The Changing Face of Law Enforcement: Cold Cases and DNA

DNA Testing Unintended Consequences

DNA testing sites became appealing for those interested in learning about their ethnicity. An unintended consequence has been the ability it has given myself and others to locate and identify biological family members for adoptees. Then, in 2018, Law Enforcement discovered this powerful tool and began using it to identify suspects in 28 cases.

Reverse Genealogy

Reverse Genealogy is a process used by genetic genealogists to construct a family tree of a person’s DNA matches. This process is used to help find unknown family members.

Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg where traveling from British Columbia to Seattle, Washington in 1987. It took CeCe Moore only three days to identify the killer of this couple. “Moore uploaded a DNA sample from one of the crime scenes to the genealogical search engine of GEDmatch. She was able to identify two distant relatives of the murderer, and with the use of traditional genealogical methods traced ancestors who were common to the suspect, and to every one of the relatives who had been found. At this stage, she started to build a family tree forward in time.” Read Full Article

Using ThruLines on Ancestry.com

Ancestry launched ThruLines in the spring of 2019.  Initially, there were some glitches, but overall their tool was useful.  Since then, they have made improvements, thereby increasing the usefulness of this tool.

Building a family tree on Ancestry.com
Ancestry is my preferred DNA website because they have the largest database of DNA testers and their research tools are superior when searching for unknown parents.  Go to “Trees,” “Create and Manage Trees,” and then click, “Create a New Tree.”  Ancestry will begin prompting you to add yourself, your parents, etc.  You can save and name your tree after adding three people.  For ThruLines to work, you must go back four generations. When researching the people in your tree, be careful using the hints provided by Ancestry.  Take a close look at and verify the information.  Bad habits are hard to break.  Taking someone else’s research as true can be a costly mistake down the road.  Read and verify everything!  Set a goal to have 4-5 generations, well documented, in your tree.  By the time your DNA is complete, you will have a solid foundation for researching.

How to see and be seen by your DNA matches
After logging into Ancestry.com, look at the top toolbar and click on “DNA,” then click on “DNA Results Summary.”  Your “Results Summary” screen will open.  Next, click on “Settings,” which will be on the right side of the screen. Scroll down to “Privacy,” and under “Display Settings,” make sure you have selected, “You can see your DNA matches, and you’re listed as a match.”  Your selection will automatically save.

How to link your family tree

You need to link your DNA with ‘you” in your family tree. After logging into Ancestry.com, look at the top toolbar and click on “DNA,” then click on “DNA Results Summary.”  Your “Results Summary” screen will open.  Next, click on “Settings,” which will be on the right side of the screen.  Go down to “Tree Link,” and you will see “this tree is linked to,” click change.  Your family tree list will open.  Select your family tree and select yourself.

Accessing ThruLines on Ancestry.com

To access Thrulines, click on “DNA,” and then click on “Your DNA Results Summary.”   It takes about 48 hours for ThruLines to activate once you connect your DNA to your tree. For years I have spent countless hours trying to find the common ancestor of my DNA matches, which was often a daunting task.  ThruLines has made this much easier.

My ThruLines

These are my great-grandparents (from my tree) listed in ThruLines.  When hovering your mouse over a person, a caption displays indicating how many DNA matches they have found who also has this person in their tree.  The caption for William McCurdy Cubbison, shows there are four matches.  After hovering, click the mouse on the person, in this case, William McCurdy Cubbison, and the following screen opens up. These are my four matches.  One is my father, and the other three descend from Mareen (my grandfather’s unknown half-sister.) William McCurdy Cubbison had another family, and from that family, there are three descendants with whom I share DNA.

William McCurdy Cubbison: His Double Life, Two Families
Many months ago I wrote an article about William McCurdy Cubbison and his double life. After several years of research, I discovered that Mr. Cubbison was married to my great-grandmother and Maureen Reagan at the same time. https://www.dnaenthusiast.com/william-mccurdy-cubbison-two-families/

When I clicked on William McCurdy Cubbison in ThruLines; Ancestry made the same discovery I did! My grandfather had an unknown half-sister. What fantastic information if I had not already made this discovery. Thrulines continues with each generation, showing the people with whom you share DNA and the common ancestor.

