'Texas Killing Fields' cold case explodes as suspect indicted in two slayings decades after 30 bodies found

Key Points:

• James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, has been indicted on manslaughter and felony tampering with evidence charges related to the deaths of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook in the "Texas Killing Fields" case, decades after their bodies were found.
• The "Texas Killing Fields" refers to an area near Calder Road and Ervin Street in League City, Texas, where about 30 women's bodies were discovered between 1984 and 1991, including victims Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Donna Prudhomme, and Heidi Fye-Villareal.
• Clyde Hedrick, previously considered a prime suspect and convicted of manslaughter in connection with one victim, was indicted posthumously for several murders in the case, but died before charges could be presented to a grand jury.
• The renewed investigation by the Galveston County District Attorney’s office in 2024 led to multiple indictments, including those against Elmore and Hedrick, with Elmore taken into custody and denied bond.
• The arrest involved coordination among several law enforcement agencies, including the League City Police Department, Hitchcock Police Department, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.