Tag Archives: Calder Road Murders

New search underway in Hitchcock tied to Texas Killing Fields

Hitchcock search Texas Killing Fields wooded property investigators searching area.
Search area in Hitchcock where investigators are focusing efforts.

Hitchcock search Texas Killing Fields

Breaking news in Hitchcock. A search is underway tied to Clyde Hedrick and James Elmore Jr.

Both men lived in this neighborhood in the 1980s at the same time.

Right now, investigators are searching deep in the woods, according to neighbors.

Notably, this is an area I flagged before in previous exclusive reports.

Watch the exclusive video.

Hitchcock search

From what’s been observed on scene:

First, search activity is focused on a property linked to past persons of interest.

Next, this area was flagged before in the investigation.

Now, activity suggests investigators may be following new leads.

However, authorities have not confirmed what prompted this search.

Still, the presence on the ground shows continued movement in the case.

Hitchcock search Texas Killing Fields police vehicle at active investigation scene.
Police presence near the Hitchcock search area.

How this search ties to the Calder Road victims

This Hitchcock search Texas Killing Fields case connects back to Calder Road.

Four young women were found there in the 1980s.

They are Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Heide Fye, and Donna Prudhomme.

Investigators say James Elmore Jr. told them he gave a vial of cocaine to Clyde Hedrick.

He said Hedrick then gave it to 16-year-old Laura Miller.

Authorities believe that led to her death.

Elmore also told investigators he helped move bodies.

He named Laura Miller and Audrey Cook.

Those statements matter.

They keep attention on properties tied to both men.

The Texas Killing Fields murders case is much bigger.

More than 30 women and girls have been found across this region.

That is why this Hitchcock search matters now.

Texas Killing Fields victims memorial sign with photos linked to Hitchcock search investigation.
Memorial sign showing victims linked to the Texas Killing Fields, including Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Heide Fye, and Donna Prudhomme.

Gear I use for reporting from the field

Finally, for those asking how I capture exclusive scenes like this:

🎥 GoPro HERO camera

🎤 iPhone external mic for clear audio

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Exclusive Video: Fire at Elmore Property Raises Questions

Exclusive Video: Fire at Former James Elmore Jr. Property Raises Questions in Texas Killing Fields Case

An exclusive video shows the aftermath of a fire at a property in Bacliff once associated with James Elmore Jr., as the ongoing Texas Killing Fields investigation continues just blocks away.

Watch the Exclusive Video

Fire Destroys Trailer and Lockbox on Former Property

Neighbors say the fire destroyed a trailer and a lockbox on the property, which had long raised concerns in the area.

“This trailer right here burnt down and then they moved over there,” one neighbor said.

Today, the lot sits covered in high weeds and debris—but residents say it hasn’t been forgotten.

Neighbors Report Disturbances Before Fire

People living nearby describe frequent disturbances before the fire happened.

“We did hear a lot of fighting and arguing that happened over there which happened once a week,” another neighbor said.

They also captured video of at least one of two fires at the location—incidents that are now drawing renewed attention.

No Confirmed Link to Active Investigation

This property is not the same location currently being searched near 18th Street and Avenue A in Bacliff.

However, according to a search warrant, in a March 2026 phone call, Elmore allegedly told someone there could be a body buried beneath a home on 18th Street—a property he reportedly acquired from Cyle Hedrick.

Authorities have not confirmed any connection between that claim and this burned property.

Ongoing Search in Texas Killing Fields Investigation

Nearby, along 18th Street near Jackson, law enforcement continues searching for possible evidence tied to the Texas Killing Fields case.

Members of a local Church of Christ were seen gathered along the roadway as Galveston County Sheriff’s deputies and other agencies worked the scene.

So far, officials have not said whether anything has been found.

Property Layout Raises Questions

Neighbors describe the former property as cluttered with multiple structures.

“They had a trailer, a shed, and another mobile home—makeshift stuff all over the place,” a resident said.

For some, those details—combined with the fire—are raising new concerns.

For now, the lot remains quiet. But with an active investigation just steps away, neighbors say they are watching closely and waiting for answers.

What’s Next

James Elmore Jr. is scheduled to go to trial in August 2026.

Related Coverage

Texas Killing Fields search update

Recommended Gear for Field Reporting 

Portable Phone Tripod for On-Scene Reporting

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Suspect Dead, Friend arrested in Calder Road Killing Fields Case

Memorial site near Calder Road in League City, Texas where victims of the Texas Killing Fields were discovered
Memorial site near Calder Road in League City, Texas-one of the Texas Killing Fields discovery locations

Police confirm new developments in the decades-old investigation into multiple deaths near Calder Road.

Police confirmed that longtime Texas Killing Fields suspect Clyde Edwin Hedrick died at 72 after removing his breathing tube while hospitalized following an interview with investigators. Prosecutors had been preparing murder charges against him before his death.

A Galveston County grand jury indicted James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, of Bacliff, on manslaughter and evidence‑tampering charges related to the deaths of Laura Lynn Miller and Audrey Lee Cook. Authorities say Elmore helped conceal the victims’ remains and provided a vial of cocaine linked to Miller’s death.

Mugshot of James Dolphs Elmore Jr., arrested in 2026 and charged with manslaughter in connection to the Calder Road Texas Killing Fields case involving Laura Miller.
James Dolphs Elmore Jr. has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection to the death of Laura Miller, a victim linked to the Calder Road “Killing Fields.”

Investigators identified four women connected to the Calder Road “Killing Fields”: Heidi Fye, Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, and Donna Prudhomme. They located Fye and Miller in the 1980s. DNA testing later confirmed the identities of Cook and Prudhomme in 2019.

The Calder Road case remains active. Officials continue reviewing other cold cases and leads connected to the site.

A memorial near Calder Road honors the victims. Families, law enforcement, and community members visit regularly to pay their respects and remember the lives lost.

Unsolved Calder Road murders sigh showing victims and suspect Clyde Edwin Hedrick near the Texas Killing Fields
Four victims, one recovery site

Laura Miller and a Father’s Search for Justice

Laura Miller disappeared on September 10, 1984, after calling her boyfriend from a payphone in League City, Texas. Police initially treated her disappearance as a runaway case, but her father, Tim Miller, refused to accept that explanation.

Seventeen months later, investigators located Laura’s remains along Calder Road. The loss of his daughter changed Tim Miller’s life. Rather than give up, he turned his grief into action and founded Texas EquuSearch, a volunteer organization that helps locate missing people across the country.

Mugshot of Clyde Edwin Hedrick, alleged suspect in the Calder Road murders in Texas

Hedrick lived in the area when Laura disappeared, and investigators and families have long considered him a person of interest in the Calder Road murders.

He was later convicted of a separate killing — the 1984 murder of Ellen Beason — a brutal crime in which the victim was bludgeoned and hidden.

Hedrick served years in prison for that murder and was released under Texas parole laws.

Clyde Edwin Hedrick, long considered a suspect in multiple killings tied to the Texas Killing Fields, died in March 2026 while on parole, before authorities could file additional charges against him.  

Remembering the Victims: Calder Road Killing Fields Memorial

Site were 4 victims were found

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For more true crime stories, click here.

Other crime or investigation articles.