As part of our ongoing effort to digitize Korean War draft cards, we are pleased to announce the addition of newly digitized Korean War Era Draft Registration Cards from the following states:

• Arizona
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Washington

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman reinstated the Selective Service Act, requiring all men aged 18-25 to register for the draft. Thus, a draft registration card from this era does not necessarily indicate that the registrant served in the war.

Korean War era draft cards contain information for registrants, including:

• Name, birthdate, place of birth
• Residence
• Next of kin (someone who will always know your address)
• Marital status
• Previous military service
• Occupation
• Physical description

Explore these newly released Korean War Era Draft Registration Cards, 1948-1959, on Fold3 today!

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library is holding a free genealogy symposium to explore how DNA testing can uncover family history, trace stories and connect people with relatives.

The event will feature professional genealogist Kathleen Brandt who, in addition to being an international genealogist, is also a private investigator, consultant and published freelance writer. Brandt is the author of blog.a3Genealogy.com, an educational and skill building blog that explores carious cultural and ethnic folk life traditions, as well as history and genealogy research tips.

Attendees can expect to learn how DNA testing works, what kind of results to expect and how to use them to discover relatives and ancestors that would have otherwise been unknown. The symposium will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 in the library’s Marvin Auditorium.

Ontario Ancestors is currently accepting proposals for its 2026 Virtual Conference: From Steamships to Microchips to be held June 12-14, 2026. We will be running two streams over the course of two days: one for ‘Microchips’:

Artificial Intelligence and other technology and the other for ‘Steamships’:

Immigration and Transportation. In following with our two themes, we welcome proposals that can enrich the knowledge of either or both of these interesting subjects. We are also open to submissions on other unique topics that would be of interest to family historians. The presentations are to be 45-50 minutes in length with 10 minutes allowed for Q & A and given over the Zoom platform. We also ask that the speaker provide a handout of 3-5 pages for their session.

Topics: Speakers can submit up to 5 proposals for consideration. For each proposal, please provide the title (of 10 or less words), a summary/description of your talk, and identify the intended audience (beginner, intermediate, advanced or all levels) as well as a short bio. Please submit your proposals at: https://ogs.on.ca/conference-speaker-submissionpage/

Be sure to include your full name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, website URL and social media profiles (if applicable). Speakers will receive an honorarium and complimentary Conference registration. Deadline for Submissions: Monday, December 1st 2025. Please direct any questions to Kim Barnsdale at speaker_liaison@ogs.on.ca. Those chosen will be notified by Monday December 15th, 2025

Deadline for Submissions: Monday, December 1st 2025. Please direct any questions to Kim Barnsdale at speaker_liaison@ogs.on.ca. Those chosen will be notified by Monday December 15th, 2025

About Ontario Ancestors The Ontario Genealogical Society, founded in 1961, is the leading society in all aspects of Ontario-related family history research, preservation and communication. Our mission is to encourage, bring together and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage. The Ontario Genealogical Society is the largest genealogical society in Canada. Visit us at https://ogs.on.ca

Authorities say they have identified the human remains that were discovered one year ago in a creek in Pennsylvania as those of a missing Olean woman.

On October 24, 2024, Millcreek Township Police responded to a Millcreek Mall property after the remains were discovered in Walnut Creek.

An autopsy reportedly showed no signs of trauma or natural disease and the remains were sent to a local university for forensic anthropological analysis.

The police department then began working with Othram, a company that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy.

Othram was able to extract DNA from the remains and analyze it. Genealogists and investigators with the police department then worked together to conduct phone interviews as potential relatives were identified, looking for someone who would be willing to submit their DNA.

These samples helped authorities determine that the human remains were those of Rebecca Hakes of Olean. Police say she had been reported missing in the third quarter of 2024.

Investigators in western Massachusetts will hold a DNA swabbing event hoping to find new leads in the cold case murder of Holly Piirainen. The 10-year-old girl left her grandparents' home in 1993 and never returned. Her body was found months later, but no one has ever been charged in her death.

Thursday, Oct. 23, marks 32 years since Holly's remains were found in the woods off Five Bridge Road in Brimfield, Massachusetts, 65 miles southwest of Boston.

Who was Holly Piirainen?

Holly was last seen on Aug. 5, 1993 when she left her grandparents' home in Sturbridge, telling her father she was going to visit a neighbor to see a litter of puppies. An hour later, she didn't return and her father reported her missing after finding her sneaker on South Shore Road in Sturbridge. 

That October, hunters found Holly's remains in nearby Brimfield.

