Inspired to learn more about your roots? Here’s how to start your journey into family history.

 Step 1: Start at home

• Gather what you already have: Old photographs, family Bibles, letters, birth/marriage records, military records, obituaries, quilts, or heirlooms.
• Digitize important documents for safekeeping.

Step 2: Talk to your elders

• Interview your oldest living relatives—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends.
• Ask about names, places, traditions, and stories passed down.
• Record conversations using your phone or a voice recorder for future reference.

 Step 3: Visit your local library

• Get a library card—most libraries offer free access to genealogy databases.
• Use resources like census records, city directories, and historical newspapers.

Step 4: Use free online resources

• Create a free account at FamilySearch.org for access to a vast collection of genealogical records.
• Explore databases like:
  • Ancestry.com (some records free, others require a subscription)
  • FindAGrave.com (cemetery records and family connections)
  • African American Genealogy groups on Facebook and online forums.

 Step 5: Join a genealogy research group

• Learn methods, strategies, and documentation tips from experienced researchers.
• Connect with local or national genealogy societies for African American family research.

 Step 6: Be patient – it’s a journey, not a destination

• Researching family history is not a weekend project—it unfolds over time.
• Each new discovery leads to more relatives, more stories, and more history to uncover.

Ever wondered which ancient civilizations you descend from? Now you can find out! We’re thrilled to announce the release of Ancient Origins, a major new product that complements your MyHeritage DNA ethnicity reports. Ancient Origins enables you to trace your origins up to 10,000 years into the past and discover the ancient populations from which you descend, such as Imperial Romans, Norse Vikings, Phoenicians, and Ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Origins offers a comprehensive ancient DNA analysis and is a fascinating new addition to MyHeritage. It forms an important part of one’s wider family story, and is a must-have for lovers of history and archaeology, and anyone who is curious about their ancestral roots. The results are calculated based on your existing DNA results on MyHeritage, so there’s no need to take a new test. Ancient Origins is immediately available to all MyHeritage DNA customers and to all those who uploaded their DNA to MyHeritage from other DNA services. Ancient Origins is a premium feature on MyHeritage and requires a Complete or Omni subscription. It is available on desktop and mobile web, and support for it on the MyHeritage mobile app will be added very soon.

What is Ancient Origins?

The new Ancient Origins product is the result of a partnership between MyHeritage and Illustrative DNA, a startup company that is at the forefront of ancient ethnicity analysis. Ancient Origins complements MyHeritage DNA’s Ethnicity Estimate, which provides a percentage breakdown of an individual’s modern ethnic origins going back a few hundred years. Ancient Origins compares your DNA to ancient DNA samples uncovered in archeological excavations, and ancient populations from the Neolithic Period through the late Middle Ages.

Ancient Origins provides a set of detailed reports. They include a percentage breakdown of the ancient populations from which you descend in different historical eras; a breakdown of how much of your DNA traces back to populations of hunter-gatherers and early farmers; advanced reports that indicate one or more ancient populations that are closest to you genetically; and genetic distance maps visualizing your genetic proximity to ancient populations. A vast encyclopedia of ancient populations and ancient DNA samples is included for reference.

Ancient Origin reports are dynamic and will be updated periodically as more ancient DNA samples are added to the database, and as new scientific research papers are published with new findings on ancient DNA.

By the way, unrelated to Ancient Origins, the long-awaited update to the Ethnicity Estimate, v2.5, was released earlier this month. If you haven’t done so already, visit your DNA results on MyHeritage to view your Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 results. It’s also a great opportunity to check out your Ancient Origin results!

How it works

Ancient Origins is based on the latest developments in archaeogenetics, which is the study of ancient DNA. Advanced DNA extraction techniques that did not exist until recently enable scientists to analyze human samples excavated from archaeological sites around the world, date them, and extract DNA segments and genetic markers that are thousands of years old, or older. Using the location, time period, and additional archaeological evidence, researchers can associate samples with ancient civilizations. Many of these findings are published in scientific papers, and the samples are made publicly available.

