Missing in Houston: 30 years later, Wanda Holland’s family still seeks answers

Family memories: Wanda Holland, missing since 1994, pictured with her loved ones. (Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

Wandolyn Ann Holland, also known as “Wanda” or “Little Bit,” has been missing for three decades, and her family is still searching for answers.

Wanda was last seen on January 6, 1994, in the area of Sharondale Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houston and was 32 years old at the time of her disappearance.

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Wanda’s mother Barbara recalled that it was a Thursday when her daughter went missing. She had just returned from the store when Wanda said, “Be back after a while, mom. I’m going to the corner store to get a beer.”

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The store, about six blocks away, is now a Valero but was a Conoco at the time. Although it was typical for Wanda to be away for a day or two, her mother found it unusual when she was gone for longer, as they had always been very close.

The last time Wanda’s son, Keiytrick Holland, saw his mother, it was a quiet night during the Christmas break. She had been urging him to come inside while he stayed outside playing, hiding up in a tree.

After a few attempts to call him in, she eventually walked through a ditch behind their house, heading toward another street in the neighborhood. Although he briefly followed her, she disappeared into the darkness, and that was the final time he saw her.

Barbara, recalls the painful realization that something was wrong. The initial contact with HPD left the family devastated by their reaction.

“I called and told them that my daughter was missing, gave her name and details, and the next thing he asked was, ‘Was she on drugs?’ I said, ‘Yeah, somewhat.’ His response was, ‘Oh, well, we can look for her, but she’ll probably turn up in a crack house somewhere,’” Barbara shared. “Oh my gosh, it felt like someone had just walked up and stabbed me in the heart.”

For 30 years, the family has held on to hope, seeking closure and answers.

Keiytrick reflected on the pain of growing up without his mother and the ongoing struggle for closure.

“I was just 13, about to turn 14 when she went missing,” he shared. “Being the only boy, she always told me to be the man of the house, to look after my sisters. But when she disappeared, I had to grow up a lot quicker than I expected,” Keiytrick said. “I hired a private investigator, and he kept searching, but every lead turned up negative. He even said he had never seen a case like this before—after 30 years, you’d expect to find some leads, but there’s been nothing.”

Wanda Holland, pictured with her family, has been missing since 1994 (Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

Barbara, reflecting on the years without her daughter, described the emotional toll it has taken.

“It drove me crazy for a while,” she admitted. “I just put my trust in the Lord and prayed because that’s all I could do. It’s been almost 30 years, and I still haven’t found peace.”

Despite the years that have passed, her son continues to hold out hope for closure, especially for his grandmother.

“It’s been 30 years, and my granny is getting older. She deserves to know what happened to her daughter. We all do,” he said. “If anyone out there knows something, please come forward. We just want closure.”

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Donna Ray, just 22 months older than her sister Wanda, shared how deeply the disappearance impacted their family. She carried the heavy emotional burden of helping care for Wanda’s children while navigating the pain of losing her sister.

“It was incredibly hard emotionally, particularly because of the children. I always felt like I was the ‘Auntie Mama,’ and she leaned on me a lot with her kids. We didn’t have any brothers, so it was always emotionally draining, especially knowing how close my mom was to her,” Donna explained. “She wouldn’t disappear for this long without contacting anyone. After a week or two, I told my mom we needed to start looking, and from that point on, it felt like we were playing detectives, searching from place to place. It was emotionally exhausting.”

Standing between 4′11″ and 5′1″ and weighing between 87 and 97 pounds, Wanda had black hair, brown eyes, pierced ears, and a nose scar. She was last seen wearing a scarf, a jacket, and faded jeans.

Wandolyn’s family continues to ask anyone with information to come forward, urging the public to help bring them closure after so many years. If you have any details regarding her whereabouts, please contact HPD with any details.

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About the Author
Holly Galvan Posey headshot

Holly joined the KPRC 2 digital team in March 2024, leveraging her eight years of expertise in blogging and digital content to share her passion for Houston. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the city's vibrant scenes, all while balancing her roles as a wife and mother to two toddlers.

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