A new Texas unit dedicated to cold cases and missing persons has located a woman who had been missing for more than 40 years, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Baby Holly, an infant who was never found after her parents’ dead bodies were located in 1981, was discovered shortly after the launch of the new state program.
“The Linn and Clouse families have been searching for answers concerning the welfare of the Clouses and their daughter, Holly, since they were last heard from in 1980,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement on Thursday. “Last year, when the families learned that the two bodies found in Houston in 1981 were, in fact, Tina and Dean Clouse, the families began looking for answers as to what happened to Baby Holly and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the Clouses.”
“Baby Holly has been located alive and well and is now 42 years of age. Holly has been notified of the identities of her biological parents and has been in contact with her extended biological family and they hope to meet in person soon,” it added.
The case included the help of Identifinders International. In 2021, the group positively identified the couple’s remains after four decades.
The state’s cold case unit was then able to match the genetic DNA with the search for Holly.
“Investigators apparently walked into Holly’s workplace this week, in Oklahoma, and told her who she was, leading to her being reunited with her biological family members,” WESH reported.
Other details have not yet been released regarding the match in the case.
John Bischoff, vice president of the Missing Children Division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, also shared a statement regarding the success of the cold case.
“At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, we know that with advancements in technology and the hard work and dedication of law enforcement, we can get answers, even after four decades,” said Bischoff.
“We are thrilled that Holly will now have the chance to connect with her biological family who has been searching for her for so long. We hope that this is source of encouragement for other families who have missing loved ones and reminds us all to never give up. NCMEC applauds the collaborative effort of the Texas Attorney General’s Office Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit, the Lewisville Police Department and all the assisting agencies who came together to make today’s news possible,” he added.
Donna Casasanta, Holly’s grandmother, also rejoiced at the news after more than four decades of searching.
“Finding Holly is a birthday present from heaven since we found her on Junior’s birthday. I prayed for more than 40 years for answers and the Lord has revealed some of it… we have found Holly,” she said in the statement.
“Thank you to all of 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,” she added. “We will be forever grateful.”
Paxton also took to Twitter to announce the news on Thursday.
“Due to the hard work done by my office’s newly formed Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit — Baby Holly, who has been missing for 40 years, has been located alive and well!” he wrote.
Due to the hard work done by my office’s newly formed Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit — Baby Holly, who has been missing for 40 years, has been located alive and well! https://t.co/ZL5Teunaht
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) June 9, 2022
The investigation into the murder of Holly’s biological parents continues, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit.
Source: Dailywire
