The case was cold for five decades before genetic genealogy experts at Ramapo College looked at DNA from a stocking cap left at the scene.

 A Minnesota man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading "no contest" in court to killing a Minneapolis woman he picked up hitchhiking five decades ago. 

Jon Keith Miller was charged last November with first-degree intentional homicide for the killing of 25-year-old Mary Schlais. She was found dead in the town of Spring Brook, Wisconsin, on February 15, 1974. Miller was 33 at the time. 

The case was cold for five decades despite a stocking cap being left at the scene and a witness seeing Miller's car. The witness misremembered the car's color, leading Miller to believe he "got away with it." 

Miller spoke to KARE 11, admitting to reporter Lou Raguse he wanted to have sex with Schlais and stabbed her when she said no. He said he didn't know his stocking cap was left behind until officers investigating the case showed him a photo of it in 2024. In court Thursday, video was played by the prosecution where Miller told investigators that the photo he was being shown was of his cap. 

The cold case heated up when genetic genealogy experts at Ramapo College looked at DNA from that stocking cap. It's the same method that has been used to solve cold cases across the country since it was famously used to catch the Golden State Killer in 2018. 

Miller told Raguse he planned to plead guilty "because I know I am. Why go through all the mess?" he said. "Put me away for the rest of my life." 

In court on Thursday, Miller was given the opportunity to speak but chose not to. A portion of his interview with KARE 11 was played by the prosecution, when he said he didn't think of the murder much over the past 50 years. 

Schlais was a University of Minnesota honors graduate living in Minneapolis in 1974. She was hitchhiking to Chicago for an art show. Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd said at the November press conference announcing the charges that back then it "wasn't that unusual to hitchhike from Minneapolis to Chicago. But stories like this are the reason we don't let our kids do that anymore."

Family members of Schlais were in court Thursday to watch the verdict. 

• Bankrupt 23andMe will be allowed to sell customers’ genetic data to other companies. The company claims its security measures surrounding the data will remain in place, but its privacy policy says it can change those procedures at any time. 23andMe customers do have a way to delete their genetic and ancestral data, however.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled DNA-testing company 23andMe, which filed for bankruptcy Sunday,  has the right to sell customers’ medical and ancestry data to potential bidders. Offers will be due on May 7, and a final hearing will be held in June.

Once the hottest start-up in Silicon Valley, shares for the San Francisco-based company soared as much as 158% on Thursday. Investors see the sensitive data of 23andMe’s 15 million customers as the company’s most valuable asset.

After 23andMe set hurried deadlines for potential bidders, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian C. Walsh later delayed those dates by two weeks to gratify his schedule as well as to allow creditors a chance to evaluate before the court arrives at a decision. 

While genetic data of 23andMe’s customers will be up for grabs, the company says security measures will remain in place surrounding customer data. The company will continue to be “transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction,” board chairman Mark Jensen said in a statement. 

According to the company’s privacy policy, in a bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition, sensitive customer data will carry the same contingencies, but the policy also mentions that these procedures can be changed at will. 23andMe emphasized any potential bidders must agree to comply with the company’s security measures concerning customer data, according to its privacy policy.

“There’s health insurance companies that are interested in this data, there’s life insurance companies that are interested in this data,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told ABC News7 earlier this week.

How to delete your data

While 23andMe claims user data will remain protected, the company also allows users to wipe their data from the platform. Here’s how to do it.

Once logged into your account, toggle over to the “Settings” portion of your profile. Find the “23andMe” data section located at the bottom of the page, then click “view.” Users can opt to download their data at this stage. Then, users can scroll to the “Delete Data” section and select the “Permanently Delete Data” option. 23andMe will make users confirm their request via email, and once more through a link. 

Customers who have chosen to have saliva samples preserved by 23andMe previously can request they be discarded via the settings page under “Preferences.” Additionally, if a user has allowed their data from 23andMe to be used by third-party researchers, they can withdraw their consent within the setting page under “Research and Product Consents.”

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives:

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2025 — On March 18, 2025 President Donald J. Trump declassified previously-classified records within the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection, following the issuance of Executive Order 14176 on January 23, 2025. 

In what was one of the largest single releases of records in U.S. history, the National Archives released and made available over 80,000 pages of previously classified records in under 24 hours. 

The National Archives staff worked with The White House and partner agencies across the federal government to coordinate the release of the records.

“Last week, the National Archives delivered transparency to the American people in the most high-profile project in the Agency’s recent history,” said Jim Byron, Senior Adviser to the Acting Archivist of the United States, who was appointed in February by President Trump to manage the Agency day-to-day. 