In 2023, the Hampden District Attorney released a photo of a white shirt found near Holly's remains. The white tank top says "Boston" on the front in pink and purple.

New push for DNA

The Hampden DA will host a Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) event in Brimfield, Massachusetts next month in hopes of advancing the case.

People are encouraged to provide a cheek swab, which could help investigators generate new leads. With the help of FIGG, DNA collected from crime scenes can be compared against genealogy databases to identify relatives of suspects.

"Each new DNA sample has the power to bring us closer to the truth. Holly deserves justice, and her family deserves answers. This effort is about remembering her and using every available tool to find the person responsible," Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a statement Thursday.

The FIGG event will be held on November 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex on Wales Road in Brimfield. The Hampden DA said participants will also receive their own ancestry and family tree information for free.

"People have been very generous and participatory in providing their DNA for these events," said Gulluni. "I think with the shared hope that we have, that we can provide answers to Holly's remaining family and hold someone accountable for doing something unspeakable to an innocent 10-year-old girl."

Anyone with any information on Holly's disappearance and murder is encouraged to contact her tip line at 413-426-3507.

In Blount County, Tennessee, investigators are leveraging a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) initiative to identify partial skeletal remains discovered on April 4, 1981, in the East Miller’s Cove area. The remains, believed to belong to a man aged 18 to 35, were missing the head, one or more limbs, and at least one hand, and had likely been at the site for one to three years.

Assigned to a cold case investigator at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the case originally involved assistance from Dr. Bill Bass and the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology. In March, the sheriff’s office contacted the TBI, which submitted a sample to Othram, Inc., a Texas-based lab specializing in forensic genetic genealogy (FGG).

Under the TBI’s 2023 Unidentified Human Remains Initiative, funded by the Tennessee General Assembly, FGG testing has already identified eight sets of remains statewide. Othram extracts DNA, builds profiles, and searches databases like FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch Pro for relatives who have opted into law enforcement use.

The process depends on the availability of matching family DNA and subsequent reference testing. Othram is also aiding other East Tennessee cases, including “Baby Wyatt” found in Melton Lake in 2020, Oak Ridge’s “Lady in the Lake,” and a woman’s remains discovered in Knoxville this year.

Nearly two decades after a brutal nighttime assault, a Florida woman finally got answers.

Those answers were possible thanks to advances in genetic genealogy and DNA technology.

What we know:

Roughly 20 years after a violent home invasion, a 65-year-old woman finally received answers. 

On October 22, 2007, Lake County deputies responded to a call where a woman was reportedly sexually assaulted for two hours. Despite collecting significant DNA evidence at the time, the case remained unsolved for years.

Advancements in genetic genealogy and DNA technology helped break the case. 

Parabon Nanolabs created a DNA composite predicting physical traits, which eventually led to identifying Larry Franklin Tucker Jr. Tucker had a warrant for violating probation on a domestic violence charge and was linked to the crime through nationwide DNA database searches.

Authorities say Larry Franklin Tucker Jr. has been linked to a a nearly 20-year-old sexual assault case in Lake County, through nationwide DNA database searches.

Tucker was extradited from Ohio to Florida and now faces charges of sexual battery, burglary, and kidnapping. While the statute of limitations had expired, Florida law permits prosecution based on DNA evidence.

What we don't know:

The full scope of Tucker’s criminal history or whether he may be connected to other crimes remains unclear. Authorities are still investigating if this assault was an isolated incident or part of a pattern.

Details about the victim’s identity remain private, and specific information about the legal process moving forward has not been disclosed.

The backstory:

For nearly two decades, the victim and law enforcement were left without answers. The 2007 attack involved a brutal, prolonged assault during a home invasion. Early DNA collection failed to identify the attacker due to limitations in technology and database resources at that time.

What they're saying:

The partnership between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Parabon Nanolabs marked a turning point. 

"We’re definitely putting some attention into that and trying to figure out if there’s anything else there," said Corporal Zachary Williams, Major Crimes Supervisor, Lake County Sheriff’s Office. "She took a really big deep breath, and she told us that that was the first time that she's been able to take a deep breath in so many years."

Using cutting-edge genetic genealogy, the case was reopened with fresh leads, exemplifying how new forensic methods are solving cold cases.

"Knowing that you have brought answers to somebody that was victimized so brutally is really a rewarding feeling," explained Misty Gillis, Genetic Genealogist, Parabon Nanolabs:

In Blount County, Tennessee, investigators are leveraging a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) initiative to identify partial skeletal remains discovered on April 4, 1981, in the East Miller’s Cove area. The remains, believed to belong to a man aged 18 to 35, were missing the head, one or more limbs, and at least one hand, and had likely been at the site for one to three years.

