Missing Taos woman's spouse takes polygraph, PI fields questions

The rumors have continued to swirl since Holly Alcott White, 50, a Taos resident who was the former Taos Center for the Arts general manager, was reported missing May 6.

Theories posited to explain White's disappearance have ranged from a carefully planned, deliberate escape from life in Taos to kidnapping, suicide or foul play.

But nothing uncovered during the ensuing eight-month investigation has proven any theory correct.

Several searches conducted in and around Taos County and at the Río Grande Gorge Bridge, where White's car was found parked May 6, have come up empty. Grassroots organizations and volunteer search parties conducted by friends and family have been similarly unsuccessful.

Given the lack of answers, there has been little else for the Taos community to do but wonder.

Although the case never evolved into a criminal one, Jeff White, Holly White's husband, recently took – and passed – a polygraph test in the hope that at least one theory can now be dispelled: that he was somehow involved.

Elaine Graves, the private investigator who has been working with New Mexico State Police on the missing person case and a former Taos resident herself, administered the test and recently shared the news in an interview with The Taos News.

What follows is a condensed version of a question-and-answer session with Graves. When relevant, Graves gathered responses from Jeff White and Ray Alcott, Holly's father. While some answers haven't changed, others shed new light on the case – one that, for many, still remains in the dark.

Why did Mr. White choose to take a polygraph test? Why now?

Mr. White wanted to be completely ruled out as a suspect and also make sure that the case was moving forward.

Will you share some of the questions and answers from the test?

I prepared the test questions since this was for my investigation and not administered by law enforcement. Of course, the primary question I wanted answered was if Mr. White had anything to do with his wife’s disappearance. He was also asked if he was in Taos during the evening and/or morning hours that Holly disappeared. His answer to both questions was "no" and no deception was found.

Jeff White has been very cooperative with me and forthcoming with information on this case.

Now that nearly nine months have passed since Holly's disappearance, what does Mr. White believe happened to his wife?

Jeff White maintains that Holly may have answered the door to someone she knew or, because of the kind of person she is, answered the door in an effort to help someone.

One theory is that Holly wished to "disappear." Does Mr. White believe this is reasonable?

Mr. White does not think Holly would commit suicide without leaving a note. He also does not feel like she disappeared on her own because she would have contacted someone by now, especially her dad.

Mr. White had requested that DNA be pulled from Holly's bedsheets based on the suspicion she may have been having an affair. What is the reason for that suspicion?

Mr. White says he was looking into all angles of Holly’s disappearance, especially since an unidentified car was seen in their driveway early Thursday morning (May 5). He says there is no history of an affair on his part and he never suspected an affair on Holly’s part. They had a happy relationship; they joked and laughed a lot. They were both looking forward to moving and being together in Albuquerque.

Some have speculated that the disappearance of Frankie Martin may be somehow related to Holly's disappearance. What, if any, links are there between these two cases?

Both disappearances took place within a month. The first similarity that I noticed was that both Holly and Frankie left their personal items behind on a counter or a table, items that they never left the house without taking with them.

I am also looking into other possibilities and will share as more information becomes available.

What can you tell us about yourself? Have you worked on a case like this before?

Even though I no longer live in Taos, when something like this happens in my hometown, it is very close to my heart. I do not have a history in law enforcement. I have several years of investigative experience in the legal arena.

Some have speculated that a reward of $5,000 seems low. How was this figure arrived at? Why has the figure not increased as no leads have been found?

No comment on this at this time. Holly’s father (Ray Alcott) would like to share this [written statement]:

“The nature of Holly being missing is such that it is very difficult to put the pieces together, as we all know. I want everyone to know you all are a part of the investigation in spirit & soul every day that passes. We are all bound together by Holly's energy. It might seem that nothing is being done. Such is not the case at all. We have an excellent investigator who has created a professional support team to help us all. I want to thank the people of Taos, the TCA and family for their support. Also a special thanks to all of those who have come forth with information to help with the case. And another much deserved thank you to the State & local police for working with us. Another heartfelt big thanks for the kind donations on the gofundme site & private donations. That helps more than you will ever know. Holly & I both thank you very, very much. So from here we go forward & remember [we're] all working for Holly.”

Given all available information from the investigation, what are you looking at as possible outcomes for this case? Have there been any leads recently?

There continues to be leads and tips coming in on this case. I was hired by Holly’s father in August and I feel like my job is to leave no stone unturned. If foul play is involved, I will find it. I am working closely with Holly’s dad, husband, friends, family and NMSP. The best outcome is that we find Holly alive and well, but I am looking into every possibility. Please follow the "FIND HOLLY WHITE" page on Facebook, where I can be contacted, or call New Mexico State Police or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous. Holly’s family is offering a $5,000 reward and Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward. There is also a [gofundme.com] account set up to help keep the search going.