Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is one of the best American stocks to buy and hold for the next 3 years. On September 25, Reuters reported that Private equity firm Blackstone is currently exploring strategic options for Ancestry.com, the popular genealogy and DNA testing platform. These options include pursuing an Initial Public Offering/IPO or an outright sale of the company.

Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, indicated that Blackstone has invited banks to submit proposals for an IPO, with requests being submitted earlier in the week of September 25. A public listing for the Lehi, Utah-based company could potentially value it at approximately $10 billion, although the discussions are in the early stages and details remain subject to change.

Blackstone is also considering the alternative option of selling the asset. However, the private equity firm has not finalized any decision and may opt to hold onto the asset for a longer period. Both Blackstone and Ancestry.com representatives have declined to comment on the matter.

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is an alternative asset management firm that specializes in private equity, real estate, hedge fund solutions, credit, secondary funds of funds, public debt & equity and multi-asset class strategies.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars — proudly part of the MyHeritage family since 2017 — is expanding into French! Starting October 7, a new series of live genealogy webinars will be offered entirely in French, alongside more than 100 French-language sessions now available on demand. This is an exciting addition for French-speaking genealogists worldwide, and a great resource to share with anyone in your community who speaks French or researches in French-language records.  The first three live sessions (all free to attend) are: Filae : la maison des archives originales françaises with Yann Guillerm, Community Manager and Editor at Filae, Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST Explorer vos racines en France : méthodes et ressources en ligne avec les collections de MyHeritage with Marie Cappart, historian and professional genealogist, Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST Explorer vos racines au Luxembourg : archives locales et ressources MyHeritage with Liliane Hierro, professional genealogist and author, Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST See the full French webinar schedule and register here

The Tuscarawas County Public Library System will hold a Local History & Genealogy Faire at its Main Library and Operations Center Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The four-hour event is free and open to anyone interested in local or family history.

“Genealogy research is not always easy because it can be hard to know where to start,” said Tabitha Johnson, adult and teen services manager. “This event gives everyone the chance to learn about the resources available at their library and to reach out to organizations with a local history and genealogy focus.”

Johnson said informational tables will include local author and historian Noel Poirier; the Ohio Genealogical Society; the Bolivar Area Historical Society; the New Philadelphia Rotary Club and RTY Inc.; the Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum; Schoenbrunn Village; the Tuscarawas Genealogical Society; the Tuscarawas County Heritage Homes Association; the Tuscarawas County Historical Society; and the Canton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, among others.

At 12:30 p.m., RTY board members Carey Gardner and Rich Geib will present a program on the history of Tuscora Park.

The library’s genealogy collection and resources will also be showcased, with staff available to demonstrate the library’s microfilm machine and preservation station.

“Participants will also be able to sign up for mini Book-A-Genealogist sessions with a library genealogy specialist,” said Gina Merrill, public services associate. “The library’s technology training coordinator will offer 20-minute demonstrations on databases that are free to use with your library card.”

Demonstrations will include Ancestry Library at 11:15 a.m., Fold3 at 1:45 p.m. and Newspaper Archives at 2:30 p.m.

In addition, there will be a self-guided tour of the library’s local history and genealogy collections, including family histories, cemetery records, city directories and high school yearbooks.

“We hope people come away excited about discovering their own family stories and knowing that the library offers free genealogy resources to help them every step of the way,” Johnson said.

Registration is requested and can be completed by visiting the library’s event calendar at tusclibrary.org or by calling 330-364-4474. The Main Library and Operations Center is at 121 Fair Ave. NW in New Philadelphia.

The DNA Test Kit Market has emerged as a transformative segment in biotechnology and personal healthcare, offering individuals insights into ancestry, genetic health risks, and personalized wellness. DNA test kits allow users to collect samples at home and receive detailed genetic reports, empowering informed health decisions and personalized lifestyle choices. The growing consumer interest in genetic testing, coupled with advancements in genomics, has propelled the market forward.

Increasing awareness of hereditary diseases, preventive healthcare, and personalized medicine is driving demand. Moreover, declining costs of DNA sequencing and rapid technological improvements in testing accuracy are contributing to broader adoption. Both direct-to-consumer (DTC) kits and clinical-grade DNA testing solutions are witnessing rising traction across regions.

Click for sample report – https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/7259

Market Overview

The global DNA Test Kit Market is projected to experience robust growth, fueled by rising consumer awareness, technological advancements, and supportive healthcare policies. Key drivers include:

• Increasing adoption of direct-to-consumer genetic testing
• Rising demand for personalized healthcare and wellness solutions
• Technological advancements improving test accuracy and reducing cost
• Growth in online platforms facilitating easy kit delivery and result access

Market Statistics (2024–2032):

• 2024 Market Size: USD 1.84 billion
• 2032 Forecasted Market Size: USD 6.26 billion
• CAGR (2025–2032): 16.56%

Major applications include ancestry testing, health risk assessment, pharmacogenomics, and lifestyle recommendations.