Assigned to a cold case investigator at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the case originally involved assistance from Dr. Bill Bass and the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology. In March, the sheriff’s office contacted the TBI, which submitted a sample to Othram, Inc., a Texas-based lab specializing in forensic genetic genealogy (FGG).

Under the TBI’s 2023 Unidentified Human Remains Initiative, funded by the Tennessee General Assembly, FGG testing has already identified eight sets of remains statewide. Othram extracts DNA, builds profiles, and searches databases like FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch Pro for relatives who have opted into law enforcement use.

The process depends on the availability of matching family DNA and subsequent reference testing. Othram is also aiding other East Tennessee cases, including “Baby Wyatt” found in Melton Lake in 2020, Oak Ridge’s “Lady in the Lake,” and a woman’s remains discovered in Knoxville this year.

The family of Pope Leo XIV, who has roots in Saint Landry Parish, will be celebrated at the Election and Archive Center in Opelousas on Oct. 25.

Larry Callier, Jr., St. Landry Parish Archivist said the event will highlight the Lemelle family’s deep historical ties to the area, with lineage tracing back to 1792. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the family’s history and contributions to the parish.

“We can actually trace the Pope’s lineage all the way back to this area, going all the way back to 1792,” Callier said.

Charles Jagneaux, St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, noted, “His folks were the Lemelles and the Baquies and they owned where the Steamboat Warehouse is in Washington.”

Multiple members of the Lemelle family are expected to attend the celebration, including Zydeco artist Morgan Lemelle, who will perform his music.

The Election and Archives Center, which opened earlier this year, provides a valuable resource for tracing family histories in St. Landry Parish. Jagneaux emphasized the importance of the center, and stated, “St. Landry has a treasure trove of records and easily researchable.”

The Lemelle family celebration offers a unique opportunity for individuals to connect with their heritage and explore the rich historical records available at the Election and Archive Center.

Twenty-five-year-old Fahri Mustafa is accused of murdering his mother, his 13-year-old sister, and his 39-year-old aunt in a brutal attack that took place early Tuesday in Bulgaria's Ruen area. According to investigators, the young man used both a firearm and a knife, first shooting his victims before attacking them with a cold weapon. The victims are believed to have been awake at the time, and the bodies showed multiple stab and slash wounds. Fahri’s seven-year-old brother was also injured with a knife but managed to survive and alert the authorities.

At a briefing, Burgas District Prosecutor Georgi Chinev and Burgas Regional Police Director Vladimir Marinov revealed that the killings were reported to the Ruen Regional Police Department at 4:14 a.m. A police team arrived quickly at the scene, finding the house engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished by a crew from the Aytos Fire Department, who discovered three charred bodies inside.

The suspect fled the scene and hid in a nearby forest before being captured around 9:30 a.m. He was detained for 72 hours, and prosecutors will seek permanent custody as the investigation continues. Authorities also confirmed that Fahri has been charged and that a forensic psychiatric evaluation will be conducted due to a family history of mental illness. His father suffers from schizophrenia, though there is no evidence that Fahri himself has been treated or monitored by psychiatric services.

Prosecutor Chinev stated that the investigation had determined the attacker fired seven single shots over a span of two to three minutes. Surveillance recordings reviewed by the investigators suggest the killings were carried out with extreme calm and cruelty. “The facts show a very deliberate and targeted crime. The way he obtained the rifle and broke into the house through a window gives us every reason to believe the murders were premeditated and carefully planned,” Chinev said.

According to police, Fahri entered the home by breaking a glass window, despite not having access to the property. The search for the two weapons used in the crime remains ongoing, even though initial reports indicated that a hunting rifle had been recovered.

Senior Commissioner Marinov added that Fahri’s communication with investigators is difficult but that he appears mentally present. “He speaks slowly, stutters, but behaves adequately. However, he does not admit to the crime,” Marinov said.

Authorities also confirmed that both Fahri and his father had been under restraining orders for domestic violence issued by the Aytos District Court in August. Police records show a previous report of verbal threats made by Fahri and an incident in which he damaged his sister’s bicycle in an outburst of aggression.

The triple homicide has shocked the region, with investigators describing the case as one of extreme brutality and cold-blooded intent. For now, police and prosecutors continue to collect evidence and locate the weapons used in what they say was a calculated and deliberate act of violence.