James Elmore Jr. booking photo. His trial is currently scheduled to begin Aug. 31, 2026, in Galveston County.
James Elmore Jr. Trial Moves Forward
Nearly four decades after several young women were found murdered and their bodies abandoned near Calder Road in Galveston County, the case against James Elmore Jr. continues moving toward trial.
For many victims’ families, the upcoming court proceedings represent another chance to finally see justice.
After checking the Galveston County court docket, I confirmed the case is still moving forward.
According to the current schedule:
Discovery Conference: August 10, 2026
Pretrial Conference: August 21, 2026
Jury Trial: August 31, 2026
The trial is scheduled in the 122nd District Court before Judge Jeth Jones.
If the schedule remains unchanged, I plan to attend the trial and provide updates from the courtroom.
Laura Miller’s Family Has Waited Decades for Answers
Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, has assisted in hundreds of missing persons cases across Texas and the United States.
Laura Miller was last seen on September 10, 1984, after stopping at a convenience store in League City to use a pay phone. Her mother had dropped her off because the family’s phone had not yet been connected after they moved into the area.
Laura never returned home.
Memorial sign highlighting four victims whose cases have been linked to the same recovery site during the investigation into Clyde Hedrick and several unsolved homicides.
Nearly 17 months later, on February 2, 1986, her remains were discovered in a wooded area near Calder Road. During that same search, investigators also found the remains of Audrey Cook.
For both families, the upcoming trial comes after decades of unanswered questions.
In an earlier interview, Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller discussed Laura Miller’s disappearance, the years of searching, and why the case has remained so important to investigators and her family.
Watch: Tim Miller Discusses Laura Miller’s Disappearance
Charges Against James Elmore Jr.
James Elmore Jr. booking photo. He is scheduled to stand trial beginning Aug. 31, 2026, in Galveston County.
James Elmore Jr. remains jailed while awaiting trial.
According to jail records, he faces the following charges:
Manslaughter
Two counts of tampering with physical evidence involving a human corpse
Possession of visual material depicting sexual assault
Possession of child sexual abuse material
His total bond is listed at $4.5 million.
As with all criminal cases, these charges are allegations, and James Elmore Jr. is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Clyde Hedrick Died Before Additional Charges Could Be Filed
Clyde Hedrick was convicted in the murder of Ellen Beason. Investigators were preparing to charge him in additional cases before his death in March 2026.
The upcoming trial follows the death of Clyde Hedrick, who for years had been publicly linked to several Texas Killing Fields investigations.
Authorities were reportedly preparing additional charges against Hedrick. However, on March 21, 2026, Hedrick removed his breathing tube and died before those charges could be filed.
Hedrick was convicted only in the death of Ellen Beason. He served prison time for that case and was on parole when he died.
Trial Could Bring Long-Awaited Answers
Whether new evidence or testimony emerges during the trial remains to be seen.
However, for the families of Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Donna Prudhomme, Heidi Fye, and others connected to the Calder Road investigations, the upcoming proceedings represent another opportunity to seek answers after nearly 40 years.
I’ll continue monitoring the Galveston County court docket and, if the trial remains on schedule, will be in the courtroom beginning August 31 to provide updates.
Whether you’re traveling to attend court proceedings or visiting Galveston Island, you can compare hotels throughout Galveston County before your trip.
As I continue covering cold cases and court proceedings, a reliable body camera is an important part of documenting interactions in the field. This is similar to the type of equipment many journalists and investigators use.
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Thumbnail for the exclusive interview featuring retired deputy Kent McGowen, convicted serial killer Roy Alan Stuart, and a real handwritten notebook page provided by McGowen. McGowen says the journals document alleged conversations with Stuart while they were incarcerated together.
Former Deputy Documents Alleged Roy Alan Stuart Confessions in Secret Prison Journals
Before serving about 19 years in prison, Kent McGowen worked as a Harris County deputy. McGowen says it was during his incarceration that he met Roy Alan Stuart and began documenting the conversations that became the basis of his prison journals and investigative notes.
By Tammy Rose | Investigative Reporter
For nearly two years inside a Texas prison, former Harris County deputy Kent McGowen says he got to know convicted serial killer Roy Alan Stuart. What began as casual conversations became something McGowen says he could not ignore.