The Ancient Origin reports are generated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which is an approach used to measure genetic distances using multi-dimensional vectors. Subject to your consent, Ancient Origins first processes your raw DNA data to create a vector known as DeepAncestry Coordinates. DeepAncestry is a 25-dimensional vector derived by comparing your DNA data to a reference set of modern and ancient populations. The DeepAncestry Coordinates are then used anonymously to generate the Ancient Origin reports.

The results are presented in comprehensive reports that are both informative and visually appealing. These include ancient populations that are now extinct or that have merged into other populations over time, such as Canaanites, Scythians, Visigoths, Etruscans, and many others. The Yellow River civilization, Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Insular Celts, Ancient Bantus, Central Amerindians and Ashkenazi Jews of the Middle Ages are among the many ancient populations represented in the Ancient Origins product.

Accessing Ancient Origins

To access Ancient Origins, log in to your MyHeritage account on the web and select “Ancient Origins” from the DNA menu.

The ‘DNA Discoveries’ online event is set to take place on from 24 March to 24 April 2025, featuring eight expert talks designed to help family historians understand their DNA results and use the information to uncover more about their ancestry. 

Returning for its second year after a successful launch in 2024, DNA Discoveries will feature an impressive line-up of expert speakers, insightful case studies, and practical sessions to help you make sense of your genetic matches and build a clearer picture of your family tree. 

Family Tree publisher Matt Hill said: ‘With DNA testing becoming an increasingly powerful tool in family history, this event gives family historians the chance to really improve their understanding and make much more of their DNA test results. The eight talks cover a range of topics and together provide a comprehensive programme for anyone interested in using DNA to trace their ancestry.’ 

In addition to the talks, Family Tree are excited to be publishing a 100-page ‘bookazine’, also entitled ‘DNA Discoveries’, which provides a comprehensive guide to using DNA for family history. The publication will be made available in WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco stores across the UK, as well as Gardners book wholesalers and digitally. 

Customers who purchase bundle tickets for the event, will receive a digital copy of the publication as part of the ticket price. 

Tickets are now available at: https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/webinars/dna-discoveries-2025

Join us and take your family history research to the next level with DNA Discoveries 2025!

For Jewish families, tracing their roots isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way of reconnecting with history, reclaiming lost stories and understanding where they come from. Now, a new television series is taking that journey to the screen.

On March 3, Jewish Life Television will premiere “Generations,” the first-ever Jewish genealogy TV series, produced in collaboration with the Museum of Jewish Heritage and JewishGen, an online resource with more than 30 million Jewish genealogical records. The debut episode follows Emmy-winning actress Camryn Manheim, known for “Law & Order” and “The Practice,” and her son, Milo Manheim of “Zombies” and “School Spirits,” as they uncover their Jewish ancestry through DNA testing, historical records, and heirlooms.

“For me, learning about my ancestors and my Jewish heritage holds immense significance,” Camryn Manheim said. “It allows me to connect with my roots, understand the rich history of my family, and appreciate the unimaginable struggles and triumphs that have shaped my life today.”

The series, hosted by Brad Pomerance, goes beyond standard genealogy research. Using JewishGen’s extensive digital archives, the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s historical collections it will explore Jewish family histories, some dating back centuries.

For Jewish families, genealogy presents unique challenges. Name changes, immigration records and lost documents—often due to persecution and displacement—can make piecing together a family tree difficult. “Generations” aims to bridge those gaps, offering deeply personal, historically rich narratives.

“This show is about more than just tracing names on a family tree,” Pomerance said. “It’s about understanding the journeys our ancestors took, the obstacles they overcame and how those experiences shape us today.”

Connect with your community every morning.

Future episodes will feature other well-known Jewish figures exploring their own family legacies with guidance from genealogists and historians.

St. Louis’ own Jewish genealogy treasure trove

For St. Louisans inspired by “Generations,” there’s no need to wait for a TV crew to start digging into their own Jewish ancestry. The Jewish Special Interest Group of the St. Louis Genealogical Society provides expert support, quarterly meetings, and access to vital resources for local research.

