday, June 24 at 7:00pm on Zoom.

Fans of true crime are invited to dive deep into the psychology of a serial killer and his apprentice. Join authors Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman as they discuss their most recent book, The Serial Killer's Apprentice, a psychological examination of the blurred line between victim and accomplice--and how a killer can be created.

About the book: Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr was only 14 when he became entangled with serial rapist and murderer Dean Corll in 1971. Fellow Houston, TX teen, David Brooks, had already been ensnared by the charming older man, bribed with cash to help lure boys to Corll's home. When Henley unwittingly entered the trap, Corll evidently sensed he'd be of more use as a second accomplice than another victim. He baited Henley with the same deal he'd given Brooks: $200 for each boy they could bring him. Henley didn't understand the full extent of what he had signed up for at first. But once he started, Corll convinced him that he had crossed the line of no-return and had to help kill the boys and dispose of their bodies. By the time he was 17, Henley had helped with multiple murders and believed he'd be killed, too. But on August 8, 1973, he picked up a gun and shot Corll. When he turned himself in, Henley showed police where he and Brooks had buried Corll's victims. Twenty-eight bodies were recovered--most of them boys from Henley's neighborhood--making this the worst case of serial murder in America at the time. The case reveals gross failures in the way police handled parents' pleas to look for their missing sons and how law enforcement possibly protected a larger conspiracy. The Serial Killer's Apprentice explores the concept of "mur-dar" (the predator's instinct for exploitable kids), current neuroscience about adolescent brain vulnerabilities, the role of compartmentalization, the dynamic of a murder apprenticeship, and how tales like Henley's can aid with early intervention. Despite his youth and cooperation, Henley went to trial and received 6 life sentences. He's now 65 and has a sense of perspective about how adult predators can turn formerly good kids into criminals. Unexpectedly, he's willing to talk. This book is his warning as well as a story of the unspeakable evil and sorrow that befell Houston in the early 1970s.

About the authors:

Dr. Katherine Ramsland teaches forensic psychology and criminology at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, where she is the Assistant Provost. She has appeared as an expert in criminal psychology on more than 200 crime documentaries and magazine shows, is an executive producer of Murder House Flip, and has consulted for CSI, Bones, and The Alienist. The author of more than 1,500 articles and 71 books, including The Forensic Science of CSI, The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, How to Catch a Killer, The Psychology of Death Investigations, and Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, The BTK Killer, she was also co-executive producer for the Wolf Entertainment/A&E 4-part documentary based on the years she spent talking with Rader. Ramsland consults on death investigations, pens a blog for Psychology Today, and is currently writing a fiction series based on a female forensic psychologist who manages a private investigation agency.

Tracy Ullman, not the comedienne, is a documentary producer, director, and writer living in Chicago. She has produced dozens of non-fiction television programs for Discovery Networks, Oxygen, AETN Networks, and PBS. Her most recent production is a 6-part limited documentary series about serial murderer John Wayne Gacy and the new discoveries made in his case for NBC's Peacock streaming service.

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom webinar via email from Ashland Public Library, the hosting institution. This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Note: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.