After more than half a century, investigators have finally identified the remains of a Calgary woman found murdered in Nevada in 1970. The victim has been confirmed as Anna Sylvia Just, who was 29 years old at the time of her death.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Just’s remains were discovered on June 7, 1970, by children playing in the desert. Her body had been buried in a shallow grave. A medical examination determined her cause of death was a homicide caused by a skull fracture.

A Cross-Border Mystery

Just was first reported missing from her Calgary home on August 17, 1966. Two years later, she was also listed as missing from Nevada after personal belongings believed to be hers were discovered in the desert near Henderson. Investigators located her suitcase, purse, passport, a plane ticket, and strands of human hair inside the purse. Clothing and a blood-stained sheet were found nearby, but no trace of Anna herself was discovered at the time.

Reports from the late 1960s linked Just to Thomas Hanley, a well-known union figure in Las Vegas. Some accounts alleged she went to him seeking money and that associates of Hanley may have taken her into the desert, where she was killed. However, no evidence was ever found to confirm his involvement, and Hanley was never charged before his death in 1979 while in federal custody.

DNA and Genealogy Breakthrough

The Clark County Coroner’s Office worked with the Las Vegas police cold case unit and Calgary Police Service to pursue new leads. In October 2024, Calgary investigators were contacted by their Nevada counterparts to locate surviving family members. A DNA sample was collected from Just’s biological sister in Alberta, leading to a match through genetic genealogy.

“Through genetic genealogy, it was confirmed that the remains located in 1970 were those of Anna Sylvia Just,” Las Vegas police said in a public statement. The confirmation officially closes a case that spanned 55 years across two countries.

What You Can Do

Cold cases like this show the importance of DNA technology and cooperation between international agencies. Share this story to help raise awareness about long-term missing persons cases that still await answers.

A new online resource opens Ireland’s transport heritage to the public with a genealogical database of almost 7,000 names. 

Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, officially launched the CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue at the Salesforce Building, North Wall Quay, Dublin, a building which once formed part of Dublin’s historic railway infrastructure. 

Following an ambitious programme of conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation, over 166,000 pages of material, dating back to the early 19th century, have been digitised, and thousands of historical documents are now accessible to the public.

The platform includes a map-based search tool and a genealogical database of almost 7,000 names, enabling users to explore the stories of those who worked within, or were connected to, Ireland’s transport network. 

The online catalogue, charting more than two centuries of Ireland’s transport, industrial, and economic development, features the corporate records of 68 railway companies and 10 canal, tram, and road transport companies, as well as CIÉ’s own board and corporate archives from 1945 onwards.

Among the highlights is the first minute book of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway Company, the organisation that built Ireland’s first railway line in the 1830s, a rare record of Ireland’s earliest railway history. 

While these records have long existed, few were aware of their scale, depth, or national significance.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, said: “It is an honour to be here today to launch the CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue. The archives provide an invaluable record of Ireland’s transport development and the people who helped build it. By digitising and sharing this nationally significant collection, CIÉ has ensured that generations to come will be able to explore, learn from, and build upon our transport and industrial heritage. This project honours our past while embracing a future rooted in accessibility, education, and innovation.” 

In 2023, CIÉ appointed Kevin Forkan as the organisation’s first Group Archivist to lead this major heritage-preservation project. He brings almost two decades of experience in archival and cultural-heritage management, having previously worked with the National Archives, UCD Archives, the National Museum of Ireland, and M+ Museum in Hong Kong.  

Reflecting on the archival process, Kevin Forkan, CIÉ Group Archivist, said: “Since 2023, we have undertaken a significant programme of conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation to ensure this important collection is preserved and accessible for generations to come.

