Search icon

News

11th Jun 2022

“Baby Holly” found alive after vanishing 40 years ago following parents’ 1980 murder

Ellen Fitzpatrick

She is safe.

After 40 years of searching, authorities in Texas have said that they have located a woman whose parents were found dead in 1981 when she was only a baby.

They are appealing for the public’s help in solving the mystery surrounding the murder from 42 years ago.

“Baby Holly has been located alive and well and is now 42 years of age,” the office of the southwestern state’s attorney general Ken Paxton said in a statement.

“We rejoice today that Holly has been found,” first assistant attorney general Brent Webster told reporters, and added: “We still are looking for suspects in this case.”

Tina and Harold Clouse were found dead in 1981 and the family of the couple, along with baby Holly, say they last heard from them in 1980.

In 1981, their bodies were discovered in a wooded area in Houston but had not been identified as the Clouse’s until last year using genetic genealogy techniques.

Holly “has been notified of the identities of her biological parents and got to meet her extended biological family for the first time this Tuesday,” Webster said.

“They hope to meet her in person soon.”

The prosecutor said that Holly had been left in a church in Arizona and was raised by a family who are not suspected of foul play.

Police are now searching for two women who “identified themselves as members of a nomadic religious group” and brought Holly to the church.

“They were wearing white robes and they were barefoot,” Webster said.

“They indicated the beliefs of their religion included the separation of male and female members, practising vegetarian habits and not using or wearing leather goods.”

In either late 1980 or early 1981, relatives of the couple received a call from “Sister Susan”, saying the Clouse’s had joined her group and were cutting all ties from family and offered to return their car to Florida in exchange for money.

Family of the couple immediately contacted the police and when the robed women arrived with the car, they were arrested but never charged.

“It is such a blessing to be reassured that she is alright and has had a good life,” Cheryl Clouse, Holly’s aunt, was quoted saying in the statement from the Texas attorney general’s office.