From what I remember he was wrongfully convicted of a crime, then beaten, covered in honey, and put right underneath a beehive so that he gets stung to death by bees. I can't remember what his victims have to do with those that killed him though.
"1-800 Spank me? I know that number." Scott Calvin, The Santa Clause.
Yes, Candyman is a sympathetic villain but he committed no crime.
Before Candyman became a hook-handed boogeyman, he and a rich white woman fell in love each other and she became pregnant. The white woman's father got pissed off when he found out about their affair and hired thugs to attack Candyman- sawed off his right hand, smearing honey over his body and a swarm of bees stung him to death, it was a hate crime.
Candyman killing his victims in this film was about keeping his name, his congregation alive. Like Freddy Krueger, Candyman gets his power feeding off the fears of those who believe in him, mostly from the residence at Cabrini Green. If you debunk his existence, he'll die.