It’s a case that’s gone unsolved for more than 40 years. Now, authorities have named another suspect in the “Texas Killing Fields” murders.
On Tuesday, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office shared that a grand jury indicted James Dolphs Elmore Jr., of Bacliff, with manslaughter and tampering in connection with the 1984 murder of Laura Miller, as well as an additional tampering with evidence charge in the 1986 death of Audrey Lee Cook.
“I’m just a dad that loves his daughter and fought for her, that’s all I am,” explained Tim Miller, Laura’s father and founder of Texas Equusearch, who has long been vocal about his daughter’s case. “I fought, and I cried, and I screamed. Maybe today it was all worth it.”
The Texas Killing Fields. It’s a stretch of interstate from Houston down to the Gulf of Mexico dubbed “Highway to Hell” where dozens of women have gone missing and bodies dumped. When no one cares, these women go unreported and the cases go unsolved.
The cases drew national attention, as they centered near the intersection of Calder Road and Ervin Street in League City. Between 1984 and 1991, four women’s bodies, including Miller and Cook, were found. The identities of the other two victims were Heidi Fye-Villareal and Donna Prudhomme.
“The indictments follow a renewed effort by the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement agencies to bring to justice the murderers responsible for the deaths of approximately 30 women whose bodies were found in an area commonly referred to as the ‘Texas Killing Fields,'” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Authorities said that in 2024, the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office began reexamining evidence related to Clyde Hedrick, and a series of murders commonly identified with the “Killing Fields.”
Through a multi-agency investigation, including re-interviewing witnesses, the DA’s office decided to seek grand jury indictments against Clyde Hedrick for the deaths of Miller, Cook, Fye-Villareal, and Prudhomme.
The DA’s office also sought an indictment against Elmore for his alleged role in the deaths of Cook and Miller. According to the indictment, Elmore prepared a “vial of cocaine” for Clyde Hedrick to give to Laura.
Authorities said Hedrick died in March 2026, shortly before a grand jury presentation, but evidence was still shown. Following that, Elmore was indicted for his alleged role in Cook and Miller’s murders.
“They let a serial killer die peacefully in his damn bed when they had everything in front of them. I’m pretty angry,” Miller said about missing out on an indictment against Hedrick, while vowing to see Elmore’s case through. “I’m almost 80 years old. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to stick around and face James Elmore in a courtroom. I’m going to do that.”
On Tuesday night, a magistrate denied bond for Elmore.
A press conference is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Wednesday when authorities will present more information on the case.
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