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April 13, 2012 3:34 PM

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Texas mother hides in woods with daughters to escape husband's alleged abuse

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Josh Holden, 28

/ CBS/KYTX

(CBS) VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas - Police say 27-year-old Lisa Holden who was allegedly beaten repeatedly by her husband, hid in the woods for two days with her young daughters to in an attempt to escape.

Josh Holden, 28, was arrested by Van Zandt Country Sheriff's deputies Monday after testimony from his wife that he had brutally beaten her the last week in March, sheriff's investigator Kristie Holt said Wednesday.

The Tyler Paper reports investigators received a call from the Van Police Department after a passerby found the wife and two small children on the side of a road.

According to Holt, "The good Samaritan could tell that she'd obviously been assaulted."

"Her head had been shaved and it looked like she had been scalped," Holt said. "She had wounds all over her body, from bruises to open wounds pretty much on her arms and legs."

The Dallas Morning News reports Lisa Holden was in critical condition for 10 days with two broken legs and head injuries. She reportedly lapsed in and out of consciousness during her time in hiding with her daughters from the wounds.

The newspaper reports Lisa Holden told authorities that on March 22, her husband beat her with a piece of electrical wiring and a baseball bat because he was angry that she was not quickly getting their children ready for school.

Investigators said Lisa Holden told authorities that when her husband's truck wouldn't start, he brought jumper cables inside and continued to beat her with them.

"He had told her that that was just a taste of what she was going to get, and when he returned, he was going to kill her," Holt said. "When he left, being in fear for her life, she took the two small children, went into a wooded area near her home and hid, pretty much for two days."

Lisa reportedly remained in the woods, and tried to flag down passing cars for help.

ABC affiliate KLTV reports that according to Holt, Josh Holden abused and tortured his wife for seven years, keeping her locked in the house, until she escaped in March.

Officials said a judge lowered Josh Holden's bond from $750,000 to $100,000 and ordered him to wear a GPS tracking device. He was released from the Van Zandt County Jail Wednesday.

Holden faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The Holden's children are in the custody of a foster family, Holt said, and the wife was still being treated for her injuries at a local hospital.

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 5:31 PM EST: enough said justice holds the cards, from his grandmother; Reply to this comment


by lucif666 January 7, 2013 5:29 PM EST: enough said justice holds the cards, from his grandmother; Reply to this comment

by texascutey April 17, 2012 3:09 PM EDT

This coward of a man IS back behind bars. He was arrested 2 days after his release and sent back and now they have added 2 more aggravated assault charges. They are not going to let him out this time! I hope he has fun in jail... inmates in Texas dont like men who target woman and children!!!

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 4:56 PM EST: thank you from his grandmother

by sctonic April 16, 2012 12:58 PM EDT

He's a piece of crap and he knows it.

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 4:55 PM EST: thank you from his grandmother!!!

by ahendryx819 April 16, 2012 11:41 AM EDT

I am fed up with our joke of a justice system. Nonviolent drug offenders are given mandatory minimum sentences--where's the mandatory minimum for murder, domestic violence, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and all of the other violent offenses? This "human" will kill someone, if not the victim, then another person will die at his hands. And it could be prevented, if the judge had done his job this time, but no, he let this monster get bailed out. If the victim is killed, her blood will be on HIS hands.

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 4:58 PM EST: thank you enough said! from his grandmother

by talliloo April 16, 2012 9:15 AM EDT

this story breaks my heart because i know that the court systems do not always do justice to the victim. what really bothers me is that some of the comments insinuate that the victim is "too stupid" or "weak" to leave the situation. this is not true. the dynamics of abuse relationships are convoluted and complex. i am an educated woman and strong of mind but i, too, was in an abusive relationship. i have had friends and family say such things to me and it would infuriate me. i have often thought on this over the years and i cannot find a specific reason as to why i stayed in the relationship after the abuse began (it didn't occur until after i was married). so, don't judge. instead, take that energy and put it towards demanding firmer punishment for the abusers.

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 5:01 PM EST: thanks for your story from his grandmother

by jwilsonte April 16, 2012 6:16 AM EDT

these judges dont care and when they talk of reducing prison Populations these violent pieces of trash will ones left lose and still give pot heads long prison terms when they hurt there selves more that anyone else!And were does a man whos truck wont start and has all these problems come up with $100,000 sounds like a mommy is at the root of this problem,

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 5:02 PM EST: freedom of speech his grandmother

by FACEITT April 16, 2012 12:16 AM EDT

Another chauvinistic judge, people. Why in the hell would he lower his bond after the damage this pig did to this lady? If this animal gets out and does any more damage to this poor woman, the courts should hold this idiot judge accountable. Unbelievable. Too bad she doesn't have brothers 'cause they would beat the shyte out of this piece of crap.

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by dano48 April 16, 2012 2:47 PM EDT: FACEITT, how do you know the judge was a man. Based on the story above, the judge could just as well be a woman.

by rwsmith29456 April 15, 2012 10:19 PM EDT

I'm glad someone found them but I find it disturbing that she felt like she had no place to go. I see people being helped by social services but I'm sure the majority we never see or hear about, at least until it is too late.

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by lucif666 January 7, 2013 5:10 PM EST: thank you his grandmother

by tmittelstaed April 15, 2012 6:04 AM EDT

She needs a gun and lots of practice at the local target range. He needs to stay in jail, not be let out on a GPS monitor.

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by ahendryx819 April 16, 2012 4:01 PM EDT: LittleMary: I agree completely with that. He needs to be tortured like she was, tenfold, and I can think of a few dozen ways...Let's start by removing his fingers and toes and just go from there...