"This work has involved creating detailed catalogue records and digitising thousands of pages so they can be explored online for the very first time. Together, these materials reveal new insights into how transport shaped Ireland’s social, industrial, and economic development, while the genealogical resources allow families to trace the lives of those who worked across the network” 

As CIÉ opens its historic collections to a wider audience, Aidan Murphy, CIÉ Board Chair, welcomed the launch and its contribution to understanding Ireland’s past: "This project marks an important moment for CIÉ as these records give new insight into how rail, canal, tram and road transport connected towns, supported industry, and shaped everyday life. Their availability online will be invaluable to researchers and families alike, helping preserve stories that form part of Ireland’s national identity.” 

Underscoring CIÉ’s commitment to broadening access, Fiona O’Shea, Interim CEO, CIÉ, highlighted the significance of making the catalogue available online: “Putting this archive at the public’s fingertips opens up a rich resource for learning and discovery. The platform allows people everywhere to explore the people, places and engineering behind Ireland’s transport network. We look forward to continuing this work and ensuring the collection evolves as a meaningful tool for future generations.” 

A collection of national significance, the CIÉ Group Archives offer an unparalleled record of Ireland’s transport and industrial history, providing new insights into our economic and social development over two centuries. The initiative received investment from the CIÉ Sustainability Fund and is aligned to the CIÉ Group’s Sustainability Strategy to protect and safeguard cultural heritage. 

The CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue can be viewed at here.

If you’ve ever wondered where your family’s story began, this month’s Jewish Special Interest Group event offers a new way to trace it. As part of its continuing focus on Jewish genealogy in St. Louis, the group will host a Zoom-only session Sunday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. titled “How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps.”

The featured speaker, Andrew Kapochunas, is an internationally recognized expert in historical cartography who has spent years mapping Jewish communities across Central and Eastern Europe.

His talk will guide participants through the process of identifying ancestral towns, villages, and regions using detailed topographic and historical maps—tools that can reveal far more than names or dates alone.

Why maps matter to Jewish genealogy

For many descendants of European Jews, the search for ancestral shtetls is a challenge wrapped in myth and migration. Borders have shifted, records have vanished, and entire towns have changed names or disappeared. Kapochunas’s work helps researchers make sense of those changes by showing how geography and history intertwine.

His presentation will include examples of how maps can confirm family stories, locate nearby synagogues or cemeteries, and even identify migration routes taken generations ago. Attendees will also learn how to use free online resources to explore their own family’s origins.

A local link to a global story

The Jewish Special Interest Group, or Jewish SIG, operates within the St. Louis Genealogical Society and has become a consistent resource for anyone exploring Jewish roots. Recent programs have covered topics from reading cemetery symbols to documenting migration paths, all designed to help both beginners and experienced genealogists build stronger connections to their heritage.

While the group’s programs often draw participants from across the country, its leaders, Phyllis Faintich, Ilene Murray, and Carol Waggoner, continue to emphasize the St. Louis connection, showing how local genealogical work ties into global Jewish history.

How to join the program

The Dec. 7 session will be held online only, allowing participants from anywhere to attend. Registration is free and available on the Jewish SIG page of the St. Louis Genealogical Society website at stlgs.org.

For those keeping a calendar, the group’s 2026 schedule will be posted this week, including new meetings for both general genealogy and Jewish SIG members.

Event details:
What: How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps
When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, 1 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
More info: Visit stlgs.org or email jewishsig@stlgs.org

After nearly three decades of uncertainty, investigators have finally identified the man responsible for the 1998 murder of 50-year-old Sheryl Crandell inside her office at Prince George’s Hospital Center.

Police said the suspect, Baari Shabazz, died in 2019 at the age of 69.

The breakthrough came through investigative genetic genealogy, a method that has helped close numerous cold cases nationwide.

Key Points

• Investigators identified Baari Shabazz as the suspect in the 1998 murder of Sheryl Crandell.
• Genetic genealogy led to the discovery after a renewed investigation in 2021.
• Shabazz lived about a mile from the hospital where the victim worked; the motive remains unknown.

