James Dolphs Elmore Jr. sentenced to 20 years in 'Texas Killing Fields' case
HOUSTON - A day after being found guilty of manslaughter in the "Texas Killing Field" case, James Dolphs Elmore Jr. has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Elmore was convicted on Wednesday in the death of 16-year-old Laura Miller, daughter of Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller. On top of the prison sentence, Elmore was given a $10,000 fine.
Texas Killing Fields: Latest suspect found guilty
The latest suspect arrested in connection to the Galveston County "Texas Killings Fields" cases was found guilty on Wednesday. FOX 26's Mekenna Earnhart explains the breaking update and the connection between it and Texas Equusearch.
What are the "Texas Killing Fields"?
The backstory:
The Calder Road field is just part of a larger area known as the "Texas Killing Fields" along the I-45 corridor between the southeast side of Houston and Galveston where the bodies of at least 30 women have been recovered over the decades. They are not all linked to one killer.
The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office says they are making a renewed effort, along with local enforcement, to bring justice to the murderers responsible for the women’s deaths.
Calder Road deaths
Dig deeper:
Between 1984 and 1991, the bodies of Miller, Audrey Lee Cook, 30, Heidi Fye, and Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme were discovered in a Leage City field near Calder Road.
The investigation has centered heavily on another man, Clyde Hedrick. The district attorney’s office says they recently decided to seek grand jury indictments against Hedrick for the deaths of the four Calder Road victims.
However, Hedrick will never face a jury. The district attorney revealed that Hedrick took his own life shortly before the case was going to be presented to a grand jury.
Despite Hedrick’s death, the case against Elmore moved forward, motivated by what District Attorney Kenneth Cusick described as extensive lab results, thousands of investigative hours, and past statements made by Elmore himself.
Cusick says Hedrick and Elmore were friends for decades. According to the district attorney's office, Elmore assisted Hedrick by giving him a vial of cocaine to administer to Miller.
Elmore's March indictment
In March, the Galveston County District Attorney's Office announced Elmore’s indictment in connection with the deaths of Cook and Miller.
He was indicted for tampering with evidence and manslaughter in Miller’s death and tampering with evidence in Cook’s death.
The Source: The information in this article comes from court proceedings. Other information was gathered from past FOX 26 reporting, including a press release from the district attorney's office.