McGowen says Stuart described murders, body disposal sites and victims who had never been publicly connected to him. McGowen feared he would forget the details, so he secretly documented the conversations in composition notebooks, handwritten journals and investigative timelines.
The former Harris County deputy shared those journals, notebooks and supporting documents publicly for the first time.
Over the past several weeks, I interviewed former Harris County deputy Kent McGowen, reviewed hundreds of pages of handwritten prison journals and supporting documents, and examined records related to the claims discussed in this article.
Editor’s Note – July 11, 2026
After Investigator Matt Wingo contacted me to point out factual errors in my original article, I reexamined Kent McGowen’s original handwritten journals. During that review, I determined that I had misinterpreted several entries involving investigator communications. The journals document communications between Kent McGowen and investigators—including letters, telephone calls, emails, and other correspondence—but they do not establish that Investigator Matt Wingo or the other investigators personally met with Kent as I had previously interpreted. Those sections have been corrected to more accurately reflect the original handwritten journals.
The allegations and information presented throughout this article remain attributed to Kent McGowen’s interview and handwritten journals unless otherwise noted. As with the original publication, these claims have not been independently verified by this news organization.
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Why McGowen Started Writing Everything Down
Former Harris County deputy Kent McGowen spent about 19 years in prison, where he says he lived near Roy Alan Stuart for nearly two years and began documenting the conversations that became the basis of his handwritten prison journals.
Watch my exclusive interview as Kent McGowen describes chilling details he says Roy Alan Stuart confessed to while the two were incarcerated together.
McGowen served about 19 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after a jury convicted him in the 1992 murder of Susan White.
McGowen says he spent nearly two years housed in what he described as a converted shipping container with more than a dozen other inmates, including Stuart.
According to McGowen, most inmates avoided Stuart because of his reputation.
“If you think what a serial killer looks like, that’s the picture that pops into your mind,” McGowen told me.
Eventually, the two men started talking.
According to McGowen, those conversations changed everything.
He says Stuart described crimes, victims, locations and methods in extraordinary detail. McGowen believed much of the information had never become public.
Instead of relying on memory, McGowen quietly wrote down what Stuart told him. He used composition notebooks, handwritten journals and investigative timelines whenever he had the opportunity.
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Secret Prison Journals
One page from Kent McGowen’s handwritten prison journals. McGowen says he wrote many of the notes covertly while incarcerated with Roy Alan Stuart to preserve details he believed investigators should review. The handwritten entries are published as source material and have not been independently verified by Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.
McGowen says he often wrote the notes late at night after speaking with Stuart. Poor lighting and the need for secrecy made many pages difficult to read decades later.
He never intended to publish the journals.
Instead, McGowen says he created a personal record of conversations he hoped investigators would eventually review.
As time passed, he expanded the project. He created typed investigative summaries, organized his notes and added details as additional memories surfaced.
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Original Notebook Pages
Additional Documents
During our interview, McGowen said the journals document conversations and allegations involving convicted serial killer Roy Alan Stuart while the two men were incarcerated together.
I am publishing the journals as source material for transparency. I have not independently verified every allegation they contain. Readers should not interpret their publication as confirmation that every claim is true.
I published the notebook pages as McGowen provided them, except for minor adjustments that improve readability.
Readers can compare the original handwritten journals with McGowen’s later typed investigative summaries to better understand the chronology he documented.
What Stuart Told McGowen
According to McGowen, Roy Alan Stuart eventually grew comfortable talking about his past. McGowen says Stuart began describing crimes he claimed to have committed.
The conversations continued for nearly two years while both men served time in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. McGowen worried he would forget important details, so he recorded the conversations in handwritten prison journals. Later, he organized the information into typed investigative summaries and timelines.
McGowen’s notes include allegations involving additional victims whom public records have never linked to Stuart.
One entry identifies Linda Kay (White) Simmons. McGowen says Stuart claimed responsibility for killing her in 1971 after prison officials released him following the killing of another victim also named Kay.
Another entry describes a woman McGowen says Stuart claimed was thrown from a bridge into Austin Bayou. McGowen writes that Stuart described the location during one of their conversations.
McGowen also documented allegations involving a constable he says Stuart claimed to have killed. During my interview with McGowen, he said Stuart identified the person as a law enforcement officer who later used a wheelchair.
