By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose
Jurors in the James Elmore Jr. trial watched a lengthy 2022 recording Wednesday that put Elmore’s own words at the center of the case.
The video shows Elmore riding with Tim Miller through League City. Elmore points out locations tied to Laura Miller, Audrey Cook and Clyde Hedrick.
The recording also captures Elmore making claims about what happened to Laura before and after her death.
Prosecutors played the video during Day 3 of the trial.
Tim Miller explains why he recorded Elmore
Miller told jurors he wanted to preserve what Elmore had told him.
He said Elmore had discussed several health problems. Miller feared Elmore could die before investigators resolved the case.
Miller said he contacted a friend with a production company and arranged the recording.
He told jurors he wanted Elmore to repeat what he had previously told him.
Miller also stressed during the recording that Elmore had contacted him voluntarily.
The video dates to Oct. 10, 2022.
Elmore returns to Calder Road
The recording shows Miller and Elmore driving through areas connected to the investigation.
They returned to Calder Road, where investigators found the remains of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook in 1986.
Elmore pointed out areas where he claimed the bodies had been placed.
He also discussed how the area looked decades earlier. Elmore described thick vegetation and fewer homes.
Miller questioned Elmore about the locations as they drove through the area.
Elmore claims he saw Laura at Hedrick’s house
One of the most significant portions of the recording focused on Clyde Hedrick’s former home.
Elmore claimed he saw Laura at the house.
He also described events involving drugs inside the home. Elmore claimed he prepared drugs and warned Hedrick that the amount was too much.
Elmore said he later saw Laura covered with a shirt. He claimed he initially thought she was sleeping.
Elmore also described returning to the house days later.
His account forms a key part of the prosecution’s case against him.
Cemetery becomes another focus
The recording also took jurors to a cemetery near the neighborhood where Laura lived.
Elmore claimed Laura sometimes went to the cemetery.
He said Hedrick had seen and spoken with her there before her death.
Elmore described an encounter in which Hedrick approached Laura while Elmore and another man were nearby.
That claim could become important because it addresses whether Hedrick knew Laura before she died.
Elmore discusses shirt found near Laura Miller
The shirt found near Laura Miller’s remains also came up during the recording.
Elmore claimed Hedrick often wore cowboy-style shirts.
He also claimed Hedrick later complained about losing a favorite shirt.
Investigators found a man’s shirt near Laura’s remains.
Jurors will have to decide what weight to give Elmore’s statements and whether they connect to other evidence presented during the trial.
Jurors hear Elmore in his own words
The recording marks a significant point in the trial.
Until now, jurors have heard witnesses describe statements Elmore allegedly made about Laura Miller and the investigation.
Wednesday, they heard Elmore make claims himself.
The video allowed jurors to watch him point out locations and answer Miller’s questions.
Elmore faces a manslaughter charge in connection with Laura Miller’s death. He also faces tampering charges involving the remains of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook.
The trial continues in Galveston County.
Editor’s note: Statements attributed to James Elmore Jr. in this story come from the recorded interview played for jurors in court. The allegations and evidence remain for the jury to evaluate.
My new book is now available
Outside the courtroom, I have also been working on a deeply personal project.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.