Byron continued: “The lion’s share of thanks goes to the archivists, archival technicians, and digitization and web teams for leaping into action to execute the mission of the National Archives.”

While digitization of the records and materials continues, most are available to access online at Archives.gov/JFK, and all are available in person at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Records are continuing to become available online as they are digitized. 

The efforts of the federal government to declassify and release these records have proven to be of tremendous interest. In the last eight days, these records have been the top downloaded files from any U.S. federally-hosted website, according to analytics.usa.gov. 

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection consists of over six million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recording, and artifacts. Digitization of the entire collection remains a top priority for the National Archives. 

 The City Archives and Special Collections will present the second-annual GenFest on April 5 at Dillard University’s Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd.). With GenFest, the City Archives brings together southeastern Louisiana genealogical, preservation, historical and cultural organizations to share their missions and stories with festival attendees and each other. 

The event will feature exhibits from regional genealogical, historical, cultural and preservation organizations; informational programs from local experts; and a diverse panel about this year’s GenFest theme, creating community and history with one another. Christina Bryant, director of the City Archives & Special Collections, said the theme is especially relevant to New Orleans, where a person’s community is more than just their nuclear family.  

“Our identities and communities are also made up of where we lived, went to school, our neighborhoods, extended family and much more,” said Bryant. “We are very excited that we have been able to expand this year’s GenFest to provide more amazing community partners to interact with our attendees. I hope the day encourages people to connect with each other, learn more about their history and celebrate community.” 

A new Housing Authority of New Orleans digital photograph collection featuring over 300 images from the 1940s-1970s will also be unveiled at GenFest. To accompany the new collection, Leonard Smith III will give the keynote presentation called “A Place Called Desire: HANO Records and Legacy.” 

GenFest will feature three additional presentations, “Discovering Josephine” presented by Gaynell Brady, “Uncovering the Past: Plantation History, Enslaved Narratives and Descendant Research” presented by Ja’el “YaYa” Gordon, and How Cemetery Destructions Affected Louisiana Law,” presented by Ryan Seidemann 

GenFest 2025 is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and LA Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service. Friends of the New Orleans Public Library Executive Director Shannan Cvitanovic said last year’s program was a “wonderful success,” and they are thrilled to watch it grow. 

“Last year we expected 250 attendees and welcomed over twice as many,” said Cvitanovic. “It shows how many people are interested in local history and how that history connects to their families’ stories. We cannot wait to welcome even more people this year. My hope is that this becomes an annual event welcoming people from all over Southern Louisiana.” 

For details and up-to-date information, visit nolalibrary.co/GenFest2024.

Do you ever feel like you're actually royalty? If the answer is yes, you might want to take a look at your genealogy and find out for sure. It was recently revealed that pop music's queen, Taylor Swift, shares a familial connection with the French monarch Louis XIV. With MyHeritage’s extensive historical record database and genealogy tools, the company was able to trace Swift’s lineage back to the 17th century. According to MyHeritage, Swift and the longest-reigning monarch in European history are 11th cousins. Who knows what your family history could reveal!

MyHeritage offers a DNA testing kit and a comprehensive genealogy subscription that is currently available at a 56% discount right now with a 30-day free trial of the MyHeritage subscription. The plan provides access to 34 billion historical records and 53.8 million family trees, making it easier than ever to explore your family history.

Explore your family connections with MyHeritage

With MyHeritage, you can build your family tree online, discover automatic matches to other family trees and enhance historical photos with the platform's advanced tools. The automatic search technology and consistency checker helps make sure that your family tree is as accurate and complete as it can be.

Why should you choose MyHeritage?

• Extensive records: Access to billions of historical records and family trees.
• Advanced tools: Features like automatic record matches, photo enhancement and consistency checks.
• User-friendly interface: Easy to build and grow your family tree online.
• Special offer: Enjoy a 14-day free trial and 50% off subscriptions.

It should be noted that in the wake of 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, users are focused on deleting their data from the platform and simultaneously looking for alternatives to help them continue exploring their family history. 

How secure is MyHeritage?

MyHeritage takes the security of personal data very seriously. The company says that they regularly update its security protocols to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities. Here are some key measures the company says they employ to help keep your information safe:

1. Privacy settings: Users can customize their privacy settings to control who can view their family tree and DNA data.
2. Data encryption: All data transferred between your device and MyHeritage servers is encrypted so your information is protected during transmission.
3. Two-factor authentication: MyHeritage offers 2FA, which requires you to provide two forms of identification before accessing your account. This adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for unauthorized users to gain access.
4. Strong password requirements: MyHeritage encourages users to create strong passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
5. Commitment to privacy: MyHeritage has a strict privacy policy and does not sell or license users' DNA data to third parties.

