Victim’s father says he met suspect dozens of times before Texas Killing Fields arrest

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — A day after a major arrest in the decades-old Texas Killing Fields cases, Galveston County’s top prosecutor says investigators are finally making progress in a series of killings that have gone unsolved for generations.

But for the families who have spent decades searching for answers, the latest developments are both emotional and unfinished — with some believing there may still be more victims and more suspects yet to be identified.

During a Wednesday morning press conference, Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick outlined the charges against James Dolphs Elmore Jr. and described the renewed effort to bring justice to victims and their families.

RELATED: New arrest in Texas Killing Fields: What we know about the decades-old League City murders

“I want to make a formal announcement regarding the charges against James Elmore,” Cusick said. “The grand jury handed down indictments yesterday for manslaughter and two felony counts of evidence tampering.”

Elmore, 61, of Bacliff, was indicted in connection with the deaths of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook, whose cases are tied to the area known as the Texas Killing Fields in League City.

According to prosecutors, Elmore faces a manslaughter charge and two felony counts of tampering with evidence, including allegations tied to the disposition of the victims’ bodies.

“Our office will seek detention in this case pending trial for various reasons — mainly the circumstances of the case, the length of time involved, his criminal history, and other factors that will be presented to the court,” Cusick said.

The indictments come after a renewed investigation launched in 2024, when prosecutors and multiple law enforcement agencies began reexamining evidence tied to longtime suspect Clyde Hedrick and other killings associated with the site.

Between 1984 and 1991, multiple women — including Miller and Cook — were found in or connected to the area near Calder Road and Ervin Street in League City, which became known as the Texas Killing Fields.

Cusick said the arrest marks a significant step forward.

“My main purpose here today is to convey that, due to the concerted efforts of law enforcement agencies in this county, we are making headway in addressing what has been a 40-year cycle of violence against women,” he said. “I believe we made significant headway yesterday with the charges against Mr. Elmore and his arrest, as the allegations indicate he was involved in two murders.”

For Tim Miller, Laura Miller’s father and founder of Texas EquuSearch, the moment brings a mix of relief, frustration and lingering questions.

Miller said he had direct contact with Elmore over the past several years, meeting with him dozens of times — conversations that left a lasting impact.

“Over the last four years I spent a minimum of 30 times with James Elmore,” Miller said, adding that Elmore had reached out to him.

Miller said some of those interactions were so difficult that he had to pull over while driving.

“There were times that I left James Elmore … and I had to pull over and just sob and cry with the information I got,” he said.

Family members also described the announcement as bittersweet, pointing to the death of longtime suspect Clyde Hedrick earlier this month before he could face charges.

They said there is a sense of justice moving forward — but also frustration that it may have come too late.

RELATED: Man linked to Texas Killing Fields dies while on parole

Some family members also raised concerns about how the investigation was handled in its early years.

Relatives say there were indications decades ago that Hedrick could have been connected to the killings, and they believe earlier action may have prevented additional deaths.

They also described years of conducting their own searches and pushing for answers when they felt progress had stalled.

Cusick emphasized that the case reflects years of work across multiple agencies.

“Although it has taken this long, I want to emphasize that a tremendous amount of effort has gone into this case — countless agent hours, office hours, financial resources, and lab work — by all of the agencies involved,” he said.

Those agencies include:

• League City Police Department
• Hitchcock Police Department
• Galveston County Sheriff’s Office
• Texas City Police Department
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Dickinson Police Department
• Galveston Police Department
• Santa Fe Police Department

The renewed push was also driven in part by victims’ families.

Cusick said he met in December with Tim Miller, who had long sought answers in his daughter’s case.

“At that meeting, I promised Mr. Miller that I would gather all of the evidence collected since 1983 and take a new, objective look at it,” Cusick said. “Depending on what we found, we would pursue appropriate charges that we could prove.”

“I am here to tell you that we did exactly that. I fulfilled my promise to Mr. Miller.”

Cusick also addressed the role of Hedrick, a longtime suspect in multiple Killing Fields cases who died earlier this month while on parole.

“I can also tell you that this effort was not limited to Mr. Elmore,” Cusick said. “Clyde Hedrick, who died a little over a week ago, was also part of this process. Charges had been prepared for both Hedrick and Elmore. Had Hedrick not died, we would have presented his case to a grand jury as well.”

Cusick said Hedrick took his own life in the hospital.

Hedrick previously served prison time in an unrelated killing, and investigators had long examined his potential connections to other cases tied to the Killing Fields.

A renewed hope for answers has been spreading across League City, in the wake of the new developments.

Four crosses sit on a plot of land off Calder Drive, in the area where four of the so-called Texas Killing Fields victims were found between 1984 and 1991. Each cross bears the name of one of the victims: Laura Miller, Heidi Fye, Audrey Cook and Donna Prudhomme.

Magnolia Creek Baptist Church has owned the land since 2002, and senior pastor Brett Dutton said he considers it his responsibility to care for the memorial site.

“We want this to be a place of peace and serenity, and a place to honor these four women who lost their lives so tragically,” Dutton said.

Dutton has come to know the victims’ families over the years and said he was encouraged by the news of the recent arrest and grand jury indictment of James Dolphs Elmore Jr.

“Very thankful, because now Tim and the other families are going to be able to have some kind of closure in this, and that’s really I think all that they’ve wanted throughout this whole process, is to have some way to move past this, and I hope that this is a way for them to do that,” Dutton said.

That sense of optimism is shared by others in the community who vividly remember the fear they felt during the time of the murders.

“It was scary. It was scary for people in the community for a girl that age to just disappear,” League City resident Sharon Marsh said.

Marsh added that she hopes the latest development leads to justice.

“I hope that this is maybe a break in the case,” League City resident Sharon Marsh said. “Everybody deserves to know, and the family deserves to know.”

Despite the arrest, prosecutors say the investigation is not over — and families believe there is more work ahead.

“However, this case is not over,” Cusick said. “While Mr. Hedrick is deceased and Mr. Elmore has been charged, there are still active leads in this investigation.”

“There are still individuals who may have escaped justice, and those leads are being actively pursued,” he said.

Miller echoed that message, saying he believes additional victims could still be found and that efforts to locate them will continue.

“We got other girls to find,” he said.

Cusick said the case should serve as a reminder that even decades-old investigations can still move forward.

He also urged the public to come forward with information.

“I urge anyone with information or leads to come forward and contact law enforcement. No one should feel that a case is too old or that nothing will be done,” he said.

He added that there are still many unsolved cases in the county, and investigators are committed to continuing the work.

“If we have leads to act on, we will pursue them. If we gather enough evidence, we will prosecute,” he said.

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