Biological family of 'Baby Holly' speaks about finding her four decades later

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The vanished baby of a murdered couple in Houston in the 1980s was identified and found alive this week.

The families of Harold Dean and Tina Clouse were told last year that their loved ones were found beaten and strangled to death in a wooded area of Houston.

But who did it? And where was their infant daughter Holly?

"We didn't know if she had been killed or if she got caught up in trafficking, or was she sexually abused? We had no idea what happened to her," said Holly's biological aunt, Debbie Brooks.

Baby Holly is now 42 years old. She was identified and found alive through genetic genealogy.

"If Holly is watching, we love her. We miss her. And we care," Holly's biological uncle, Chris Casasanta, said Friday from his Daytona Beach, Florida home.

On Thursday we learned Holly was dropped off at a church in Arizona by two women who claimed to be a part of a nomadic religious group and was taken in.

There are still so many holes in this story.

When exactly was she dropped off? How did the women gain access to Holly? Who are they? And how did she end up in Oklahoma?

As details trickle out, Holly's biological family says they're glad to know she's alive and well. They tell ABC13 it feels like they're getting a piece of Harold Dean Jr. and Tina back.

"It was a miracle. It was a lot of years (of) wondering where she was, you know?" said Chris Casasanta. "To know that she's finally safe. It's a really good feeling."

The family met her through ZOOM hours after law enforcement told her her true identity on Tuesday.

"I just wanted to hug her. I just wanted to get up and hug her so bad," said Holly's biological grandmother, Donna Casasanta.

Donna Casasanta says they think Holly resembles her late mother Tina Clouse a lot.

"She has her mother's smile and her voice. To the T, she's soft. Yeah, very soft-spoken," said Donna Casasanta.

We asked the family if they knew how Holly ended up in Oklahoma or where she's been all these years, and Chris Casasanta told ABC13 they weren't ready to speak on that.

There were rumors the couple may have joined the nomadic religious group and left their material life behind.

"It's hard for me to imagine they would be in a group, but you know every individual is different, and I suppose everything is possible. Hopefully, we'll know the rest of the story," said Chris Casasanta.

There are so many questions still left unanswered. In a news conference, the Texas Attorney Generals office didn't take questions on Thursday afternoon, citing the criminal investigation. They said they needed public help identifying who killed Harold Dean Clouse Jr. and Tina Linn Clouse.

SEE ALSO: Woman known as 'Baby Holly' found alive 40 years after her parents were killed in Houston

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