The City Archives and Special Collections of the New Orleans Public Library will host its second-annual GenFest on Friday, April 5, 2025, at Dillard University’s Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd.). The event will bring together southeastern Louisiana’s top genealogical, preservation, cultural, and historical organizations for a one-day festival that celebrates heritage, family history, and community storytelling.

Celebrating Community and Local History

This year’s theme, “Creating Community and History With One Another,” speaks to the heart of what makes New Orleans unique. Christina Bryant, Director of the City Archives & Special Collections, emphasized the significance of shared spaces and experiences in shaping our identities.

“Our identities and communities are also made up of where we lived, went to school, our neighborhoods, extended family and much more,” Bryant said. “We are very excited that we have been able to expand this year’s GenFest to provide more amazing community partners to interact with our attendees.”

The event aims to encourage attendees to connect with one another, explore personal and regional history, and reflect on how community shapes our individual and collective legacies.

What to Expect at GenFest 2025

GenFest will feature:

• Exhibits from regional genealogical and historical organizations

• Informational programs led by local experts

• A diverse discussion panel on this year’s theme

• Interactive booths with cultural and preservation organizations

One of the major highlights of this year’s conference is the debut of a new digital photograph collection from the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). This collection features more than 300 images from the 1940s to the 1970s and offers rare insight into the city’s residential history.

Keynote and Featured Presentations

Leonard Smith III will deliver the keynote presentation, “A Place Called Desire: HANO Records and Legacy,” offering a powerful narrative on the city’s housing history.

Additional sessions include:

• “Discovering Josephine” by Gaynell Brady

• “Uncovering the Past: Plantation History, Enslaved Narratives, and Descendant Research” by Ja’el “YaYa” Gordon

• “How Cemetery Destructions Affected Louisiana Law” by Ryan Seidemann

Each speaker brings a unique and insightful perspective on Louisiana’s complex historical and genealogical narratives.

Community Support and Growing Interest

GenFest 2025 is proudly sponsored by:

• Friends of the New Orleans Public Library

• Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

• Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation

• National Park Service

Shannan Cvitanovic, Executive Director of the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, said last year’s event far exceeded expectations.

“Last year we expected 250 attendees and welcomed over twice as many,” Cvitanovic said. “It shows how many people are interested in local history and how that history connects to their families’ stories.”

Plan Your Visit to GenFest

GenFest 2025 will take place:

• Date: Friday, April 5, 2025

• Location: Dillard University – Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd., New Orleans, LA)

The event is free and open to the public.

For the full schedule, speaker updates, and additional event details, visit the official GenFest page: nolalibrary.co/GenFest2024

A 1986 murder victim has been identified after a cold case investigative unit combined forces with a forensic genetic genealogy company. 

Hunters found a set of male human remains in a wooded area in Gilmer County, Georgia, on Aug. 9, 1986, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The remains were described as partially skeletal, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. They had also been scattered, police said, suggesting animal activity. An autopsy ruled the manner of death as a homicide, but no identification could be made.

The details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Gilmer County Sheriff's Office "investigated numerous leads to identify the remains, but to no avail," the bureau said. 

In February 2024, the bureau began working with Othram, a company that has used advanced DNA testing to solve crimes and identify remains. The company was able to take a sample from the remains and develop a comprehensive genealogy profile, it said in a news release. That profile was then used to search for new leads in the case. Investigators traveled across the country as part of the follow-up, Othram said, and contacted and tested possible relatives. 

They finally identified a set of relatives who were able to identify the man as David Clary, who was in his late 20s when he was killed. He grew up in the area of Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time of his death, he traveled frequently to Georgia, according to Othram. 

Clary's family was told of his identification in February 2025, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. 

A criminal investigation into Clary's death remains active, the bureau said. 

The Joe and Nellie Parriott Archival Center has opened its doors, offering a new hub for genealogy and local history research in the Ohio Valley. 

Initiated by Jim Stultz, president of the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library, the center, located at 509 Morton Ave., aims to collect and preserve the rich history of Moundsville, originally known as Elizabethtown before its name change in the 1860s.

"I just think it's important for people to understand where they came from, how they originally settled in this town," said Tanner Skym, the center's archivist.

