Clyde Edwin Hedrick, a longtime person of interest in the deaths associated with the area known as the Texas Killing Fields, died in March 2026 while still on parole.

Hedrick, 72, had been convicted of manslaughter in the death of Ellen Beason, whose body was found in 1985. He was released from prison in 2022 and remained under Texas parole supervision at the time of his death, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick later said prosecutors had presented evidence to a grand jury seeking charges against Hedrick involving four women whose bodies were found near Calder Road in League City. Hedrick died before the grand jury reached a decision.

The investigation did not end with his death. In late March, authorities arrested James Dolphs Elmore Jr. Prosecutors charged Elmore with manslaughter and evidence-tampering offenses connected to the deaths of Laura Miller and Audrey Cook. The charges are allegations, and Elmore is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Most deaths associated with the broader Texas Killing Fields remain unsolved.

Source: Associated Press — Hedrick’s death and the continuing investigation.