Growth Insights

The DNA Test Kit Market is poised for strong expansion over the coming years:

• Health & Wellness Applications: Consumers are increasingly using DNA kits to identify hereditary risks, optimize diets, and guide fitness routines.
• Ancestry & Genealogy: Rising curiosity about personal heritage is a key growth driver for ancestry-focused DNA kits.
• Clinical Adoption: Hospitals and diagnostic centers are incorporating DNA testing for preventive health screening and personalized treatment planning.
• Technological Innovations: Advanced sequencing technologies, AI-driven analysis, and improved sample collection methods are enhancing reliability and user experience.
• Regional Trends: North America leads the market with high consumer awareness and advanced healthcare infrastructure, while Asia-Pacific is witnessing rapid growth due to expanding awareness and rising disposable incomes.

Market Stats:

• 2024: USD 1.84 billion
• 2032: USD 6.26 billion
• CAGR: 16.56%
• Direct-to-consumer kits expected to account for over 60% of market revenue by 2030
• Asia-Pacific projected to grow at 18% CAGR due to healthcare accessibility and awareness campaigns

Key Market Segments

By Product Type:

• Saliva-based DNA test kits
• Blood-based DNA test kits
• Buccal swab test kits

By Application:

• Ancestry & Genealogy
• Health Risk & Disease Prediction
• Lifestyle & Fitness Guidance
• Pharmacogenomics

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Leading players in the DNA Test Kit Market focus on product innovation, partnerships, and regional expansion. Strategies include:

• Developing faster, accurate, and easy-to-use kits
• Expanding direct-to-consumer channels and online sales platforms
• Collaborating with healthcare providers for clinical applications
• Offering AI-powered genetic insights and personalized reports

Conclusion

The DNA Test Kit Market is projected to grow from USD 1.84 billion in 2024 to USD 6.26 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 16.56%. Rising consumer interest in personalized health, ancestry exploration, and preventive medicine is driving widespread adoption. Technological advancements, cost-effective solutions, and increasing accessibility are further enhancing market growth. The future outlook remains highly positive, positioning DNA test kits as an essential tool in personalized healthcare and wellness.

Leon Pantoya

After a tenacious three-year investigation that employed modern forensic science, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) in Colorado has announced an arrest in connection with the 2022 homicide of Steven Robinson, a man whose remains were discovered in a shallow grave.

On Thursday, September 26, 2025—exactly three years and a day after the initial discovery—PCSO detectives and the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Leon Pantoya, a 43-year-old Pueblo man, on a warrant for first-degree murder. Pantoya was also charged with identity theft and theft, and has been booked into the Pueblo County Jail.

The complex case, led by Detective Vanessa Simpson, began on September 25, 2022, when a property owner in the 3500 block of 36th Lane reported finding possible human remains in a field. Forensic analysis confirmed the remains were human, and an autopsy later determined the victim had died from blunt force and sharp force trauma, ruling the manner of death a homicide.

Genetic Genealogy Key to Identification

For over a year, the victim remained unidentified, despite being entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database and having a forensic artist’s reconstruction image publicly shared.

The major breakthrough came after the victim’s DNA was submitted to a genetic genealogy database with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In late 2024, a match with a relative led to the positive identification of the victim as 39-year-old Steven Robinson, originally from South Carolina, who had moved to Pueblo in 2017.

Financial Fraud Uncovered

Investigators soon discovered that Robinson had been living with Pantoya at the time of his death in early January 2022. Detectives learned Pantoya had informed Robinson’s friends and landlord that Robinson had died of pneumonia on January 22, 2022. Further investigation determined Robinson’s remains were buried on property owned by one of Pantoya’s relatives.

Crucially, the investigation also revealed that Pantoya had withdrawn more than $75,000 from Robinson’s bank account. This financial theft continued for over a year after Robinson’s death, as the victim’s military disability payments continued to be deposited into the account.

Sheriff David J. Lucero publicly praised the lead investigator, Detective Simpson. “Detective Simpson has been dedicated and committed to solving this case for years… She worked tirelessly not only to identify the victim but also to investigate the homicide and identify a suspect,” Sheriff Lucero said. “Bringing closure to this case is a testament to modern science and solid investigative police work.”

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with further information related to this case to contact Detective Simpson at (719) 583-6436.

It’s been 23 years, but Toronto police are still asking for help identifying a man who was found dead in a park.

The man was found May 22, 2003 in Humberwoods Park. An autopsy revealed his death was not suspicious, but police still don’t know who he is.

He is described as 50 to 60-years-old at the time of his death and therefore, was likely born in the 1940s or 50s.

Investigative Genetic Genealogy has shown the man was from Grenada, likely from the Birch Grove area in the parish of St. Andrew.

For more information, including his picture, click here.

Anyone with information can call police at 416-808-7411 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).

Homicide detectives in Nassau County shared new information about a decades-old cold case.

Susan Mann was 15 years old when she was last seen in Queens back in May 1980.

Two years later, her decomposing body was found in a dumpster in Freeport.

Detectives believe Mann was buried and moved from a location where she was buried sometime in 1980 and brought to the dumpster where she was found in 1982.

After her body was found, she was buried as a 'Jane Doe,' but police say her body was recently identified with 'investigative genealogy.'