The center boasts collections from across the Ohio Valley dating back to the 1800s and is in the process of digitizing these materials to make them accessible online. 

"I'm excited to digitize these collections, have them available for people online and all around the area and even across the country," Skym said.

With hundreds of photos and books now available, Skym hopes the center will attract more visitors eager to trace their lineage.

The center is also set to collaborate with the Marshall County Historical Society on upcoming projects. 

"We are going to make a podcast titled Marshall County Memoirs," Skym said. "In this, we plan to interview many people around the area, and just talk about at any point in time, any history of families, and we are very excited to start that project."

Currently, the center is open by appointment only. For more information, contact Skym at (304) 843-1082 or via email at tanner.skym@wvlc.lib.wv.us.

We wanted to provide a progress report on the digitization of the War of 1812 Pension Files. We’ve added over a thousand new pension files to Fold3 in the past three months. Most of these are for surnames beginning with the letter “S” or “T.”  Pension files contain clues about your ancestors, their family, and their military service. We’ve randomly selected one pension file to illustrate the type of details you can find in these important records.

David Swinehart is a Pennsylvania veteran of the War of 1812. His 92-page pension file was recently digitized. His file reveals:

1. Name: The cover page of Swinehart’s pension file reveals two possible spellings for his name (Swinehart and Scheinhart). That’s our clue to remember to search for additional records using both spelling variations.
2. Widow’s Name: A widow’s name was commonly included. In Swinehart’s file, we learn his widow Catharine’s maiden name was Longaker.
3. Birthdate: Sometimes, you will find a birthdate for veterans and widows in pension files. Other times, you’ll find the veteran’s or widow’s current age when certain records were submitted. With that information, you can still narrow down a veteran’s birth year.  
4. Death: Pension files often contain the death date for both veteran and widow. 
5. Physical Description: Your ancestor may have died before photography was available, but a pension file may include a physical description.  
6. Occupation: Pension files may reveal the soldier’s occupation before and after the war.
7. Did a Widow Remarry: If a soldier’s widow remarried, the pension file usually includes her new husband’s name and death date if he is also deceased.
8. Dependents/Children of Veteran: Affidavits supporting a pension application may list the names and birthdates of the veteran’s children. This pension file reveals two of Swinehart’s children’s names, birthdates, and residences.  
9. Military Regiment/Militia: A pension file contains information on which unit a soldier served with and who the commanding officer was. Be sure to search for records related to both. You might uncover details that don’t mention your ancestor by name but provide a greater understanding of his military experience.  
10. Widow’s Certificates: When a veteran or widow applied for a pension, officials created a file and gave it a number. W.O. or S.O. refers to the Widow’s or Survivor’s Original. When pension officials granted the pension, it became known as the W.C. or S.C. for the Widow’s Certificate or the Survivor’s Certificate.
11. Residence: By the time Swinehart applied for a pension, he was living in Ohio – even though he served in Pennsylvania. Be sure to search records in both states. Swinehart’s pension reveals that he moved to Ohio in 1849. Even if you are confident your ancestor lived in a particular state, don’t limit your searches for pension files to that state. He may have enlisted in a different state.
12. Bounty Land: You might find evidence of bounty land or a bounty land certificate in a pension file. Your veteran may be living in a different state because he received bounty land there. This pension file reveals a Claim of Widow for Bounty Land and a Land Warrant.
13. Dates of and Locations of Enlistment and Discharge: In many cases, the original records proving enlistment or discharge were lost or destroyed. Swinehart’s pension file notes that his discharge papers were lost but includes dates for enlistment and discharge.
14. Proof of Marriage. A veteran’s widow needed to provide proof of marriage. Pension files might include a page from the family bible, affidavits from extended family, neighbors, or clergy, or even a marriage certificate.
15. Ability to Read/Write: We commonly encounter pension files in which the pensioner or spouse signs their name with a mark, indicating they are illiterate.
16. Affidavits: Pension files contain affidavits from family members, neighbors, and fellow soldiers to prove the applicant served in the war or to prove his marriage or dependents. These affidavits are a great way to make connections. David Swinehart’s file includes an affidavit from his brother, Joseph Swinehart. George Swinehart, likely another relative, witnessed Joseph’s affidavit. These names give us more clues to research.
17. Varied Details: Each pension file is unique. Swinehart’s file contains a tracing of his original signature and letters from 1914, where his descendants appealed to the Bureau of Pensions to determine if David Swinehart ever claimed his Bounty Land.

Explore our free War of 1812 Pension Files Collection today and learn more about your ancestor’s military service on Fold3.