GALVESTON COUNTY — A Galveston County jury sentenced James Dolphs Elmore Jr. to 20 years in prison for manslaughter in the 1986 death of 16-year-old Laura Miller. The sentence represents the maximum penalty allowed for the conviction following a trial that concluded with a guilty verdict.

The jury found Elmore guilty of manslaughter after prosecutors presented evidence linking him to the death of Miller. An indictment accused Elmore of preparing a vial of cocaine that his longtime friend Clyde Hedrick administered to Miller. Prosecutors alleged that Elmore helped Hedrick conceal the remains of Miller and another victim, Audrey Lee Cook.

Elmore, 61, was arrested on March 31, 2026, and charged with manslaughter and evidence tampering in connection with the deaths of Miller and Cook. In April 2026, he faced an additional charge of possession of child pornography, which resulted in a combined bond set at $4.5 million. According to the Houston Chronicle, Elmore had a prior criminal record involving felony drug possession charges.

Laura Miller's body was discovered in 1986 in a rural field off a dirt road in League City, Texas. League City is located approximately 28 miles southeast of Houston. During the trial, Miller's father, Tim Miller, testified that his daughter had been diagnosed with a seizure disorder that caused her to miss school regularly. Trial testimony also revealed that Tim Miller paid James Elmore up to $33,000 over four years in an attempt to build a case against Hedrick.

Tim Miller founded Texas EquuSearch after his daughter's remains were found. Texas EquuSearch is a nonprofit organization that helps look for missing people. Investigators believe multiple people may be responsible for the deaths of more than 30 girls and young women found along Interstate 45 southeast of Houston. Bodies of dozens of women have been found near Houston beginning in the 1970s.

Timeline

Audrey Lee Cook's body was found in 1984. Ellen Beason's body was found in 1985. Laura Miller's body was found in a rural field off a dirt road in League City, Texas, in 1986. Laura Miller's body was found in 1986. Hedrick was convicted of manslaughter in 2014 in the death of Ellen Beason. Hedrick was released from prison in 2022. The Galveston County District Attorney's office intended to seek grand jury indictments against Hedrick for the murders of Laura Miller, Heide Fye, Audrey Cook, and Donna Prudhomme in March 2026.

What's New

Laura Miller's father, Tim Miller, paid James Elmore up to $33,000 over four years in an attempt to build a case against Hedrick, according to trial testimony. The Galveston County District Attorney's Office had sought grand jury indictments against Hedrick for the murders of four women: Laura Miller, Heidi Fye, Audrey Cook, and Donna Prudhomme. Tim Miller, Laura Miller's father, founded Texas EquuSearch after his daughter's remains were found.

Hedrick was on parole at the time of his suicide in March 2026, having been released from prison in 2022 after serving time for the 2014 manslaughter conviction. The Galveston County District Attorney's office intended to seek grand jury indictments against Hedrick for the murders of Laura Miller, Heide Fye, Audrey Cook, and Donna Prudhomme. Prosecutors alleged Elmore helped Hedrick conceal the remains of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook. James Elmore Jr. had a prior criminal record involving felony drug possession charges, according to the Houston Chronicle. Laura Miller was diagnosed with a seizure disorder that caused her to miss school regularly, according to her father's testimony during the trial.

Why It Matters

The sentencing of James Dolphs Elmore Jr. marks a legal resolution in a case tied to the Texas Killing Fields, an area where investigators believe multiple people may be responsible for the deaths of more than 30 girls and young women. The conviction addresses one of several deaths linked to the Interstate 45 corridor southeast of Houston, where bodies of dozens of women have been found since the 1970s. The case shows the long-standing efforts of families, such as Tim Miller's creation of Texas EquuSearch, to address these unsolved disappearances and deaths.