“We wish Holly all the best. We are thankful we found her,” Webster said. “But we must continue with our goal of finding out who killed this couple.” The parents have been identified as Tina Gail Linn Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse Jr., from Florida, and their bodies were discovered in 1981 in a wooded area in Houston, Texas, according to officials. At the time, researchers could not identify the parents, and they were identified last year by DNA testing. Their daughter, who was an infant at the time, was not with them – leaving behind many unanswered questions. More than 40 years later, the woman was found “alive and well,” officials said Thursday. Now 42, the woman was referred to as “Baby Holly” by Webster at the press conference. As authorities work to gather details about the mysterious murder of the couple, they are turning their attention to members of a nomadic religious group who believe they brought Holly to a church in Arizona at the time of her disappearance, according to Webster. An apparent member of the group – made up of barefoot women in white robes, authorities say – identified herself as “Sister Susan” and called Holly’s parents’ families, informing them that the couple had joined their group. and wanted to sever ties with families, Webster said. Some members went to Florida to return the couple’s car in exchange for money and were later arrested by police, although it is unclear if they were arrested because investigators have not found any official documents, according to Webster. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the AG Cold and Missing Persons Unit.
A virtual family reunion after decades
The woman, known as Holly, was reunited with her extended biological family through a Zoom call on Tuesday, and Webster said the family would meet in person in the coming weeks. “My God! We found her! We found her,” Debbie Brooks, Holly’s aunt, told CNN’s WESH. Donna Casasanta, Holly’s biological grandmother, told WESH that knowing that Holly was still alive is “a gift from heaven.” “I kept thinking, I was holding her like a little baby,” Casasanta said. “And I just wanted to hug her.” The couple’s families say they have not heard from them since October 1980 and have spent decades searching for answers about where they were. “It’s very heartbreaking to know that they were killed so long ago and we never found out. The bodies were dumped in the woods,” Brooks said. In a press release, Casasanta said she was waiting for the moment to reunite with Holly for decades. “I have been praying for over 40 years for answers and the Lord has revealed some of them; we have found Holly,” Casasanta said. In a statement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised his office’s work on the case, noting that the investigation “demonstrates the importance of conducting a cold-blooded investigation into missing persons.” “I’m extremely proud of the excellent work done by the newly established Cold Cases and Missing Persons Unit in my office,” Paxton said. “My office has worked diligently across state lines to uncover the mystery surrounding Holly’s disappearance.” CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Dakin Andone, and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.