DNA technology provides long-awaited answer

On January 13, 1998, Crandell was found dead in her Family Health Center office around 8:30 p.m. by a maintenance worker. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Despite a broad investigation, detectives at the time were unable to find a suspect.

The case went cold for more than two decades until December 2021, when Prince George’s County Police Cold Case Unit detectives obtained court approval to use genetic genealogy. Working with the FBI’s Baltimore Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, investigators began tracing DNA evidence collected from the crime scene.

FBI and local detectives trace DNA to deceased suspect

After months of analysis, the FBI team matched the genetic material to Shabazz in late October. Officials said he had lived about one mile from the Cheverly hospital at the time of the murder.

There is no evidence indicating that Crandell and Shabazz knew each other, and investigators have not determined a motive.

Police seek public input despite case closure

Although the suspect is deceased, police are encouraging anyone with information about Shabazz’s background or possible connections to other crimes to contact the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512.

Anonymous tips can be shared through the Crime Solvers website, the “P3 Tips” mobile app, or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Detectives ask callers to refer to case number 98-013-1118.

A family’s decades-long wait for justice ends

Crandell’s murder shocked hospital staff and the Cheverly community in 1998. The new DNA match brings long-awaited closure to her family and colleagues who endured years of unanswered questions. Police said the investigation represents another example of how emerging technology can help deliver justice even decades after a crime.

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Section Cold Case Unit identified the suspect responsible for killing Sheryl Crandell in 1998. Ms. Crandell was found murdered in her office at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly. The suspect is Baari Shabazz. He died in 2019 at the age of 69. 

On January 13, 1998, a maintenance employee discovered the 50-year-old victim in her Family Health Center office at approximately 8:30 pm. An autopsy determined her cause of death was strangulation. She had also been sexually assaulted. Despite an extensive investigation at the time, no arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of her murder.

PGPD Cold Case Unit detectives sought and obtained court authorization to begin investigative genetic genealogy in connection to this case in December of 2021. FBI Baltimore’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team initiated investigative genetic genealogy and was able to ultimately identify the suspect in late October of this year. At this time, there is no known connection between the victim and suspect. He did live approximately one mile from the hospital back in 1998. The motive for the murder is unknown.

If anyone has information relevant to this investigation and would like to speak to a Homicide Unit detective, they are asked to please call 301-516-2512.

Anyone with information may also contact Crime Solvers online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, the “P3 Tips” mobile app (search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app onto your mobile device) or call 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). You can remain anonymous. Please refer to case number 98-013-1118.

If you would prefer to translate this release into another language, please find the translation window on the right side of this webpage. Please select your preferred language from the available list.

 It’s a new chapter for history lovers and family researchers in the Ohio Valley.

The Steubenville Public Library just received a donation of 53 rare volumes from the Society of Mayflower Descendants in Ohio.

Each book serves as an encyclopedia for Mayflower descendants tracing family lineages back five or more generations to the passengers who arrived on November 11th, 1620.

Library staff say the donation comes just in time with holidays around the corner and with the anniversary of the Mayflower just around the corner.

There were 53 volumes that were donated and you know these can be difficult to find so having them here in the library is going to be really of great help to people who are researching their family. We are very grateful of them for donating these to our library.”

Erica Grubbs, Head of Local Genealogy, Steubenville Public Library

The collection is now available for the public to explore at the Schiappa Branch in the local history and Genealogy department in Steubenville.

Society of Genealogists and Family History Federation are jointly arranging an online conference to be held Saturday 14 November 2026.

Those aged 16 to 35 years of age on 14 November 2026 are invited to submit proposals for presentations.

Topics

We are looking for a variety of genealogy and family history topics on the theme of "New Connections".  A focus on topics of interest to younger genealogist is preferred.

Format

Presentations should be 20 minutes. They may be presented live or pre-recorded, though live is preferred, and all speakers should be present for a Q&A session following their presentation. They should be delivered in English. They may be individual or joint by 2 or more presenters.

