Clyde Hedrick: Man convicted in decades-old murder case in Galveston County released from prison

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – A man convicted in the 1984 death of a woman has been released from prison.

Clyde Hedrick, 67, was released from the Estelle Unit in Huntsville on Monday on mandatory supervision, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Hedrick’s name is one that Texas Equusearch founder and director Tim Miller is all too familiar with.

“He’s not in prison right now and he’s free to go,” Miller said.

Miller’s daughter Laura Miller was abducted and murdered in 1984. While Hedrick was not charged in her case, Miller believes Hedrick played a role.

“I still remember every minute of that 17 months Laura was missing, and the helplessness, and the hopelessness, and the fear,” Miller said.

According to court records, Hedrick was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2014 for the 1984 death of Ellen Beason.

Laura’s death came up in a court document from Beason’s case, but the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office said there was no testimony about it during the trial.

Hedrick previously told KPRC 2 he never hurt Beason or anybody.

SEE MORE: A new lead or another ghost in ‘Killing Fields’ murders?

Hedrick was sentenced to 20 years in prison. TDJC said he was released on Oct. 4 on mandatory supervision.

According to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles website, “Mandatory Supervision is a legislatively mandated release of a prisoner to parole supervision when the combination of actual calendar time and good conduct time equal the sentence. Good conduct time is credited to an offender for participating in work and self-improvement programs.”

Miller filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hedrick in July. Galveston County judge Lonnie Cox granted Miller’s motion for default judgment and awarded him $24,365,471.23 in damages.

Miller plans to discuss his concerns about the latest developments at a news conference on Wednesday at 11 a.m.