The father of one victim of the "Texas Killing Fields" cold case says he unknowingly met the newly indicted suspect many times before his arrest.
James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, is charged with manslaughter and felony tampering with evidence in the death of Laura Miller, the Galveston County District Attorney did not suspect Elmore.
"You don’t think this guy could be involved," he said. "You’re thinking, here’s somebody who wants to help."
Only after the recent indictment did the conversations take on new meaning.
"Now you look back, and it’s like, wow," Miller said. "Was he telling me what he did?"
"I trusted him," he said. "I really did."
The charges stem from the infamous "Texas Killing Fields" murders, in which the bodies of about 30 women and girls, including Audrey Cook, Laura Miller, Donna Prudhomme and Heidi Fye-Villareal, were found near Calder Road in League City between the 1970s and 1990s.
For decades, authorities have worked to determine who was responsible. In 2024, the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office reopened the case.
William Reece pleaded guilty in 2022 to murder stemming from the deaths of Laura Smither, Kelli Cox and Jessica Cain, according to FOX 26.
Clyde Hedrick, who died last month, was also long suspected in the murders of numerous women in Calder Road Field, according to the outlet.
Elmore was taken into custody and denied bond Tuesday evening.
Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.