J-SIG, co-led by Ilene Murray, helps individuals navigate historical records, debunk genealogy myths, and find lost family connections. Their meetings, which are open to the public, include expert talks and workshops on researching Jewish heritage.

The Emerson History & Genealogy Center at the St. Louis County Library also offers one of the most extensive collections of Jewish genealogical resources in the Midwest. Whether you’re just starting or stuck on a family mystery, these local institutions provide hands-on support.

The premiere of “Generations” airs March 3 at 8 p.m. on JLTV. To learn more, visit JLTV’s website.

Thanks to our amazing partners at the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, DigitalNC is pleased to announce a stunning collection of ledgers is now available online!These twelve new ledgers include meeting minutes, membership rolls, and correspondences between members of the Masonic Lodges across North Carolina. They cover a breathtaking span of history, and have been meticulously attended to both in their creation and preservation. The oldest ledger dates all the way back to 1853, while the most recent book was logged as recently as 1994. Generations of Masons are chronicled in these books, and each book records how Lodges change over the course of decades. Meticulous notes are maintained in each volume, befitting North Carolina’s oldest and largest fraternal organization.

One of the Mark Masters Marks in Minute Book No. 1 of the Louisburg Chapter of Masons.

Many of the new ledgers hail from the Louisburg Chapter No. 26 of the Royal Masons. Each account book was maintained by a designated Mason, each of whom had their own particular method of note-taking and minute-recording. The individual nature of the note-takers provides a sense of individuality and personality to each book, which are otherwise uniform in their scope. A particular highlight from these books are the “Mark Masters Book of Marks” from Book No. 1. Found near the back of the ledger, the author has drawn a series of circles wherein other Masons have signed their names. The regularity of the signatures and the accuracy of the circles are beautiful, especially considering the age of the volume. Each volume is similarly filled with tantalizing glimpses into the often secret operations of Masonic Lodges (for instance, did you know that each Masonic year begins on October 31st?). 

You can find more of these Mark Masters circles, as well as over a century of meticulous North Carolina record-keeping, online now at DigitalNC here. Thanks again to our amazing partners at the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina for making these stunning account books available online. If you’re interested in finding more records from the Grand Lodge, you can find their DigitalNC partner page here.

In 2023, Yale launched LUX: Yale Collections Discovery, a groundbreaking research platform that allows people to search across the university’s vast museum, library, and archival collections from their laptops. 

Now the data framework behind LUX has been made available to any cultural heritage institution worldwide seeking to make its collections more open to researchers and the public. 

On Feb.19, Linked Art, a community of museum and cultural heritage professionals devoted to making museum collections more discoverable and accessible, released the Linked Art 1.0 specifications, a standard method to share and connect information about these collections. 

Yale, which is one of 25 institutional members of the Linked Art collaboration, implemented Linked Art 1.0 in creating LUX, which allows single-point access to more than 17 million objects in the university’s collections. 

“This is an exciting moment for the cultural heritage sector,” said Robert Sanderson, senior director for digital cultural heritage at Yale and co-chair of Linked Art’s editorial board. “Linked Art 1.0 is poised to revolutionize how museums and other cultural heritage institutions manage and share knowledge about the objects in their collections. 

“Our success at Yale in building LUX would not have been possible without the hard work of the Linked Art community over the past seven years.”

Linked Art 1.0 is not software. Rather, it is a standard model for describing cultural heritage objects and associated knowledge that ensures consistency of meaning. It also includes a standard web application programming interface (API) that allows a museum’s digital systems to interact intuitively with that knowledge. 

By implementing these standards, cultural heritage institutions can join a network of cultural heritage collections through which researchers can make connections between objects in collections across institutions, explained Sanderson, who helped develop the specifications and API. 

Other institutions that have implemented Linked Art 1.0 include the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, making tens of millions of objects searchable by users worldwide.

Prior to the introduction of LUX, researchers working in Yale’s collections needed to visit the websites of the individual campus repositories to search their collections. For example, a search on Yale University Library’s website would not return related items housed at the Yale University Art Gallery and vice vera. With LUX, a single search produces relevant items from all campus collections. 

