The missing daughter of a man and a woman whose bodies were discovered in Texas in 1981 has been found “alive and well” more than four decades later, according to the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The bodies of Florida couple Tina Gail Linn Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse Jr. were found in a wooded area of Houston, the office said in a press release. But the couple, “the apparent victims of a homicide,” did not identify positively until 2021 thanks to the work of forensic genealogists with Identifinders International.
For the Linn and Clouse families, who last spoke about the couple in 1980 and spent decades searching for answers about the Parouse of the Clouses, one question has remained unanswered: Where was their little daughter Holly? According to authorities, the girl was not found with the remains of the couple.
The bodies of Tina Gail Linn Clouse, on the left, and Harold Dean Clouse Jr., on the right, were discovered in 1981. But the whereabouts of her young daughter Holly, in the center, are still unknown. (Identifinders International)
But after more than 40 years, Holly, now 42, has been found, according to the AG office.
“I’ve been praying for over 40 years for answers, and the Lord has revealed some … we’ve found Holly,” Holly’s biological grandmother, Donna Casasanta, said in a press release.
Holly has been told the identity of her biological parents and has been in contact with her extended family, the AG office said. They all hope to meet in person soon, he added.
The bodies of Tina and Dean Clouse were identified in early 2022. Forensic artists created an (left) age progression of what Holly might look like today, at 42 years old. (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
The AG office statement did not detail Holly’s life for the past 40 years, although family members quoted in the press release said she had had a good life and was well cared for. .
The investigation into the death of her parents is ongoing, the AG office said, and anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact her Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit.
Paxton praised the unit in a statement, and the office noted that the investigation “demonstrates the importance of working on cold cases and investigations of missing persons.”
“I am very proud of the outstanding work done by the newly created Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit in my office,” Paxton said.
“My office worked diligently across state borders to uncover the mystery surrounding Holly’s disappearance.”