‘Baby Holly’ gives first interview in ‘20/20’ since identified as child of murdered couple
Friday night’s ABC “20/20” episode, “Baby Holly Found,” will feature an exclusive interview with Holly Miller, who went missing nearly 40 years ago when her parents were murdered. This is the first time Miller has spoken in depth publicly about her story.
Who is Baby Holly?
Holly Miller, also known as Holly Marie Clouse or “Baby Holly,” made headlines last year when DNA testing revealed she was the daughter of a couple who was murdered in Texas in 1980, per People.
Her parents, Dean Clouse and Tina Linn Clouse, had also been identified through DNA testing. When their bodies were discovered in 1981, investigators were unable to identify them, but technology later provided police with a match, according to Justice for Dean and Tina.
When police notified the Clouses’ living relatives of the discovery, everyone had one question: What happened to Dean and Tina’s baby, Holly?
With genetic research, police found Holly alive and well and were able to reunite her with her family, per ABC. However, the case of her parents’ murder remains unsolved.
What happened to the Clouse family?
Dean and Tina Clouse were a young couple from Florida who moved to Texas in 1980 with their baby for Dean’s work, per People. Their letters home soon stopped, and the last time their families heard from them was in October 1980.
The Clouses became involved with a religious group after their move. Although investigators have not named the group, both the New York Post and the Justice for Dean and Tina website have linked the case to The Christ Family, a strict nomadic group.
In 1981, Dean’s family received a call from a man in Los Angeles who claimed to have Dean’s car and was willing to return it, per the Texas Observer. When the family went to the arranged location to pick up the car, they met a group of barefoot women in white robes who said Dean and Tina had joined their religious group and were cutting off ties with their family.
Unbeknownst to the Clouses’ relatives, Dean and Tina had already been murdered, per People. Their bodies were found in a wooded area in Harris County, Texas, although investigators were unable to identify them at the time. Dean had been beaten to death, and Tina had been strangled.
In 2011, police exhumed their bodies to extract DNA, per CNN. In 2021, genetic genealogy identified Dean’s living relatives, and investigators were able to positively identify the Harris County Does as Dean and Tina Clouse.
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What happened to Holly Marie?
Holly Miller, born Holly Clouse, is a mother of five living in Oklahoma, per ABC. She was reunited with her biological family in 2022.
Who raised Baby Holly?
Investigators revealed two barefoot women in white robes — similar to those who had returned Dean’s car to his family — left Holly at a church in Arizona a few weeks before her parents’ bodies were discovered, per People. She was adopted and grew up without knowing what had happened to her biological parents.
Miller has not spoken publicly about her adoption and upbringing before this “20/20” interview. The episode will air tonight at 7 p.m. MDT on ABC and will be available on Hulu starting Nov. 4.
