Real Crime Stories/Paranormal Hauntings/Conspiracy Theories Book II

The Candyman: Ronald O'Bryan

Ronald Clark O'Bryan (October19, 1944 – March 31, 1984), nicknamed The Candy Man and TheMan Who Killed Halloween, was an American man convicted ofkilling his eight-year-old son on Halloween 1974 with a potassiumcyanide-laced Pixy Stix that was ostensibly collected during a trickor treat outing. O'Bryan poisoned his son in order to claim lifeinsurance money to ease his own financial troubles, as he was$100,000 in debt. O'Bryan also distributed poisoned candy to hisdaughter and three other children in an attempt to cover up hiscrime; however, neither his daughter nor the other children ate thepoisoned candy. He was convicted of capital murder in June 1975 andsentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in March1984.

Background

O'Bryan lived with his wife Daynene inDeer Park, Texas, with their two children, son Timothy (April 5, 1966– October 31, 1974) and daughter Elizabeth (born in 1969). O'Bryanworked as an optician at Texas State Optical in Sharpstown, Houston. He was a deacon at the Second Baptist Church where he also sang inthe choir and was in charge of the local bus program.

Death of Timothy O'Bryan

On October 31, 1974, O'Bryan took histwo children trick-or-treating in a Pasadena, Texas, neighborhood.O'Bryan's neighbor and his two children accompanied them. Aftervisiting a home where the occupant failed to answer the door, thechildren grew impatient and ran ahead to the next home while O'Bryanstayed behind. He eventually caught up with the group and producedfive 21-inch (530 mm) Pixy Stix which he would later claim he wasgiven from the occupant of the house that had not answered the door.At the end of the evening, O'Bryan gave each of his neighbor's twochildren a Pixy Stix and one each to Timothy and Elizabeth. Uponreturning home, O'Bryan gave the fifth Pixy Stix to a 10-year-old boywhom he recognized from his church. Before bed, Timothy asked to eatsome of the candy he collected, choosing the Pixy Stix. Timothy hadtrouble getting the powdered candy out of the straw so O'Bryan helpedhim loosen the powder. After tasting the candy, Timothy complainedthat it tasted bitter. O'Bryan then gave his son Kool-Aid to washaway the taste. Timothy immediately began to complain that hisstomach hurt and ran to the bathroom where he began vomiting andconvulsing. O'Bryan later claimed he held Timothy while he wasvomiting and the child went limp in his arms. Timothy O'Bryan dieden route to the hospital less than an hour after consuming the candy.

Timothy's death from poisoned Halloweencandy prompted fear in the community. Numerous parents in Deer Parkand the surrounding area returned candy their children acquired fromtrick or treating to police fearing it was laced with poison. Policedid not initially suspect O'Bryan of any wrongdoing until Timothy'sautopsy revealed that the Pixy Stix he consumed was laced with afatal dose of potassium cyanide. Four of the five Pixy Stix O'Bryanclaimed to receive were recovered by authorities from the otherchildren, none of whom had consumed the candy. The parents of thefifth child became hysterical when they could not locate the candyupon police calling their house to inform them. The parents rushedupstairs to find their son asleep, holding the unconsumed poisonedcandy. The boy had been unable to open the staples that sealed thewrapper shut. All five of the Pixy Stix had been opened with the toptwo inches (51 mm) refilled with cyanide powder and were resealedwith a staple. According to a pathologist who tested the Pixy Stix,the candy consumed by Timothy contained enough cyanide to kill twoadults while the other four candies contained dosages that could killthree to four adults.