Detectives say Mann was last seen wearing a striped top, blue jeans and sandals, and riding a bike that was never recovered.

Detectives want to hear from anyone who may have seen her in the Freeport area between 1980 and 1982 or who would have information that would lead to a suspect.

"We're looking for anybody that would have known her, would have been in the Freeport area during that time in '80 to '82 or anybody that thinks they have some kind of information that would lead to a suspect or an investigative lead to an arrest," Commanding officer of the Nassau County homicide squad, Stephen Fitzpatrick, said.

Two California sisters have been found alive and well. Jasmin and Elizabeth Ramos were located 36 years after they vanished as infants. They were discovered living under new names in their home state.

The breakthrough came from advanced DNA testing. This finally closed a decades-old missing persons case that began with the murder of their mother.

From Desert Tragedy to a New Life

The case dates back to 1989. The sisters’ mother, Marina Ramos, was found murdered in an Arizona desert. She was unidentified for over 30 years.

Authorities confirmed her identity in 2022 using fingerprint technology. This discovery triggered the search for her two missing daughters. According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the girls were just one month and 14 months old at the time.

A Loving Home and a Cold Case

Investigators revealed the sisters were abandoned in a public bathroom in Oxnard, California. This happened just two days after their mother’s body was discovered. A passerby heard crying and found the babies on a wet floor.

Police were called. The girls were placed into foster care and later adopted. They were raised together in what officials described as a loving home.

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office stated the foster parents were unaware of the children’s status as missing persons. The sisters were located on August 27, 2025, after a DNA match.

The discovery of Jasmin and Elizabeth Ramos brings a bittersweet conclusion to a heartbreaking chapter, yet the search for their mother’s killer continues as a top priority for investigators.

A local study of the economic impact of Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism was released today during a public presentation at the Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd.

The report, “Preservation is About the Future: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism in Fort Wayne,” was presented by Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics, an internationally recognized firm that provides analysis of the economic impacts of historic preservation. The event was part of the Indiana State Historic Preservation Conference, “Preserving Historic Places,” taking place September 30 - October 3 in Fort Wayne.

Key findings of the study include:

• Since 2001, investments in local historic tax credit rehabilitation projects reached $340 million and supported 258 jobs annually.
• In 2024, heritage visitors spent more than $313 million in Fort Wayne, supporting approximately 3,000 year-round jobs.
• In 2024, the average home value in local historic districts was 13 percent higher than the rest of the city.
• Housing in historic districts have a range of types and costs, making them accessible to households of all incomes. For example, 61 percent of households in local districts earn less than the city’s median income.
• Even excluding the banner year of 2024 with the Electric Works project, over the last 15 years an average of 139 direct jobs and an additional 90 indirect and induced jobs were created by investment in Fort Wayne’s historic districts. If historic rehabilitation were a single business, it would be among the largest 50 industries in Fort Wayne.

“Fort Wayne’s commitment to historic preservation has fostered job creation, tax revenue and investment while also supporting diverse, affordable housing options in walkable, high-density neighborhoods,” said Rypkema. “Fort Wayne’s heritage tourism destinations add to the quality of life for residents and boost the local economy.”

The Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism study was made possible by funding from the City of Fort Wayne, the Efroymson Family Fund, the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center and Visit Fort Wayne.

The full study can be found at https://engage.cityoffortwayne.org/economic-impacts-historic-preservation-heritage-tourism-study or visit https://Engage.CityofFortWayne.org and search for historic preservation study. A summary with key facts is attached, as is a photo of the cover of the report.

In November 2006, a woman was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. The victim was working after-hours at a local business when a man she did not know attacked her in the parking lot and forced her inside a building. Once inside the building, the woman was sexually assaulted by the man. The Horry County Police Department responded, launching an investigation and the collection of evidence.

DNA evidence was collected and an STR profile was developed for the unknown suspect. The STR profile was uploaded to CODIS, but no match was found to any known individual. However, the profile did match to multiple other unsolved crime scene profiles that had been previously submitted to CODIS, linking the suspect to several unrelated crimes, though their identity remained unknown.

In December 2020, with no leads on the suspect’s identity, the Horry County Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists developed a DNA extract from the evidence and applied Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile of the man. Using this profile, Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team conducted a genetic genealogy search and generated new investigative leads, which were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted by the law enforcement agency, which led investigators to identify the suspect as 60-year-old Randy Barnhill of Conway, South Carolina. Barnhill was arrested and on September 30, 2025, he pleaded guilty to rape, kidnapping, and burglary. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The identification of Randy Barnhill marks the seventh publicly announced case in South Carolina solved with the help of technology developed by Othram. Although Barnhill’s DNA profile had been in CODIS for years, tied to multiple unsolved crimes, he could not be identified because his identity was not already in the database. This case illustrates why advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy are so critical: if a suspect’s identity is not in CODIS, traditional methods cannot provide answers. Barnhill was a serial predator who posed an ongoing threat, and solving this one case instantly helped resolve several other cases.

Visit DNASolves to learn about other South Carolina cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.