Verify ThruLine Suggestions
Be very careful to review all of the “potential ancestor” hints.  If there is inaccurate information in your tree, you may receive inaccurate ThruLines information.  If there is inaccurate information in someone else’s tree, you may receive inaccurate ThruLines suggestions.

For instance, my husband’s 4th great-grandfather was John Curtis (1800-1844).  In the 1950s, Harlow D. Curtis compiled research and continued documenting this ancestral line in his book, A Genealogy of the Descendants of Henry Curtis of Sudbury Mass.   In this book, John Curtis’ father (and several of his siblings born between 1813 and 1847) was said to have been Samuel Curtis III. Unfortunately, Samuel Curtis III died in 1810 (as evidenced by his gravestone below.) He couldn’t have been the father of John and his siblings. Samuel is one of four children born to Samuel Curtis and Eunice Flagg, who died at a young age and was buried together with his siblings in Hope Cemetery in Worchester, Massachusetts. A Curtis genealogy research book had misinformation; therefore, hundreds of people have this erroneous information, and ThruLines suggests to me that John Curtis’ father is Samuel Curtis III because of this.  Books are not always correct, and the most popular answer is not always correct.  Samuel Curtis The Son of Eunice Flagg and Capt. Samuel Curtis: Documentation Errors 

I applaud Ancestry as they expand their tools and keep their site competitive.  Ancestry has resolved several glitches associated with this tool back in March of 2019 making it a reliable and handy tool.  Ancestry, by far, has the best tools today to help people like me. Without Ancestry, the discoveries I have made for so many people would not have been possible.

Coincidence? Perhaps, or Sheer Luck!

Three weeks ago, I received a Facebook message from a young lady asking if I managed a kit for someone on My Heritage. The person she was looking for shared my name, but It was not me. As we discussed her situation, I learned she had been adopted and was searching for her biological family. Was it a coincidence that she stumbled upon a woman who shared my name and unknowingly emailed me, a DNA enthusiast? Little did she know, her luck would soon pay off.

It took me about a week to research her DNA. She had made many contacts and had communicated with her DNA matches. She had some ideas about how she was related to the people on her list, but I was not familiar enough with her DNA to give an informed opinion.

When I help adoptees, it is more difficult because we don’t have any information about the maternal side or paternal side. When a familial connection is discovered, I am never sure which side of the tree it belongs. The challenge is to figure out how eight people divide into pairs. The next complication becomes figuring out which pair relates to the paternal side and which pair belongs on the maternal side.

I began my research by using the LEEDS method. This method helps to identify the great-grandparents (eight people at the top of the diagram.) Unfortunately, I was only able to identify six of the eight great-grandparents. With this information, I was able to determine one set of grandparents and one more undetermined branch. I narrowed my focus and looked closely at the grandparents. I found they had a daughter but was not sure she was an only child. I began with this woman. She (or a sister or a brother) were likely the parent of the woman I was helping. The woman I was helping took this information and began corresponding with people in search of her biological family.

It has been about a week since we narrowed the possibilities down. My client has been very busy contacting people and asking questions. Tonight we spoke briefly, and she made contact with the daughter of the woman whom I had identified. They corresponded over some time and eventually, she explained that she thought they could be half-sisters or cousins. The woman with whom she was communicating told my client that her mother had placed a child up for adoption when she was young. At last, sisters communicating and my client will soon get to know her mother.
Now that we have identified the maternal line, I know the remainder belongs on her paternal side.  Now we must wait for more people to test so we can locate her father.  3/1/19 Update (Her mother told her who her father was.)  I was so close, I was looking at his brother.  #nailed it

 

 

Rant! Why Don’t My DNA Matches Reply?

How many times have you felt incredibly frustrated because you have a very close DNA match and when you message them, they ignore you? Unfortunately, this happens a lot.

Please Don’t Ignore Me!

