James Dolphs Elmore Jr., stands in court Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, after being found guilty of manslaughter in the 1984 death of Laura Lynn Miller. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Surrounded by friends and family, Tim Miller, father of Laura Lynn Miller, reacts Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, after James Dolphs Elmore Jr. is found guilty of manslaughter in the 1984 death of MillerÕs daughter, Laura Lynn Miller, in Galveston. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Tim Miller, father of Laura Lynn Miller, speaks outside of the courtroom following a guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial of James Dolphs Elmore Jr. in Galveston on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News

A Galveston County jury on Thursday sentenced James Elmore to 20 years in state prison, giving him the maximum possible penalty for his manslaughter conviction over the 1984 death of Laura Miller.

Elmore was found guilty on Wednesday. The jury deliberated for around an hour before returning with a guilty verdict.

In Thursday's sentencing phase, the dozen jurors took just 30 minutes to return with the sentence.


MORE ON ELMORE: Galveston County jury finds James Elmore guilty in Texas Killing Fields trial

The jury followed the request of Galveston County prosecutors, who asked for the maximum sentence to be applied. In Texas, manslaughter convictions can be punished with a sentence between 2 and 20 years in prison.

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The jury also heard testimony from a woman who said Elmore tried to kidnap her when she was a teenager in the 1980s. Prosecutors also presented the jury with evidence of more than a dozen images of child sex abuse material that was found on Elmore's phone during the course of the manslaughter investigation.

Galveston County Chief Assistant District Attorney Kate Willis holds up a reward poster during the testimony of Tim Miller, Laura Lynn Miller's father, at the manslaughter trial of James Dolphs Elmore Jr. in G

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