A Galveston County grand jury has indicted James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, on charges tied to the infamous “Texas Killing Fields” deaths.
GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — A Galveston County grand jury has indicted a Bacliff man in connection with two murders tied to the area known as the “Texas Killing Fields,” officials announced.
James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, faces charges of manslaughter and felony tampering with evidence in the death of Laura Miller, as well as an additional tampering with evidence charge in the death of Audrey Cook, according to the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.
The indictments come as part of a renewed push by the Galveston County DA’s Office and multiple law enforcement agencies to bring justice in a series of cases involving roughly 30 women whose bodies were discovered over decades in the area known as the Texas Killing Fields.
That area is centered near Calder Road and Ervin Street in League City. Between 1984 and 1991, four women — Heidi Fye-Villareal, Audrey Cook, Laura Miller and Donna Prudhomme — were found there.
Cook was identified as a Killing Fields victim in 2019. She was born in Nov. 25, 1955, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was last seen in December 1985 while living in the Houston/Channelview area.
Miller was 16 when she disappeared in 1984. Her father, Tim Miller, formed Texas EquuSearch to help families of missing persons.
Officials said the indictments stem from a renewed investigation launched in 2024, when prosecutors began reexamining evidence tied to longtime suspect Clyde Hedrick and other killings associated with the site.
Earlier this month, Hedrick, 72, died while on parole. He served eight years of a 20-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Ellen Beason. Many believe Beason’s death was connected to the other unsolved murders in the Texas Killing Fields.
KHOU 11 contacted Tim Miller, Laura Miller’s father, after Tuesday’s news of the indictment. He gave us the following quote.
“Forty-one and a half years … it’s totally inexcusable that we couldn’t get Clyde (Hedrick) before he died,” Tim Miller, Laura Miller’s father, said.
In recent years, Tim Miller had fought to keep Hedrick under the Super Intensive Supervision program, which included GPS monitoring and strict oversight, amid concerns for public safety. Hedrick’s parole terms had been under periodic review by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
After being appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick expanded the effort, assigning a dedicated task force led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Kate Willis. Investigators re-interviewed witnesses and took a fresh look at evidence in the decades-old cases.
Based on those efforts, prosecutors sought indictments against both Hedrick and Elmore. Hedrick, who had long been considered a prime suspect in several of the killings, died before the case could be presented to a grand jury. Officials said evidence of his alleged involvement was still shared in an effort to provide transparency and closure for victims’ families.
The grand jury ultimately indicted Elmore for his alleged role in the deaths of Cook and Miller.
The cases are part of a broader history of investigations into the Killing Fields, which have remained unsolved for decades. In 2022, convicted killer William Reece pleaded guilty to multiple murders in Galveston and Brazoria counties and is serving life sentences, though those cases are separate from the current indictments.
Officials said they have met with victims’ families to inform them of the developments.
Elmore was denied bond Tuesday evening.
A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Galveston County Commissioner’s Court building on Moody Avenue, where authorities are expected to release additional details.
The Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office credited several agencies for their assistance, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple local police departments across the region.
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