244: The Halloween Candy Killer, Ronald O'Brien | USA
Update: 2025-10-19
Description
On Halloween night in 1974, eight-year-old Timothy O’Brien came home from trick-or-treating in Deer Park, Texas, excited to sample his candy haul. Among the treats was a Pixy Stix — one that would become infamous in American true crime history. Within hours, Timothy was dead, poisoned by cyanide.
Investigators soon discovered that the killer wasn’t a mysterious stranger slipping poison into Halloween candy. It was someone much closer to home — his own father, Ronald Clark O’Brien. His crime forever changed the way parents across the United States viewed Halloween, giving rise to decades of fear over tampered sweets.
Books:
Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions.
Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok
For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website
For ad-free content: Visit our page at Patreon
25% of Evidence Locker Patreon proceeds are donated to support the Doe Network, solving international cold cases. To learn more, visit their website at: https://www.doenetwork.org/
Resources
Articles
In 1974, 'Candyman' turned Halloween truly terrifying in Pasadena, Texas - ABC13 Houston
The Man Who Killed Halloween - Fort Worth Weekly
'Man Who Killed Halloween' still haunts holiday - Houston Chronicle
The Haunting Legacy of Ronald Clark O'Bryan, the Man Who Killed Halloween - A&E True Crime
50 years ago, a Houston killer dubbed the 'Candyman' poisoned his son's Halloween candy - KHOU
Looking into the eyes of evil: The day I covered the execution of Texas' infamous Halloween killer - Breckenridge Texan
The True Story of the Notorious Trick-or-Treat Murderer - Vice
Halloween Horrors: The Poisoning of Timothy O'Bryan - Criminal
The ex-wife of Ronald Clark O'Bryan - UPI Archives
The neighbor who accompanied condemned killer Ronald Clark O'Bryan - UPI Archives
Web Resources
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Wikipedia
Timothy Marc O'Bryan - Find a Grave Memorial
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Murderpedia
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Alchetron
1984: Ronald Clark O'Bryan, candyman - Executed Today
Court Documents
THE CASE OF THE HALLOWEEN CANDY KILLER - Harris County District Clerk
Video Archives
Ronald Clark O'Bryan Murder Trial (1975) - KPRC-TV Collection
Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe
Narrated by Noel Vinson
Music: “Nordic Medieval” by Marcus Bressler
Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios
This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archival materials.
Investigators soon discovered that the killer wasn’t a mysterious stranger slipping poison into Halloween candy. It was someone much closer to home — his own father, Ronald Clark O’Brien. His crime forever changed the way parents across the United States viewed Halloween, giving rise to decades of fear over tampered sweets.
Books:
Read collections of The Evidence Locker Files, available in print and digital editions.
Follow us on: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok
For more information, visit: Evidence Locker Website
For ad-free content: Visit our page at Patreon
25% of Evidence Locker Patreon proceeds are donated to support the Doe Network, solving international cold cases. To learn more, visit their website at: https://www.doenetwork.org/
Resources
Articles
In 1974, 'Candyman' turned Halloween truly terrifying in Pasadena, Texas - ABC13 Houston
The Man Who Killed Halloween - Fort Worth Weekly
'Man Who Killed Halloween' still haunts holiday - Houston Chronicle
The Haunting Legacy of Ronald Clark O'Bryan, the Man Who Killed Halloween - A&E True Crime
50 years ago, a Houston killer dubbed the 'Candyman' poisoned his son's Halloween candy - KHOU
Looking into the eyes of evil: The day I covered the execution of Texas' infamous Halloween killer - Breckenridge Texan
The True Story of the Notorious Trick-or-Treat Murderer - Vice
Halloween Horrors: The Poisoning of Timothy O'Bryan - Criminal
The ex-wife of Ronald Clark O'Bryan - UPI Archives
The neighbor who accompanied condemned killer Ronald Clark O'Bryan - UPI Archives
Web Resources
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Wikipedia
Timothy Marc O'Bryan - Find a Grave Memorial
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Murderpedia
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Alchetron
1984: Ronald Clark O'Bryan, candyman - Executed Today
Court Documents
THE CASE OF THE HALLOWEEN CANDY KILLER - Harris County District Clerk
Video Archives
Ronald Clark O'Bryan Murder Trial (1975) - KPRC-TV Collection
Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe
Narrated by Noel Vinson
Music: “Nordic Medieval” by Marcus Bressler
Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios
This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archival materials.
Comments
In Channel
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States00:00
00:00
x
