'Baby Holly' found alive 40 years later; still no suspect in parents' murders

Missing baby of murdered couple found alive decades later

Holly Clouse's parents were murdered in the early 1980s, when she was just a baby. Holly's whereabouts had been unknown for over 40 years, until recently.

TEXAS - The Texas Attorney General's Office announced a woman who disappeared when she was a baby over 40 years ago has been found alive and well.

Holly Clause's parents, Tina Linn Clouse and Dean Clouse, were murdered in Houston in 1981. Holly is now 42.

This case came to the Texas Attorney General's Office shortly after they created a missing person's unit.

The Clouses are from Florida and in October 1980, they were living in Lewisville, Texas. That's when their families last heard from them.

"Tina Linn Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse were likely murdered between December 1980 or early January 1981. Their bodies were found off Wallisville road in Harris County, Texas," Brent Webster, first assistant Attorney General, said.

Baby Holly was nowhere to be found.

Officials say Holly was left at a church in Arizona by a "nomadic religious group."

"They were wearing white robes and they were barefoot. They indicated the beliefs of their religion included the separation of male and female members, practicing vegetarian habits, and not using or wearing leather goods," Webster said.

The group traveled around the Southwestern United States and had given up a baby before at a laundromat.

In late 1980 or early 1981, the Linn and Clouse families got a phone call from someone who identified herself as 'Sister Susan.' She further stated Tina and Dean had joined their religious group and no longer wanted to have contact with their families. They were also giving up all of their possessions," Webster said.

"Sister Susan" asked for money in exchange for giving their car back.

The families met a group who appeared to be part of the religious group at Daytona Race Track but called authorities.

"The police purportedly took the women into custody, but there is no record of a police report on file that has been found as of yet. Given the age of this case, that is common, we are still on the hunt for that police report," Webster said

The car was theirs, a 1978 two door red AMC Concord.

Forty years later, in 2021, a forensic genealogy company used DNA to identify the couples' bodies.

Officials say the family that raised Holly are not suspects.

While Holly has been found, the question remains, who killed Dean and Tina?

"We're asking for help, from the public because we have yet to solve this particular crime," Webster said. "If you have any information regarding these murders we ask that you come forward, even if it's a piece of information that not be concrete evidence. We need to find pieces of this puzzle to solve this crime. The Texas AG's cold case unit and the law enforcement agencies that work with us, are committed to bringing justice to this case. We wish Holly the best, and we're grateful that we found her, but we must continue with our purpose of finding who murdered this couple."

"Finding Holly is a birthday present from heaven since we found her on Junior’s (Dean's) birthday. I prayed for more than 40 years for answers and the Lord has revealed some of it... we have found Holly. Thank you to all the investigators for working so hard to find Holly. I prayed for them day after day and that they would find Holly and she would be alright. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Mindy Montford. We will be forever grateful," said Donna Casasanta, Holly’s grandmother, said in a statement.

"It was so exciting to see Holly. I was so happy to meet her for the first time. It is such a blessing to be reassured that she is alright and has had a good life. The whole family slept well last night. The Hope for Holly Project was a success thanks to Mindy and her team," Cheryl Clouse, Holly's aunt, said.

'Baby Holly' found alive 42 years after her parents were murdered in Houston

More than 40 years after her parents were found murdered in a wooded area of Houston, Holly Marie Clouse has been found alive.

"After finally being able to reunite with Holly, I dreamed about her and my sister, Tina last night. In my dream, Tina was laying on the floor rolling around and laughing and playing with Holly like I saw them do many times before when they lived with me prior to moving to Texas. I believe Tina's finally resting in peace knowing Holly is reuniting with her family. I personally am so relieved to know Holly is alive and well and was well cared for, but also torn up by it all. That baby was her life," Sherry Linn Green, Holly's aunt, said.

"The very first thing that ran through my head when we heard Holly was found was the call that I got eight months ago from Allison about my sister’s death. The juxtaposition of that call with Holly’s sudden discovery just popped into my head. To go from hoping to find her to suddenly meeting her less than 8 months later —- how miraculous is that? All the detectives involved…They all expressed such fortitude to get to the bottom of this case.. They have the Linn family’s complete support," Les Linn, Holly's uncle, said.

Officials did not take any questions after the press conference because they say it's an ongoing investigation.

According to the Cushing Citizen newspaper in Cushing, Oklahoma, Holly lives in Cimarron Valley in Oklahoma.

If you know anything about the case, email coldcaseunit@oag.texas.gov.