All The Hype About Ethnicity Estimates

Unfortunately, we need to understand that most people order a DNA test to learn about their ethnicity.   Most of your matches who are uninterested received a test kit for Christmas to see if they are “Irish” or “German,” etc.  Most are uneducated and don’t understand that the DNA companies created these “best guesses” to market a product. These unsuspecting people don’t realize that Ethnicity Estimates are guesses based on algorithms. Perhaps this scheme will transcend an otherwise narrow-minded individual into a DNA enthusiast eventually, but time is of the essence. Avid genealogy research involves building a family tree and pairing it with DNA results.    If your matches are ignoring you, don’t take it personally and know there are things you can do.

DNA Matches Without a Tree

  • Look at the user name for clues. They may have used their first initial and last name for their “user name.”
  • Go to their profile page and see if they have information there. The profile page may also have some trees which do not show up on the DNA panel.
  • Look at their shared matches and see if you can ascertain their relationship to others.
  • Use Social Media and research them. Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Snap Chat are conventional mediums.
  • Google their name and the word “obituary.” You will be surprised how many people are listed online relating to an obituary of a loved one.  Obituaries provide a wealth of information.
  • If you get “lucky” and figure out who they are and who their parents are, build their tree as a research tree.  I have more research trees than actual trees.
  • If they have a tree with only a few people in it, look at their tree and select someone deceased and click the search bar.  You will find more trees and additional information about that person.

DNA Matches with a Locked Tree

  • Narrow down their relationship to you by analyzing the shared matches
  • Use the search feature on the DNA matches page to type in a surname you are researching. If their tree has this surname, they will appear on the list of people with that particular surname in their tree. You will not be able to view their tree, but you will know they have this surname.
  • Message them with information or a question showing you have an idea of how you are connected. “I think we may both have Rathburn’s in our trees. Do you have any Rathburn’s in your tree?”
  • As you build your tree, if you share a common ancestor with them, Ancestry will tell you who the common ancestor is, even if their tree is locked.

Never Give Up!

Depending on the “life stage,” a tester is in, he/she may have more/less time to think about their family history. Most of us become interested after we have children, but we are much too busy to do research. As our children grow and we have more time, and we may have more time to dedicate toward genealogy research.  Some times I am busier in my life than other times.  I have missed an email or forgot to respond, and when they reach out again, I appreciate it.  Don’t forget to add notes so you can track who you have already emailed.

Build email folders in Ancestry.  It helps to track and save email messages for future reference.

Some People Simply Don’t Know

Some of the people you match may be adopted. They may not be able to build a tree, and when they have mentioned adoption to others, communication abruptly ends.  Never take it personally, get creative, and move on.

Clearing Cache and Cookies

Delving into the records and researching the documents, can be a timeless task.  Timeless because one loses track of time.  It is important to take a break from researching a person, document or chasing leads.  These are the reasons why I take a break.

Your cache in your browser fills up and sometimes you just see the same stuff you have already seen – clear cache and clean up cookies too!

Some websites refresh quite regularly; usually every 24 hours.  There are websites which will suddenly upload a bunch of new data, making searches more productive

 

DNA Tests and Adoptees Seeking Information

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Much of my work has been with adoptees in search of their biological parents. Everyone has an opinion about whether or not an adoptee should search for their biological family. My opinion does not matter. If someone asks for my help, I will help them.

The best word to describe my philosophy on this subject is empathy. In no way could I ever imagine how it feels to be adopted. My work has helped me understand that adoptees gain a sense of connectedness once they learn who their biological parents were.

If we reach out and the biological family is disinterested, our efforts were not in vain. The larger story involving many generations is significant. Were their ancestors in the Civil War? Did they escape the Holocaust? Did they come to the United States after the Potato Famine? There are rich and compelling stories to be discovered that happened before conception. These stories are empowering and priceless.

The tip of our tree involves our parents. Our story grows as we research our generational past. With each generation, there is a story to learn. History comes alive and we learn how our ancestors shaped history. The lessons we learned in school become real and applicable to us.

