ABC 20/20 “Baby Holly Found” & “Dearly Departed” November 3 2023 Recap & Preview
In 1981, a gruesome discovery shook the Houston area as authorities found the lifeless bodies of a young couple, victims of strangulation and brutal beatings. For four decades, the identity of these victims remained a haunting enigma among thousands of unsolved murders across the United States. Then, in 2021, a remarkable breakthrough unveiled the couple’s identity, unveiling an even deeper mystery – the whereabouts of their missing baby.
In this ’20/20′ special, co-anchor David Muir delves into the forty-year quest for answers, inviting viewers into the intricate web of a multistate investigation that ultimately brought 42-year-old Holly Marie back to her biological family.
This two-hour program features exclusive interviews with Holly Marie, offering reflections on her heartwarming reunion with her long-lost family. Viewers will also hear from her adoptive father, Phillip McGoldrick, whose account of Holly’s unusual adoption casts a new layer of intrigue over her parents’ tragic deaths. Witness the emotional moment when Holly reunites with her family on camera, sharing their profound joy and relief.
’20/20′ further provides exclusive insights from lead investigator Rachel Kading, in addition to Brent DuPre and Mindy Montford from the Texas attorney general’s office. These experts lend their invaluable perspectives to the investigation that brought answers to light. The program also features interviews with members of the Christ Family religious group, to which Holly’s parents belonged, shedding light on this mysterious aspect of the story.
As the investigation spanned multiple states, ’20/20′ presents interviews with members of the dedicated investigative teams from Florida and Texas, who continue to work tirelessly to bring justice to the victims and closure to their families.
Don’t miss this ’20/20′ special airing on Friday, Nov. 3, from 9:01 to 11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.
What Happened to Holly Marie, Tina Linn Clouse, Harold Dean Clouse & “Christ Family”?
Holly Clouse, who was separated from her murdered parents more than 40 years ago, was recently found alive. The murders of her parents remain unsolved, and authorities believe the Christ Family cult may be linked to the crimes.
Holly’s grandmother, Donna Casasanta, spent over four decades wondering about the fate of Holly and her parents, Harold Dean Clouse Jr. and Tina Clouse. The couple left Florida for Texas after having Holly in the late 1970s but stopped communicating with their family by October 1980.
Authorities revealed that a woman who identified herself as “Sister Susan” contacted Casasanta, claiming to want to sell Dean’s car back to the family. They met at the Daytona Racetrack in Florida, where three women appeared in white robes and sandals. These women informed Casasanta that her son and his family had joined a cult, cutting ties with their relatives.
In January 1981, search dogs made a gruesome discovery in Houston, Texas, where two bodies were found in a wooded area. The bodies were identified as Dean and Tina Clouse, with Dean having been bound and beaten and Tina strangled.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office has provided details about a nomadic religious group possibly linked to the murders and Holly’s initial disappearance. This group wore white robes, practiced vegetarianism, and avoided leather goods, among other beliefs.
Cult experts suggest that this group may be the “Christ Family.” Led by Charles McHugh, known as “Lightning Amen,” the cult was considered one of the most extreme cults of the 1970s and 80s. McHugh claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and led the group to engage in drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
The Clouse family had joined this cult, and it is suggested that they gave up their baby, Holly, in line with the cult’s teachings that discouraged attachments to family and worldly possessions. Holly, whose whereabouts remained unknown for 40 years, was discovered living in Oklahoma. DNA testing confirmed her identity, leading to a reunion with her biological family.
After McHugh’s imprisonment and death in 2010, the cult disbanded. However, authorities are still searching for answers regarding the murders of Holly’s parents and her initial separation from them.
Holly was left with a church in Arizona by the cult, changing the course of her life. She was adopted by a pastor and his wife and grew up in Oklahoma. Although Holly has been found and reunited with her biological family, her parents’ murders remain unsolved. The “Dean and Tina Linn Clouse Memorial Fund” now supports genetic genealogy investigations to help identify other John and Jane Does.
