Family photo of Tina Gail Linn, Holly Marie Clouse, and Harold Dean Clouse.
In 1981, two deceased individuals, who were the apparent victims of a homicide, were discovered in a wooded area in Houston, Texas, and their identities could not be determined at that time. In 2021, Identifinders International, through the use of genetic genealogy, was able to positively identify the bodies that were found in 1981 as Florida couple Tina Gail Linn Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse Jr. The couple had an infant daughter named Holly who was not found with the remains of the Clouses.
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. 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.
Through the collaborative efforts of the Texas Attorney General’s Office Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit, the Lewisville Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This investigation highlights the hard work and collaboration of multiple law enforcement divisions across the country and demonstrates the importance of working cold case and missing persons investigations.
“I am extremely proud of the exceptional work done by my office’s newly formed Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit. My office diligently worked across state lines to uncover the mystery surrounding Holly’s disappearance. We were successful in our efforts to locate her and reunite her with her biological family,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said.
“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 John Bischoff, vice president of the Missing Children Division at NCMEC. “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.
The investigation into the murders of Holly’s biological parents, Tina and Dean Clouse, is ongoing and, if anyone has information about their deaths, please contact the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit at [email protected].