Coping with DNA Surprises

Recently, Laura Hill, a fellow researcher and newly discovered relative (via DNA) of my husband, reached out to me with these questions. She connects to my husband on his Curtis line, and the surname Hill is a coincidence.


Last night I listened to a webinar on the basics of DNA. There were some questions from the listeners, but then the moderator and the presenter started talking about the ethics of DNA. They said one should not be asking how a match is related lest there be a non-parental event in which the other person was not aware.

The moderator went on to say that her best friend has been traumatized and going to receive counseling after learning some family secret via a DNA test.

Would you characterize your husband and you to have been traumatized to learn that he did not descend from a Hill ancestor? Does it make you/him wish you had never taken the test? Do you think it wrong to ask about how they are related to oneself?

The moderator was also saying that one shouldn’t contact people to inform them of the new-found relationship: in your case, that you shouldn’t contact Curtis descendants of your husband’s ancestor.

I feel that it is good to make connections. I used to have an idealized view of my ancestors, but through DNA and genealogy I realize what goes on now also went on then; there are no perfect people. 


If I learned my father had created a child outside of marriage, I might feel differently, but suspect after the initial shock I would want to welcome a newly found relative.

What’s your opinion? Laura Hill

I appreciate these questions because DNA surprises will have an impact on others. Before I submitted my own DNA, I thought about the privacy implications and weighed the pros and cons.

  1. There is a possibility you will learn something you did not know about your family. Take a moment to consider the chance that you might learn something unexpected. Are you prepared to deal with what you might learn?
  2. DNA is a tool used by law enforcement to solve crimes. If you or someone who shares your DNA has committed a crime, your DNA could be helpful in an unsolved case. Although, not having your DNA will probably not prevent the case from being solved because thousands of others have shared their DNA results.
  3. People take DNA tests for many reasons. Some are only interested in their ethnic make-up. If you are not interested in the other uses of DNA results, you can keep your results private by not sharing them or deleting them once you learn yourr ethnicity.

The moderator of the Webinar you attended would be very unhappy with me. Not only do I reach out to others who have tested, but I also contact people who have not tested. I send letters to people who I believe are close relatives of the adoptees I am helping. I am gentle but factual with the information I give. If I send a letter to a gentleman who I believe is the father of an adoptee, I share the information I have. It is not uncommon for a man to have unknowingly fathered a child. If he wishes to make a connection or research this further, I will help. If the possible father does not respond, the adoptee has gained powerful and validating information.

The Curtis Research

The DNA Curtis Puzzle

Although I have not finished writing about my research experience about husband’s DNA, suffice it to say, he should carry the surname Curtis. After years of research and collaboration with other DNA testers, we have discovered a non-paternal event in his line. My husband’s grandfather on his paternal line was not his biological grandfather. We are not damaged or traumatized. Our discovery happened over some time and we, believe his grandfather knew that he was not the father. He was an incredible man. Not only did he raise a child who was not his, but he also embraced the child and gave him his name. The fact is, if it were not for the non-paternal event, my husband would not be here today! Damaged, no. Grateful and proud, yes.

In the coming months, this entire research project will be posted on my website. I have stared with sharing information about Susan Lloyd and James Patterson Hill, Sr. and there will be more to come. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Happy Beginnings Part II: Now Her Father’s Side

Happy Beginnings Part I

Many weeks have passed since I discovered who my client’s mother was. I have been looking at the DNA matches which correlate with her paternal line in order to identify her father.

My research led me to a couple in Hardeman, Tennessee. William T. “Dee” Dunnahoe (1900-1958) and his wife, Vergie Cox (1906-1943.) Together they had nine children, three boys, and six girls. Virgie died in 1943, and Mr. Dunnahoe married Frances Williams (1922-2005.) Frances and Dee had seven children together.

My client was born in 1969, so I had to look closely at the children of Mr. Dunnahoe. Mr. Dunnahoe had two wives so I had to determine which wife I had to foccus on. I began looking at the parents and grandparents of both, Virgie and Frances.

