Leon Corneal Holston

Serial Killer

Leon Corneal Holston: The Pompano Beach Child Murders

Background

Leon Corneal Holston was born on April 20, 1950, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He became responsible for a series of violent crimes against young boys during the 1960s. Holston was unusually young when the killings began. His first known murder occurred when he was approximately fourteen years old, and the later killings took place after he had been released from a reform school. Holston is commonly described as a serial killer because he killed or admitted killing several children in separate incidents over a period extending from 1964 to 1966. The murders occurred in and around Pompano Beach in Broward County, Florida. His victims were boys between five and thirteen years old, and stabbing was the primary method used in the attacks.

The Murder of Willie Gene Morss

Holston's first confirmed victim was five-year-old Willie Gene Morss. Willie was killed in Pompano Beach on May 5, 1964. Holston sexually assaulted the child and stabbed him to death. Because Holston was a juvenile, the case was handled differently from an adult murder prosecution. He was sent to the Florida School for Boys, commonly known as the Dozier School for Boys, rather than being placed in an adult prison. Holston remained at the reform school for approximately fourteen months. Reports from the period indicated that he was released after appearing to make satisfactory progress. The decision returned him to Pompano Beach while he was still a teenager. Within a relatively short period after his release, several more boys were murdered. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Willie Gene Morss Age: (5), Date of Death: 1964-05-05

Suspected Victims:

William White Age: (13), Date of Death: May 1, 1966

Holston v. State :: 1968 :: Florida Supreme Court Decisions