Copy of a handwritten notebook page provided by Kent McGowen. Entries appear to reference a junkyard, an “ex constable,” and the Alvin area between 1982 and 1984. Portions of the handwriting are difficult to decipher.
One handwritten notebook page also appears to reference a junkyard, an “ex constable,” and the Alvin area between 1982 and 1984, although portions of the handwriting are difficult to decipher. McGowen says he later shared this information with retired Brazoria County investigator Matt Wingo and referenced additional details involving Austin Bayou in his prison notes.
Screenshot of a July 2023 text conversation in which retired veteran investigator Matt Wingo discusses reviewing Kent McGowen’s prison notes related to convicted serial killer Roy Alan Stuart. The exchange is published as source material. Its contents have not been independently verified by me.
Additional Allegations Documented in McGowen’s Notes
According to McGowen’s handwritten notes and his 2023 correspondence with retired investigator Matt Wingo, Stuart allegedly described numerous additional crimes during nearly two years of conversations in prison. They include:
McGowen’s notes state that Stuart claimed his first killing occurred when he was about 10 years old. According to the notes, Stuart alleged his father restrained Stuart’s paternal uncle and ordered him to beat the man to death with a baseball bat.
The notes also describe an allegation that Stuart murdered a nun in Potter County and concealed her body beneath a cattle water trough.
Another allegation in McGowen’s notes is that Stuart claimed he kidnapped a woman in Tomball.
The notes also reference additional alleged homicide victims, body disposal locations, and other crimes Stuart reportedly described during nearly two years of conversations in prison.
The allegations above have not been independently verified by me. They are published because they appear in McGowen’s contemporaneous notes and correspondence, which investigators previously acknowledged reviewing.
Could Terri Denise McDaniels Be One of the Cases?
Terri Denise McDaniels was found murdered in Pearland on Oct. 31, 1986. Her homicide remains unsolved.
McGowen’s notes include an allegation that Roy Alan Stuart claimed he murdered a young girl in Brazoria County after allegedly being paid approximately $3,000 by the victim’s mother for life insurance proceeds.
At this time, I have not identified any public records linking Roy Alan Stuart to McDaniels’ homicide, and no official connection has been established.
While researching the case, I found online discussions in which some members of the public have speculated that Stuart could have been responsible for McDaniels’ unsolved killing. Those online discussions are not evidence and do not establish a connection.
Because McDaniels’ homicide remains unsolved and McGowen’s notes describe an alleged unidentified victim in Brazoria County, I am continuing to examine whether any records or witnesses support—or refute—a possible connection.
Investigators Acknowledged Receiving the Information
Additional notebook entries reference unidentified victims, possible body disposal sites and locations McGowen believed investigators should review.
No public records confirm Stuart’s involvement in these additional cases.
I included the material because it appears throughout McGowen’s handwritten journals, investigative summaries and supporting documents.
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Efforts to Alert Investigators
McGowen says he never intended for the prison journals to remain hidden.
After leaving prison, he organized his handwritten notes into typed investigative summaries. He says he shared portions of that material with investigators in hopes they would examine the information further.
The emails, text messages and documents included in this article show McGowen’s efforts to preserve the information and seek additional review. They do not independently verify the allegations themselves.
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State Records Confirm Roy Alan Stuart Died in Prison
Official Record: The Texas Attorney General Custodial Death Report below confirms Roy Alan Stuart died on May 10, 2019, while in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The report lists his manner of death as natural and identifies lung cancer as the medical cause of death.
While reviewing McGowen’s records, I also obtained an official Texas Attorney General Custodial Death Report confirming Roy Alan Stuart died on May 10, 2019, while in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The report states Stuart was 71 years old. He died while receiving hospice care at the Michael Unit in Anderson County. It lists lung cancer as the medical cause of death and classifies the manner of death as natural.
McGowen told me Stuart appeared to disappear from the public TDCJ inmate roster after he began providing information to investigators in 2019. According to McGowen, Stuart later appeared under a different unit assignment before state records ultimately confirmed his death.
What Remains Unverified
Many of the allegations contained in McGowen’s journals and investigative summaries have never been independently verified.