Terms

We expect to be able to pay presenters through sponsorship, details to be confirmed. Accepted presenters under 18 years of age will be required to submit evidence of parental approval to take part prior to the event.

Submit

Proposals should be emailed to events@sog.org.uk  and should include:

• The presenters name(s), email address(es) and age(s).
• Brief bio (approx. 50 words)
• Draft title
• Short summary of presentation

Dates

• Deadline for submission of proposals: Sunday 12 July 2026

• From Passion to Presentation: How to Share Your Genealogy Story Like a Pro: 8pm BST Tuesday 7 July 2026: Book here. This free Zoom session is designed to help you prepare your proposal.
• Notification of acceptance: Friday 14 August 2026
• Conference: Saturday 14 November 2026

Society of Genealogists: https://www.sog.org.uk/

Family History Federation: https://www.familyhistoryfederation.com/

On Saturday 22 November from 9am to 12.30pm, the Cooroy-Noosa Genealogical and Historical Research Group is holding an open day and Christmas Market. Visitors will be welcome at the Heritage Centre, 17 Emerald Street Cooroy.

A selection of potted plants at bargain prices, hand crafted jams, chutneys and relishes lovingly made by our members, and a variety of Christmas gifts will be on sale.

Volunteers will be available to answer questions about the Cooroy-Noosa Genealogical & Historical Research Group. Take the opportunity to see firsthand the resources available at the centre to undertake your ancestry and family history research.

If you are interested in digitising your old family photos, we invite you to bring a print along for a free demonstration of the centres digitising facilities.

The organisation was formed in 1996 by a group of friends who shared a keen interest in family history and that small group has now grown to over 130 members. In January 2016 the group moved into their purpose-built Heritage Centre that contains a modern research area, meeting space and family history research library that is open for the community to use.

The Heritage Centre is open to the public from 9.30am to 1pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You can drop in for a free session. Membership provides great value for money access to the research facility and library as well as special functions and expert assistance.

Call 3129 0356 in the above office hours. More information can be found on the website www.genealogy-noosa.org.au

Have you ever wanted to find out more about your ancestors? The Estes Park Genealogical Society can show you how to fill in the missing pieces of your family history. Come to the EPGS Family History Workshop at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the library’s Hondius Room. Our experienced genealogists will answer your questions.

Are you interested in doing your own research? We will show you how to use the library’s free Ancestry.com subscription. Other helpful genealogy tips and websites will be discussed. If you would like to get started on your family history and pick up genealogy research tips, this is the workshop for you.

All Genealogical Society meetings are open to the public — no membership is required, but if you enjoy our meetings and wish to regularly attend, we would love to have you join us, and membership is only $30 annually. Come join us for interesting programs, lively discussions, and help with your genealogy research. The society meets monthly except for the month of December, at 1 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month in the Hondius Room of the Estes Valley Library, offering a wide variety of programs and workshops.

More information about the society, including how to become a member, can be found on its website, estesparkgenealogicalsociety.weebly.com. All who are interested in genealogy and family history research are welcome to attend these free public programs.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the White Buses rescue mission, the Swedish Red Cross and the Swedish Holocaust Museum have launched a new digital platform bringing together stories, photographs and documents from one of the most significant humanitarian operations of the Second World War. 

During the final months of the Second World War, the Swedish Red Cross led the White Buses mission, which brought around 15,000 people — many rescued from Nazi concentration camps — to safety in Sweden. 

“The White Buses operation is one of our largest and best-known humanitarian efforts. Through this collaboration, we can share important stories from both those who were rescued and those who made the operation possible,” says Ulrika Modéer, Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross. 

The new website also includes educational resources and was accompanied by a public program series that was hosted at the Swedish Holocaust Museum.  

“The White Buses are a key part of Sweden’s history. Making these stories accessible helps us understand both the courage and complexity of humanitarian action during wartime,” says Katty Hauptman, Director of Swedish Holocaust Museum. 

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