A Young Boy's Last Hope: FHD Forensics' Unique Collaboration Aims to Bring Closure to Three Florida Cold Cases

AUSTIN, Texas, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the help of forensic experts and their generous patrons, the families of two Florida natives murdered in Texas in 1980 are working with their local sheriff's office to bring closure to other families.

FHD Forensics is happy to announce a new collaboration with the Volusia County, Florida Sheriff's Office on three cold cases driven by the desire of the families of Dean and Tina Linn Clouse to help solve cases in their own backyard. 

The young couple went unidentified for four decades after being found murdered near Houston, Texas in 1981. Genetic genealogy identified them in 2021, putting an end to decades of longing for news on the part of their families.

The DNA testing and genetic genealogy investigations for the three new Volusia County cold case investigations are being underwritten by the Dean and Tina Linn Clouse Memorial Fund at Genealogy for Justice, FHD's sister funding organization.

The catalyst for the project was the case of a young boy found murdered near Daytona Beach in 1972, in the same Florida county that Dean and Tina grew up in. He was thought to have been about 20 years old when first discovered; however, a 2013 exhumation to test his remains alerted investigators that he was actually aged 11-13. 

This means that "Johnny Doe" as he's being called by the FHD team, would have been born around the same year as Dean Clouse.

After 5 failed attempts to extract his DNA from bones, teeth, and hair this determined group of people simply will not give up on him. FHD's lab partners at Astreas Forensics recently extracted a newly discovered sample.

"We feel fortunate to have partnered with FHD Forensics on these cases, and look forward to additional collaboration," said Detective William Weaver of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. "Their enthusiasm and determination to bring light to this forgotten case by employing untried methods is refreshing, as is Genealogy For Justice's willingness to devote resources."

Dean Clouse's brother, Venanzio "Chris" Casasanta seeded Johnny Doe's fundraising campaign with a donation in honor of Dean's birthday on June 7. Dean would have been 64 years old. He says he knows how it feels having a lost family member and wants to relieve another family.

"My donation was done with love and understanding for other victims that have unfortunately suffered in the same way our family suffered. I also did it to honor my brother and his wife, Tina. I pray that others will join me so that we may use the memorial fund to help other families...that at least through our tragedy we might find a way to be of service," explained Chris.

FHD Forensics and Genealogy For Justice recently announced the first case closure for the memorial fund in the case of Virginia Higgins Ray, a North Carolina native who died in a Columbia, South Carolina hospital in 1982.

"It feels so good to have played a part in bringing closure to another family," said Tina Linn Clouse's sister, Sherry Green.

Two other Volusia County unidentified remains cases from 1980 and 1982 are also being investigated with help from the fund.

Tax-deductible donations can be made on the nonprofit donation site, GiveButter. Links can also be found on the websites for Genealogy For Justice and FHD Forensics to donate via Paypal.

Media Contact:
Cyndi Despault
FHD Forensics, LLC
[email protected] 
(512) 270-1301

SOURCE FHD Forensics