Some involve crimes for which Stuart was never charged, while others identify alleged victims, disposal sites or additional homicides that are not reflected in publicly available court records.
Throughout this investigation, I have distinguished between information supported by public records and allegations McGowen attributes to Stuart during their time incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Readers should not interpret publication of these documents as confirmation that every allegation is true. Instead, the records are being published so readers can examine the original material alongside the reporting as this investigation continues.
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Investigation Continues
Over the coming weeks, I will continue reviewing prison journals, handwritten notes, investigative timelines and correspondence provided by McGowen.
Public records requests remain pending. I also continue seeking comment from current and former law enforcement officials mentioned throughout this investigation.
The records are being published so readers can examine the original material.
McGowen believes the journals preserve years of conversations investigators should examine. Time will determine whether those allegations lead to new evidence or simply become part of the historical record.
Do You Have Information?
Do you have information related to Roy Alan Stuart or any case discussed in this investigation?
Send documentation, photographs, court records or firsthand information that could help verify or refute claims in McGowen’s journals.
Email Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose at chopperrose@msn.com
Editor’s Note: This article contains allegations documented in Kent McGowen’s prison journals, handwritten notes and correspondence. Unless otherwise noted, these allegations have not been independently verified by me and should not be interpreted as established fact.
If you’re interested in learning more about Roy Alan Stuart and other notorious Texas crime cases, browse my recommended true crime books in my Amazon storefront.
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Investigators gather near Calder Road during the latest search connected to the Texas Killing Fields investigation.
LEAGUE CITY, Texas — As search teams return to Calder Road in the area known as the Texas Killing Fields, Tim Miller says one statement from James Elmore Jr. stayed with him for years.
In a full interview with Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose, Miller said Elmore repeatedly told him there was “another girl” connected to the case.
The search comes decades after the murders of Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Heidi Villarreal-Fye, and Donna Prudhomme, whose cases became known nationwide as the Texas Killing Fields murders.
Tim Miller on James Elmore Jr.
Tim Miller discusses information provided by James Elmore Jr., including claims that led investigators back to Calder Road during the latest Texas Killing Fields search.
According to Miller, Elmore brought up the possibility of another victim during conversations that stretched over several years.
“You know, ever since the girls were found, I always wondered if there were more girls out there,” Miller said.
Miller said Elmore contacted him about four years ago and repeatedly returned to the same claim.
“He always said, ‘There’s another girl out here. There’s another one out here.’”
Miller acknowledged that Elmore sometimes struggled to remember details from decades ago.
“He would say it was 38 years ago and he did so much dope back then,” Miller said.
However, Miller said information Elmore provided in other areas of the investigation continued to check out.
“Everything else he told me ended up being true,” Miller said.
Why Investigators Returned to Calder Road
A memorial stands near Calder Road in League City, where several victims linked to the Texas Killing Fields investigation were discovered.
Miller said investigators and search teams agreed the information was significant enough to justify another search.
The current operation is focused on looking for evidence connected to one additional possible victim.
Miller cautioned that recovering evidence more than four decades later remains extremely difficult.
“The bad news is it’s 42 years later,” Miller said. “The chances of finding it are very, very slim.”
Claims Involving Clyde Hedrick
A memorial sign honors several victims connected to the Texas Killing Fields, including Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Donna Prudhomme, Heidi Fye, and Ellen Beason.
During the interview, Miller also discussed information Elmore shared about convicted killer Clyde Hedrick.
One example involved a small cemetery that Laura Miller reportedly visited.
Miller said Elmore showed investigators where Hedrick allegedly hid and watched Laura.
“Nobody knew Laura went there,” Miller said. “That was her little peaceful place.”
Miller said details such as that convinced him Elmore possessed information that was not widely known.
Full Interview
The full interview includes Tim Miller’s discussion about:
Why investigators returned to Calder Road
The search for one additional possible victim
Information provided by James Elmore Jr.
Claims involving Clyde Hedrick
Other locations previously searched during the investigation
Interested in learning more about the history of the Texas Killing Fields and other unsolved Gulf Coast murder cases? These books provide additional background and context.
Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45 Texas Killing Fields — Kathryn Casey’s deep dive into the Texas Killing Fields and the victims whose cases remained unsolved for decades.
