GALVESTON – A Galveston County grand jury has indicted 56-year-old James Elmore on one count of manslaughter and two felony counts of tampering with a witness or evidence in connection with the long-running Texas Killing Fields investigation.

Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick announced Wednesday that Elmore was arrested Tuesday afternoon and is currently in custody. Prosecutors are seeking to have him held pending trial, citing the circumstances of the case, the length of time involved, and his criminal history.

According to Cusick, the charges stem from allegations that Elmore was involved in the deaths of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook, as well as the disposal of their bodies. Officials emphasized that the allegations will be detailed further as the case moves through the court process.

Cusick described the indictment as a significant development in a case that has spanned more than four decades.

“This 40-year process cycle of violence by these defendants against women — we’re trying to make headway on it,” Cusick said. “And I think we made significant headway yesterday.”

The district attorney credited multiple law enforcement agencies for their role in advancing the case, including the League City Police Department, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and several local police departments across the county.

Cusick also confirmed that charges had been prepared against Clyde Hedrick in connection with the case prior to his death last week. He said the case was expected to be presented to a grand jury, but no action was taken due to Hedrick’s death.

The renewed push in the investigation followed a meeting in December between Cusick and Tim Miller, the father of Laura Miller. Cusick said he committed at that time to re-examining all evidence collected since the early 1980s.

“I promised him that I would gather all of the evidence… and take a new objective look at it,” Cusick said. “And depending on what evidence we had, we would seek appropriate charges.”

Cusick said that review, conducted by prosecutors in his office, ultimately led to the charges filed against Elmore.

Authorities noted that the investigation remains active, with additional leads still being pursued. Because of that, officials declined to release further details about the evidence at this time.

Anyone with information related to this case or other unsolved murders in Galveston County is urged to contact local law enforcement agencies.