Clouse Family: Missing Infant of Murdered Florida Couple Found Alive More Than 40 Years Later
The Clouse family mystery has been solved more than 40 years later when the infant of Florida couple, Tina and Dean, was found alive.
Austin American-Statesman reported that the journey of Holly, the then-infant, to a church in Arizona was tracked. Holly was taken in after having been left by members of a religious group, according to the Texas attorney general's office.
Brent Webster, first assistant attorney general, said that the family that raised Holly are not suspects in this case.
The Florida couple last contacted their family members in Florida in October 1980. It is believed that they were killed in December 1980 or in early January 1981, according to Webster.
The first attorney general also declined to discuss certain specifics beyond details intended to jog memories of a potential witnesses.
Webster did not also provide details on how Holly was located. However, an investigator with the Lewisville Police Department noted that she was found in Arizona after the cooperation between multiple agencies led to court documents being unsealed in Florida.
Clouse Family Mystery Solved
The Florida couple was found murdered in Houston more than 40 years ago.
KHOU 11 noted that investigators said that the decades-old murder mystery could possibly be related to a religious group.
The daughter was recently found in Oklahoma where she is the mother of five children.
The Florida couple's identification was determined earlier this year using advanced DNA techniques underwritten by podcast producer Audiochuck.
Three states conducted an exhaustive search for the records of a missing child, which finally led them to Oklahoma.
Wesbter said that two women who identified themselves as member of a nomadic religious group brought Holly to the church. The members were wearing white robes and were barefoot.
The women reportedly traveled to Daytona with the car and were questioned by police but apparently not charged.
Webster said members of the group traveled around the Southwest and believes in the separation of male and female church members.
Officials said that they had previously dumped another baby at a laundromat.
Holly was reunited online with her family members on both sides hours after getting the startling news.
The Center for Missing and Exploited Children will pay for Holly to fly to Florida to visit them.
Cheryl Clouse, Holly's aunt, said that the whole family "slept well last night," adding that For Holly Project was a success thanks to the Texas Cold Case Unit.
Florida Couple Killed
A dog returned home with a decomposed human arm in January 1981. It was in its mouth, which prompted a police search that located the remains of an unidentified couple.
Washington Post report said that the Harris County medical examiner's office said the man had been beaten to death while the woman had been strangled.
Harold Dean Clouse Jr. and Tina Linn Clouse with their infant daughter moved from New Smyrna Beach Florida to the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, Texas, according to the Texas Attorney General's Office.
The suspect behind the murder of Holly's parents remains unsolved and has Texas authorities asking for the public's help.
This article is owned by Latin Post.Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Breaking: 'Baby Holly Marie' found alive more than 40 years after her parents were found murdered in - from KHOU 11
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