Missing infant ‘Baby Holly’ has been found alive 41 years after her parents’ murder
Holly Marie Clouse, aka "Baby Holly," a missing infant whose parents were murdered in late 1980 or early 1981, has been found alive at age 42. Now police are investigating what role a "nomadic religious group" might have had in the cold case.
"Baby Holly has been located alive and well," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Thursday.
In 1981, two bodies were found in a wooded area in Houston. It wasn't until 2021 that they were identified through genetic testing as Tina Gail Linn Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse Jr.
The young couple from Lewisville, Texas were the parents of a baby girl named Holly.
Holly was not found alongside the bodies. Her extended family never stopped searching for her, along with any information related to her parents' disappearance. Holly's parents had not been in communication with their families since October 1980.
Related story: Wisconsin town honors memory of 10-year-old Lily Peters after her killing
At a Thursday press conference, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster said that young Holly had been dropped off at a church in Arizona by two women who identified themselves as members of a nomadic religious group.
"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, practicing vegetarian habits and not using or wearing leather goods."
Webster said the women suggested they had "given up a baby before" at a laundromat.
It's believed that this group traveled through California, Texas and Arizona, particularly in Yuma, where female members were seen asking people for food in the early 1980s.
In late 1980 or early 1981, Tina and Harold's families received a phone call from someone named "Sister Susan" in Los Angeles, Webster said.
Sister Susan told the families that the young couple had joined the religious group and "no longer wanted to have contact" with them.
Susan offered to return the couple’s car (which belonged to Harold's mother) to his family, who lived in Florida, for a fee.
Related story: 'Mad as hell': The silent fury of the mothers behind two Uvalde memorials
The family agreed to meet several people at the Daytona International Speedway race track, but they also called the police, who purportedly took the robed people into custody. However, a police report for this incident was never found.
"If you have any information regarding these murders, we ask that you come forward," Webster said. "We wish Holly the best, we're grateful that we found her, but we must continue with our purpose of finding who murdered this couple."
Another family raised Holly and, according to Webster, they are not suspects in this case.
Related story: 20 years after her mom's murder, the child who witnessed the crime reunites with journalist who covered the tragedy
Holly recently made contact with her biological family virtually. They will soon be united in person, thanks to financial help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
"It was so exciting to see Holly. I was so happy to meet her for the first time," Holly's aunt, Cheryl Clouse, said in Thursday's news announcement. "It is such a blessing to be reassured that she is all right and has had a good life. The whole family slept well last night."
"I prayed for more than 40 years for answers and the Lord has revealed some of it," added Holly's grandmother, Donna Casasanta. "We have found Holly.”
In response to TODAY Parents' request for comment, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said that “Holly appreciates all of the support she has received.”
“We request that you give her time and respect her privacy as she processes this very personal news about her biological family,” the center added. “We know that the public is anxious to hear directly from Holly but for now we ask for patience and time.”
Related video:
