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 announced on Tuesday, March 31. He is also charged with tampering with evidence in the murder of Audrey Cook.

Laura Miller’s father, Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller, said he had repeated encounters with Elmore over the last four years.

“I probably met him 20, 30 times,” Miller told reporters, according to the Houston Chronicle.

‘TEXAS KILLING FIELDS’ COLD CASE EXPLODES AS SUSPECT INDICTED IN TWO SLAYINGS DECADES AFTER 30 BODIES FOUND

Miller, whose 16-year-old daughter was among the victims found in the “Texas Killing Fields,” said Elmore would approach him and talk about the case.

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“He reached out to me,” Miller said. “For what reason, I don’t know.”

Miller said that some of those conversations included details about the killings that were not widely known.

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“He knew things,” Miller said, according to the Chronicle. “Some of it wasn’t public.”

At the time, Miller said he did not suspect Elmore.

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“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.

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“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.”

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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.

Super Bowl champion Stephon Gilmore announced on Thursday he was retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons in the league.

Gilmore, 35, made the announcement in a post on Instagram. He shared several highlights of his career from his days in college and through the NFL.

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“As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill, South Carolina with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 – you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime,” the captioned the collage.

“From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself.”

He thanked his family and coaches for their support throughout his career.

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“And to the fans—thank you for your support. I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds,” he added.

The Buffalo Bills selected Gilmore with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2012 draft out of South Carolina. He played five seasons with the Bills and earned his first Pro Bow election in his final year there in 2016.

Gilmore emerged as a superstar defensive back with the New England Patriots. In 2018, he was in the secondary when the Patriots won the Super Bowl. He led the NFL with six interceptions in 2019 as he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

He then played for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings in the final four years of his career. He didn’t play in 2025.

He finishes his career with 617 tackles, 32 interceptions and two interceptions returned for a touchdown. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection.

Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, who sits as chairman of the school’s board of regents, had a social media joust with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark over a Red Raiders football game that will likely move to Friday night during the upcoming season.

It may seem like a trivial fight over a game schedule, but Campbell, who has become one of the most prominent boosters in college sports, posted on X that the game between Texas Tech and Houston should remain as scheduled on a Saturday, Sept. 19.

Why? Campbell argued “Friday Night Lights” in Texas is “sacred” for high school football.

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“Friday Night Lights are sacred in the Great State of Texas! It is absolutely absurd that the @Big12Conference and @FOXSports would consider scheduling @TexasTechFB and @UHCougarFB on a Friday night (October 18th)!! I know that @brettyormark is not a native Texan, but he’s been here long enough to know better! Come on, man!” Campbell posted, though it should read September – not October 18.

Yormark was asked about Campbell’s tweet, telling the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on Wednesday that, “Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12.”

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Yormark added that the league’s board and athletic directors approved to have 12 games per year not be played on Saturdays in order to raise Big 12 viewership. As a result, a Texas Tech game was expected to be one of them because of their standing in college football.

“Friday night Big 12 football games outperformed the Conference’s average rating by 64% in 2025,” Yormark added. “All of our schools are treated equally during the TV scheduling process and this game fits within our scheduling parameters. I am thankful that our TV partners provide us with these opportunities.”

Campbell continued to push back at Yormark, though, posting another tweet on Thursday that added another hot topic for Red Raiders football – their now-banned tortilla celebration.

The Big 12 banned the tortilla-tossing celebration at Jones AT&T Stadium, threatening fines to the university if fans continued to do so.

“Apparently Brett didn’t get the memo: EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK!!,” Campbell tweeted, referencing a famous phrase from head coach Joey McGuire, who was caught saying it in the locker room after a 2022 win over Texas. “Maybe we should bring the tortillas back??”

Campbell spoke with ESPN about Yormark, where he continued to take jabs at him.

“As commissioner, he needs to remember that he works for the presidents, and the presidents work for the boards,” Campbell told the outlet. “He is not the dictator of the conference. That’s not his role. It is his responsibility to advocate for his members in all cases.”

Campbell told the Avalanche-Journal that he feels it’s too late to change Texas Tech’s game against Houston, adding that it wouldn’t be good for the team considering their previous game is a trip to Oregon State on Sept. 12.

Campbell has not shied away from addressing his mindset in college sports, especially when it comes to media rights. He has advocated for the conferences to combine their rights into one entity like a professional sports league, though he has seen serious pushback on that front. He was also a part of President Donald Trump’s “Saving College Sports” roundtable, which took place at the White House on March 6.

Campbell is a former Texas Tech offensive lineman who is responsible for co-founding the Matador Club, the NIL collective that has led the charge in revamping Texas Tech athletics in hopes of making them a powerhouse across all sports.

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