The Statesman has a story today about The Man Who Killed Halloween, Ronald "The Candyman" O'brien. I remember that after this 1974 crime, Halloween has never been the same again. Although folks living in Houston like JB and I were older teens and more or less past our trick or treating days I suspect, I remember the effect this crime had upon my younger sibling and the countless youth across the nation who were counseled not to take candy from people they didn't know on Halloween.

He was prosecuted by legendary former Harris County Prosecutor Mike Hinton. Mike's been a friend of mine for decades, and I know he is a friend to many of you here. I remember one time how the story of the case came up, and Mike's eyes literally turned black thinking of the evil he spent time in the courtroom successfully prosecuting.

This story recounts many of Mike's memories about his prosecution of The Candyman, including a moment in a near empty courtroom when The Candyman offered Mike Hinton at tootsie pop. Bad choice for O'Brien to make.

So 35 years later, as this tragedy comes to mind, be sure to be careful who you let your children take candy from this evening.

And next time you Houston folks see Mike, tell him I said hello. He'll always be a prosecution hero for this case, and he made the world a better place with his official acts.

You'll see that Mike's anger hasn't ebbed in 35 years, and that a news reporter who covered the story in Houston is still affected.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/31/1031halloween.html

That case and the Tylenol poisoning case really changed packaging. And, no, I was not too old to trick or treat.

I have known Mike for years and didn't know that he prosecuted the man that killed Halloween for me. I'll be sure to thank him for his efforts next time I see him.

Mike Hinton made a very remarkable instructor at the Houston Police Academny as well -- one of the best classes we had in 1976.

Mike is also a remarkable drummer, A.P. He has resisted at least two invitations to sit in with A.P. and the Lesser Includeds. I can't remember the name of the band he had in his youth, but they were very popular.

I happened to be playing drums in a band hired to play his 50th birthday party some er, um, uh...a couple of years ago. I had no idea it was his party until I got there. It was down on Houston's Market Square. I had known him through my dad since my teens, and I was quite excited to find out it was his party. He got up during the evening and rocked out quite nicely on the skins.

Ask him his story about how the tomahawk became a prohibited weapon in the 1970's penal code revision sessions. Dane W. and several others can tell you that story as well.