The release of Linked Art 1.0 could create a network of cultural heritage institutions wherein a search on one museum’s search platform could return results from other institutions within the network. 

For example, Van Gogh Worldwide — a free digital platform that provides information on the works of Vincent van Gogh — relies on Linked Art 1.0 to allow users to search for paintings by the Dutch artist housed at institutions across the globe.

Museum exhibitions often feature web-based tools that allow visitors to search digital records of artworks on view at that institution but usually need to exclude records for works on loan from other institutions that use different methods for describing collections online. Linked Art 1.0 removes that barrier by allowing museums that have implemented them to easily share digital records with each other, Sanderson said. 

“Linked Art represents a transformative step forward for the National Gallery’s digital strategy, enabling us to bring our world-class collection to audiences in ways that were previously unimaginable,” said Nick Sharp, chief digital officer at the National Gallery of Art.

“By leveraging the Linked Art open standard, we’re not just enhancing the discoverability of our collection — we’re fundamentally rethinking how we connect artworks, artists, and exhibitions across time and place.”

The Museum of Fulton County is pleased to announce the merger of the Fulton County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society with the Fulton County Historical Society. The new interest group of the society is known as the Fulton County Genealogy Group (FCGG).

“We are excited to have the members of the genealogical society joining the Historical Society and look forward to our collaborative activities to promote a better understanding of genealogy and local history in Fulton County,” shared John Myles, board president of the Fulton County Historical Society.

“The merger of these organizations will enable the Historical Society to support the excellent informational and instructional programs sponsored by the FCGG.”

“Meanwhile, the members of the FCGG will bring their expertise and robust resources to enhance the genealogical research services offered at the Spiess Research Center at the Museum of Fulton County.”

As a result of the merger, the members of the FCGG have become members of the Historical Society and the Historical Society has become an affiliate of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

New this year, a series of genealogy workshops will be presented by members of the FCGG at the Museum of Fulton County.

Beginning Genealogy 101: How to Climb Your Family Tree One Step at a Time, will be held on Monday, March 10 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

This free workshop is open to the public and historical society members. Workshop participants will learn where to start, how to set goals, and how to keep accurate records when beginning genealogical research.

“During this one-hour class we will discuss how to start digging for information, what tomb stones can tell, and share information about free library resources,” shared Carolyn Stilwill, FCGG workshop coordinator. “Time will also be provided to work on a genealogy research plan with experienced mentors.”

While the beginning genealogy workshop is free, pre-registration is required. The class is limited to the first 50 registered participants.

To learn more about the workshop and view the genealogy research plan that will be used during the class, visit www.museumoffultoncounty.org/upcoming-events. Interested individuals can register at the museum, call 419.337.7922 or end a message to info@museumoffultoncounty.org

Additional genealogy workshops are slated for later this year. The Beginning Genealogy 102 workshop will be held on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. On Monday, November 10, members of the FCGG will present a workshop about searching veteran records.

The Fulton County Genealogy Group’s collection consists of more than 1,300 books and over 200 rolls of microfilm located at the Evergreen Community Library, 253 Maple Street, Metamora, Ohio.

Research appointments at the library are available with advance notice by contacting www.fultoncoogs.org/contact-us. The microfilmed records include newspapers for towns in the county through 1910; birth and death records beginning in 1867; marriage records from 1864 (although the county was formed in 1850, a fire in July 1864 destroyed many early records).

The collection also includes family histories, county histories, obituaries, tombstone inscription books, as well as a wide variety of other Ohio county records.

For additional information regarding genealogical research visit research page of the museum’s website at www.museumoffultoncounty.org/research

The Museum of Fulton County is located at 8848 State Highway 108, across from the Fulton County Fairgrounds. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

To learn more about special events, classes, shopping, memberships, or how to plan a visit to the Museum of Fulton County call 419-337-7922 or visit museumoffultoncounty.org. Additional information is also available on the museum Facebook and Instagram pages.

Jim Byron, the new senior advisor to acting head archivist, Marco Rubio, sent out his first internal staff letter outlining changes and new initiatives at the agency.

