The daughter of two Texas newlyweds who were slain and dumped in the woods over 40 years ago has been discovered alive.
When Harold Dean Clouse and Tina Gail Clouse vanished in late 1980 while migrating from Florida to Texas, Holly Marie Clouse was a baby.
On January 12, 1981, Harold, 21, and Tina, 17, were discovered dead in a rural region near Houston. Their identities remained a mystery until this year, when DNA linked the couple to Kentucky relatives.
Holly, the couple’s infant daughter, was not discovered with them, leading detectives to think she is still alive.
Holly, a 42-year-old mother of five who lives in Oklahoma, has been located by family history detectives. What happened to her after her parents were killed is still unknown.
According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Holly has been connected with her extended biological family and expects to see them in person soon.
On what would have been Harold’s 63rd birthday, police stepped up to Holly’s place of business in Oklahoma.
She communicated with her extended family for the first time on the internet a few hours later.
Det. Steve Wheeler of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told KHOU, “It’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever been a part of.” ‘To play even a small part in reuniting a family after 40 years is a once in a lifetime experience.’
Officials have not yet revealed how they identified Holly, so it’s unclear if she was aware of her biological parents’ identity prior to Tuesday.
On Thursday at 2.30 p.m. CST, law enforcement will hold a press conference and will most likely offer additional facts.
After Harold and Tina’s identities were established earlier this year, investigators with Texas’ newly formed Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit began hunting for Holly.
Law enforcement personnel from Texas, Florida, and Arizona collaborated on the Hope for Holly project to locate Harold and Tina’s missing kid.
Holly’s extended family, on the other hand, stated that finding her was an answer to prayer.
‘Finding Holly was a birthday gift from heaven, because we discovered her on Junior’s birthday.’ ‘I begged for answers for more than 40 years, and the Lord has revealed some of it… we have discovered Holly,’ Donna Casasanta, her grandmother, said.
‘Thank you to all of the detectives that worked so hard to locate Holly.’ I prayed for them every day, hoping they would find Holly and that she would be okay. Mindy Montford, thank you from the bottom of my heart. We’ll be eternally thankful.’
A newlywed couple was discovered killed and left in the woods…
New DNA technology, according to police, has cracked the notorious…
Harold and Tina Clouse, who married in 1979, went missing in late 1980 while relocating to Texas from Volusia County, Florida. Harold was looking for work as a carpenter at the time.
The couple’s car was returned to their family after they disappeared, and relatives were led to believe the newlyweds had joined a religious cult and no longer wanted to be contacted.
Harris County’s forensic artist Mary Mize in January 1981 drew pastel reconstructions of Harold (left, in his youth) and Tina (right, in her youth) Clouse after their bodies were found, but nobody was able to identify the pair because they had only recently moved to Houston
Harris County’s forensic artist Mary Mize at the time produced pastel reconstructions of the couple after their bodies were uncovered, but nobody was able to identify the duo because they had only recently relocated to Houston.
The bodies of the Clouses were excavated in July 2011 to see if they were connected. The 40-year-old case had a huge break in 2021, when forensic scientists Misty Gillis and Allison Peacock of FHD Forensics were called by Indentifinders International and given the perplexing riddle.
The researchers updated GEDmatch.com with additional information and were able to match Harold Clouse’s DNA with his Kentucky cousins.
Harold’s sister, Debbie Brooks, assisted investigators in identifying the dead as Harold and Tina.
Brooks then inquired about the baby, but the scientists were completely unaware that Holly, who had been last seen in Lewisville, Texas, ever existed. The disparity prompted a new search for the missing toddler.
Les Linn, Holly’s uncle, said after police recovered his missing niece, “The very first thing that came to mind when we heard Holly was located was the call I got eight months ago from [Peacock] about my sister’s death.”
‘The juxtaposition of that call and Holly’s unexpected revelation just occurred to me.’ How incredible is it to go from hoping to discover her to meeting her less than 8 months later?’
‘To be reassured that she is fine and has had a happy life is such a blessing.’ Last night, the entire family slept soundly. ‘Thanks to Mindy and her team, the Hope for Holly Project was a success,’ her aunt, Cheryl Clouse, agreed.
The murders of Harold and Tina were never solved, and the inquiry into their deaths is still ongoing.
The Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit is asking anyone with information about the case to contact them.