My client had numerous matches to individuals who descended from Thomas Cox and/or Martha Hurst, Virgie’s parents. Thus, Dee Dunnahoe and Virgie Cox were direct ancestors of my client.

My client’s closest match to this line was to a woman named Georgia Dunnahoe. Georgia was the youngest daughter of Virgie and Dee. My client and Georgia had 1969 shared centimorgans.

Georgia’s DNA suggested she could have been a great-grandparent, aunt, or great-aunt.

My client’s next closest match was to a man who is the grandson of Dee and Virgie.

It was the third match which helped me understand that I was looking at the wrong generation. I had been looking at the male children of Dee and Virgie and presumed one of their sons was my client’s father. If I had looked closer, I could have seen that several of their daughters were born in the 1930’s and one of their son’s could have been the father. My client had a match with the same amount of shared centimorgans to Dee’s grandson, yet she was a generation later.

The Key match was Dee and Virgie’s great-granddaughter. Her father/mother would have been my client’s half-uncle/aunt. Thus, her half-uncle is my client’s father.

Now we reach out, hope, and wait!

Unraveling the Truth: Unfolding DNA Mysteries

Our story is very much like the many DNA mysteries discovered each day when the DNA testing company informs donors that their DNA results are ready. Usually, the person’s first quest is to learn about their ethnic make-up. Then there is a realization that ethnicity predictions are only estimates based on algorithms. Come on, did we think they could discover the journey of thousands of our relatives from a saliva sample?

My husband and I ordered genetic DNA tests in hopes of determining who his paternal grandmother was. We had a few clues and wanted to see if DNA could help us find her. Little did we know, answering this question would lead us to more unanswered questions and thus our journey of discovery, enlightenment, and acceptance began.

My husband’s father was James Patterson Hill, Jr. He was born in 1926 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jimmy only had a few memories of his mother from when he was a young child and he knew very little about her. Jimmy died in 2007, and left us with a birth certificate and a baptism record for clues.

The birth certificate listed James Patterson Hill, Sr. as the father and Susan Lloyd as the mother. Susan was born in 1903 in Minnesota. The certificate of baptism listed his mother as Katherine Lloyd.

I researched the name Susan Lloyd in Minnesota with the birth year of 1903. I found one woman in several censuses’ who met these criteria. I reached out to a gentleman, Shawn Lloyd via Ancestry messaging and asked him about the Susan Lloyd in his tree. Unfortunately, this Susan was his grandfather’s sister, and the family didn’t have much information about her.

The DNA test revealed that Shawn Lloyd was my husband’s second cousin. The Susan Lloyd in his tree was his mother. Although the DNA was helpful in determining who is grandmother was, my husband had no DNA connection to the Hill family.

James P. Hill Sr.

Susan Lloyd

Susan Lloyd 1903-1961

Susan Lloyd

Susan was the daughter of Victor Lloyd and Catherine Moore. She was born in Hennepin, Minnesota in October of 1903 and she was the eldest of eleven children.

As the eldest daughter, Susan’s responsibilities probably included taking care of her younger siblings. Her youngest sibling was born in 1921 when Susan was eighteen years old.

 

Susan’s father worked for the Glenwood Inglewood Company and was a member of the Teamsters Union, Local 544. By the age of eighteen, Susan was working as an operator for Northwest Bell Company and living with her parents and two years later she would be married.

Marriage to Donald Babler

On January 25th, 1924 Susan married Donald Babler who later moved to Miami, Florida and opened a newspaper stand. (Marriage Certificate)

The Miami News

Timeline of events:

January 1924- Married Donald Babler

May 1925- Pregnant with “Jimmy”

February 1926- Gave birth to “Jimmy”, in West Palm Beach, Florida and listed James P. Hill Sr. as the father.

May 1926- Donald Babler died

The Star Tribune, Minneapolis

The newspaper article in Miami mentioned a postcard found in Mr. Babler’s pocket. It indicated that his mother wanted him to return to Minnesota because she didn’t want him to be alone in Miami. Apparently, Mr. Babler and Susan had separated.

James Patterson Hill, Sr.