Littera scripta manet, Latin for “the written letter remains,” is how former deputy archivist and acting head of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), William J. Bosanko, addressed staff in his internal resignation letter on Feb. 14.

Bosanko was pushed out by Trump appointee Jim Byron, now senior advisor to Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State and acting archivist responsible for the day-to-day operations at NARA, in what’s been called a hostile takeover of the agency. The Trump administration is gouging federal agencies as part of its budget cuts.

There’s much concern about the fate of the “written letter” and NARA, the custodian of our nation’s historical documents and therefore historical truth, as Trump cuts key staff and replaces them with political operatives.

“It’s highly concerning to have people who have not been vetted, had no background checks, maybe having access to our records,” said someone with knowledge of the situation. “We’re the repository for these government records. The heart of NARA is meant to be for the people, a record of history. We’re very worried about what it means for [the new administration] to have access to actual physical records.”

Byron blasted out his first official letter to the diminished NARA staff on Friday. NARA has lost about 90 people so far from top leaders to new staff still in their “probationary” first year at the agency. More cuts are expected.

Specific items in Byron’s missive alarmed staff members. In the letter, Byron states, “We are right now evaluating all current operations and functions as well as revisiting priorities set under prior leadership and setting new priorities.” DCReport viewed a copy of the letter.

Trump’s takeover of NARA is chilling because it gives him the power to literally reshape history to his liking. Take January 6, 2021, a day of violence and insurrection. Trump and his followers have whitewashed it and call it “a day of love.”

Byron’s letter may have been vague in detail, but it signaled disturbing activity to come.

Another item from Byron’s letter that concerns NARA staff is the mention of the upcoming 250thanniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. Byron said in his letter that this occasion is “the most significant opportunity to share the mission of the National Archives with fellow citizens and the wider world,” also noting the opportunity to participate in the wider celebrations, as many institutions will be honoring the anniversary.

Byron’s mention of the anniversary concerns NARA staff because it signals the probability of the new administration meddling with the permanent displays at the National Archives, something previous administrations did not do. The recently fired director of exhibitions spearheaded all work and preparation for the permanent display and the upcoming 250th anniversary. These are projects years in the making. Staff is now worried the exhibits will get “sidelined or redone.”

People on the foundation side of presidential libraries, like Byron, who previously helmed the Richard Nixon Foundation, are not typically involved with content; that is NARA’s mandate, which also oversees presidential libraries and museums, like the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif. “It’s a strange move to put someone from a foundation in this role. You need an academic and professional background,” to work at NARA, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Trump’s firing of Archivist for the United States Colleen Shogan and the dismissal of Bosanko, go against protocol and federal law. The president can fire an archivist, but they must present the reasons for the dismissal to both the Congress and Senate. And federal law dictates that the deputy archivist serves as the head of the agency until that position is filled. Trump ignored both protocol and federal law with agency staff firings and appointees.

Byron’s letter also reinforces that NARA will soon “exercise maximum transparency” with the release of files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother, Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This follows Trump’s executive order dated Jan. 23 to release previous classified and redacted records to the public.

Earlier this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the discovery of 2,400 new records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and that it was working with federal agencies, including NARA, on the release of the new files in accordance with Trump’s executive order.

The FBI said it is working to transfer the records to the National Archives and Records Administration to be included in the declassification process.

Stay tuned.

Museums, theatres and other cultural venues in England are to receive £270m funding to stay afloat and fix their crumbling buildings, the government has said.

The money will go to attractions "in urgent need of financial support to keep them up and running, carry out vital infrastructure work and improve long term financial resilience", according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

It comes after warnings that museums in places such as Derby, Birmingham and Hampshire "face a perilous financial position" with the "imminent threat of sale of collections or closure".

Core funding for UK arts and cultural organisations fell by 18% between 2010 and 2023.

The money announced on Thursday includes a pot worth £120m, which will be available to 17 major institutions such as the British Museum, National Gallery and National Museums Liverpool, which all get their regular annual funding from the DCMS.

Those venues will also receive a 5% increase in their annual grants, worth more than £15m.

However, that rise hasn't been extended to hundreds of other cultural organisations that get grants via Arts Council England, many of which have struggled with near-standstill funding for the past decade.

