Man, 61, Arrested In Deaths Of Two Women Found In ‘texas Killing Fields’ More Than 40 Years Ago

Decades after dozens of bodies were discovered successful nan “Texas Killing Fields,” an apprehension has been successful connection pinch 2 female victims.

James Elmore, 61, has been charged pinch manslaughter complete nan sidesplitting of Laura Miller, a 16-year-old who vanished successful 1984 aft she near location to usage a salary telephone astatine a adjacent store. Her assemblage was recovered 2 years later, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Elmore was besides charged pinch tampering pinch grounds successful Miller’s lawsuit and that of different woman, 30-year-old Audrey Cook, who vanished successful 1985. Her assemblage was recovered a twelvemonth later, though her remains were only identified successful 2019.

The “Texas Killing Fields” refers to an area on Interstate 45 betwixt Galveston and Houston wherever nan bodies of much than 30 women person been recovered since nan 1970s.

Elmore, from Bacliff, Texas, was booked into nan Galveston County Jail Tuesday, and has been denied bond. Authorities allege that he helped different man, Clyde Edwin Hedrick, besides from Bacliff, hide nan remains of Miller and Cook.

Hedrick has been a longtime fishy successful nan killings of Miller, Cook, and 2 different women, Heidi Fye-Villareal and Donna Prudhomme. The bodies of Fye-Villareal, Prudhomme, Cook and Miller were each discovered connected a agelong on Calder Road successful League City, betwixt 1983 and 1991.

The Galveston County District Attorney’s agency was preparing to activity expansive assemblage indictments against Hedrick for their deaths, but Hedrick died successful early March earlier he could beryllium indicted.

At nan aforesaid time, prosecutors sought charges against Elmore for offenses connected to nan deaths of Cook and Miller.

“The indictments travel a renewed effort by nan Galveston County District Attorney’s Office and section rule enforcement agencies to bring justness to nan murderers responsible for nan deaths of astir 30 women whose bodies were recovered successful an area commonly referred to arsenic nan ‘Texas Killing Fields,’” nan Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Elmore is besides accused of preparing a “vial of cocaine” for Hedrick to springiness Miller, according to nan indictment.

Despite Elmore’s arrest, Tim Miller, nan begetter of Laura Miller, expressed outrage that Hedrick had died earlier he was indicted successful relationship pinch his daughter’s death.

“They fto a serial slayer dice peacefully successful his damn furniture erstwhile they had everything successful beforehand of them. I’m beautiful angry,” Tim Miller, nan begetter of Laura, told ABC13, pursuing Hedrick’s death.

“I’m almost 80 years old. I’ll show you what I’m going to do. I’m going to instrumentality astir and look James Elmore successful a courtroom. I’m going to do that.”

The Texas Killing Fields person been nan taxable of countless books and documentaries, arsenic enigma still surrounds galore of nan deaths. Texas authorities judge nan killings were carried retired by aggregate people.

Most recently, a 2022 Netflix documentary, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, brought nan unsolved murders to light. The three-part bid centered connected nan murdered girls and women, but besides their grieving families.

It besides presented accusation connected respective suspects successful immoderate of nan deaths, including Hedrick, who was antecedently convicted of nan 1984 sidesplitting of a 30-year-old female called Ellen Beason — whose assemblage was dumped connected a different ungraded roadworthy successful Galveston County.

Hedrick served only 8 years of a 20-year condemnation for Beason’s death.

Laura Miller’s father, who appeared successful nan docu-series, believes Hedrick is responsible for his daughter’s execution and won a wrongful decease suit against him successful 2014.

Hedrick ne'er faced charges successful relationship pinch immoderate Killing Fields deaths.

Officials are expected to supply much accusation astir nan lawsuit astatine a news convention Wednesday.