Murder in the Bayou — Examines another notorious series of unsolved murders and investigative failures along the Gulf Coast.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no additional cost to you.
Investigators, law enforcement personnel, and EquuSearch members meet along Calder Road as search efforts continue in the Texas Killing Fields investigation. Tim Miller says information provided by James Elmore Jr. led search teams back to the area.
Texas Killing Fields New Search Focuses on Calder Road
A new search is underway along Calder Road in League City. The area is known as the Texas Killing Fields.
Investigators continue working cold cases tied to one of Texas’ most infamous murder investigations.
EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told investigative reporter Tammy Rose that search teams are looking for evidence connected to another possible victim.
The Texas Killing Fields new search comes decades after four young women were found dead in the area.
Investigators hope the latest search could uncover new evidence and provide answers in a case that has remained unsolved for decades.
Tim Miller Reveals New Details
EquuSearch founder Tim Miller discussed his conversations with James Elmore Jr. and the possibility of another victim during an interview with investigative reporter Tammy Rose. Miller said information provided by Elmore helped lead search teams back to Calder Road in the Texas Killing Fields area.
Watch Tammy Rose’s report and interview with Tim Miller below.
Tim Miller Reveals New Details
Tim Miller said he met with James Elmore Jr. more than 30 times.
The meetings took place over several years as Miller investigated information connected to the Texas Killing Fields.
During one conversation, Elmore discussed Laura Miller.
Miller said Elmore claimed Clyde Hedrick stalked Laura near a cemetery a few blocks from her family’s former home.
The information caught Miller’s attention.
Laura often walked to the cemetery. She also spent time near a nearby bayou.
Miller said very few people knew about that location.
Elmore later pointed toward a group of trees.
“See them woods right there? That’s where Clyde used to hide and watch Laura,” Elmore allegedly said.
Miller said the comment unsettled him.
The statement described a specific location. Miller believed few people would have known about it.
Questions About Another Possible Victim
A memorial marks part of the Texas Killing Fields along Calder Road in League City. Decades after the murders shocked the community, investigators continue searching for answers and following new leads.
Miller said Elmore repeatedly suggested there could be another victim connected to the area.
“I always wondered, is there any more girls?” Miller said.
According to Miller, Elmore brought him to the area multiple times over several years and repeatedly mentioned another woman.
“He always said there’s another girl out here,” Miller told Tammy Rose.
Miller said he initially questioned the information because Elmore often followed the statements by saying drug use decades earlier made some memories difficult to recall.
Still, Miller said many other details Elmore provided were later confirmed.
“Everything else he told me ended up to be true,” Miller said.
Search Teams Return to Calder Road
Search teams returned to the Texas Killing Fields area along Calder Road after EquuSearch founder Tim Miller said James Elmore Jr. repeatedly spoke about another possible victim. Investigators continue searching for evidence connected to the decades-old case.
The latest search focuses on locating evidence connected to the possible additional victim described during those conversations.
Officials have not publicly identified any potential victim, and investigators have not announced whether any evidence has been recovered.
For now, search teams continue working the area along Calder Road as investigators examine information that could provide new answers nearly four decades after the killings shocked the community.
The Texas Killing Fields
A memorial near Calder Road honors Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, Heidi Fye, and Donna Prudhomme, whose deaths became linked to the Texas Killing Fields. The area remains the focus of ongoing investigations and renewed search efforts decades later.
The Texas Killing Fields refers to a stretch of land near Calder Road in League City where the bodies of several young women were discovered between the 1970s and early 1990s.
The area remains one of Texas’ most infamous unsolved murder investigations and continues to generate new leads, searches, and investigative efforts.
Tammy Rose will continue following developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
As an independent reporter, I often spend long hours covering breaking news, search operations, and investigations across Texas. Here are a few items I use and recommend:
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through the links above, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting independent journalism at Chopper Rose Productions.
For decades, the Texas Killing Fields have stood as one of the country’s most haunting crime scenes. Along Calder Road, multiple young women were murdered—leaving families still searching for answers.
Now, the case is taking a new turn.
Investigators say more arrests could be coming. They also warn additional victims may be connected.
For the first time, a man is speaking out. He says he survived a disturbing encounter as a child—one that closely mirrors what investigators believe happened to a known victim.