There will also be £85m for the 2025/26 financial year "to support urgent capital works to keep venues across the country up and running".

Last year, the body representing UK theatres warned that 40% of venues risked closure over the next five years without significant capital investment.

And in October, the English Civic Museums Network called for an emergency injection "to rectify some of the damage inflicted by austerity".

Local museums will now have a dedicated £20m fund "to help keep cherished civic museums open".

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will announce the funding in Stratford-upon-Avon on Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the first arts White Paper.

She told BBC Breakfast: "£270m today will shore up those institutions that are at risk of closure. It will help with infrastructure.

"We've got very crumbling infrastructure. Anyone who's visited a local theatre recently will have seen buckets on the floor catching drips, and stages closing at some of our national institutions because of those problems.

"It will make sure that libraries can remain open in parts of the country, and most of all will shore up our local museums, which are at risk of closure."

Music venues and clubs 'shut out'

Jon Finch, chair of the English Civic Museums Network and head of culture at Barnsley Council, welcomed the news.

"ECMN is delighted that the government has recognised the compelling case for investment in local museums as part of its growth agenda," he said.

"Civic museums are a fundamental part of England's cultural, creative, and social fabric and are a catalyst for growth on all our high streets." 

However, the Night Time Industries Association criticised the package for "failing to support contemporary and countercultural spaces".

"Once again, the government has placed traditional and heritage culture at the forefront while completely ignoring the vital creative spaces that fuel innovation, inspire younger generations, and contribute significantly to our economy," chief executive Michael Kill said. 

"Live music venues, clubs, festivals, and grassroots nightlife are integral to Britain's cultural identity and international reputation, yet they have been shut out of this funding package."

'Mickey Mouse' degrees

Also on Thursday, Nandy spoke about arts courses being referred to as "Mickey Mouse" degrees was "economic madness" during a UK film and TV boom.

"The last decade has been disastrous for the arts," she said.

"We've seen a narrowing of the curriculum, government ministers branding arts subjects 'Mickey Mouse' subjects, the number of students taking arts GCSEs has dropped by nearly 50%.

She said that had come "at a time when the likes of Warner Bros, Amazon, Disney are clamouring to invest more in the United Kingdom, when the film industry is taking off in places like Sunderland at the Crown Works Studios".

"It's economic madness, but it's also taking from a generation what is theirs by birthright - the chance to live richer, larger lives and to access the arts."

In September 2021, a hiker found a human skull while walking along the Chautauqua Rails to Trails near Woleben Road in Portland, NY. Portland is a small town between Buffalo and Erie along the coast of Lake Erie. An extensive search was organized and the remains of another woman were also found. The second woman’s remains were identified as 50-year-old Marquita Mull, who had been killed just three months earlier in 2021. In January of this year, Richard J. Fox, a 62-year-old registered sex offender, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for Mull’s death.

Investigators were unable to determine the identity of the other woman, but were able to conclude she died at least 10 years before she was found. With few leads to go on, the woman's identity was a mystery and she became known as Portland New York Jane Doe.

In 2024, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office sent forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help identify the Jane Doe. Othram scientists produced a suitable DNA extract from the skeletal remains. A comprehensive DNA profile was then developed for the woman using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team the conducted a genealogical search that resulted in new leads, which were provided to law enforcement.

Othram's casework costs associated with the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy completed in this case were provided by dedicated funding allocated by U.S. Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY). We are grateful to Congressman Langworthy for recognizing the need for this technology and securing the funding for the crucial project.

A follow-up investigation led to potential relatives of the woman. A potential relative provided a DNA sample, which was compared to the unknown woman’s DNA profile using KinSNP Rapid Relationship Testing. As a result of the testing and follow-up investigation, the woman is now known to be Cassandra Watson, who would be 61 years old if she were still alive. Investigators believe she was killed between 2002 and 2004. She was never reported missing. Richard J. Fox has also been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Cassandra Watson.

The identification of Cassandra Watson is the 10th publicly announced case in New York where investigators used technology developed by Othram to identify an individual.