Since President Trump retook office on January 20, libraries and librarianship have been assaulted via executive orders and other actions.

While the legality of many of these actions is still being decided by the courts, librarians, archivists, and other information professionals have been working through the confusion to preserve access to information. Below are several examples of the challenges libraries have faced over the past two months and the ways in which librarians and advocates have responded—and continue to respond.

Institute of Museum and Library Services threatened

On March 14, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to eliminate “non-statutory components and functions.” While it is unclear which of IMLS’s functions will be determined statutory or nonstatutory, IMLS staff jobs and funding for library programsacross the country are at risk. An American Library Association (ALA) statement and call to action released on March 15 opposes the order, highlights many ways that “libraries of all types translate 0.003% of the federal budget into programs and services used in more than 1.2 billion in-person patron visits every year, and many more virtual visits.”
White House, Mar. 14; ALA, Mar. 18; AL: The Scoop, Mar. 16

Previously available public data deleted

Starting in late January 2025, thousands of federal web pages have been altered or removed, preventing public access to information on a range of topics related to science, health, equity, and foreign assistance programs, among others. In response, information professionals are banding together to preserve the affected information and provide alternative access. The Data Rescue Project, maintained by a consortium of three data organizations, is the clearinghouse for these efforts, tracking who is rescuing which data and where it can be found now. The project’s website also highlights libraries across the country providing patrons with information on how to access federal data and help preserve it.
The New York Times, Feb. 2; Wired, Feb. 1; The New Yorker, Mar. 14; The Data Rescue Project

Employees fired from federal libraries and the National Archives

There is no official tally yet of federal library workers who have lost jobs from Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, but probationary federal employees—those who have been at their jobs less than two years—have been fired  at multiple federally operated presidential libraries. At the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, firings forced the library to close for a day. Firings have also hit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library Museum and Boyhood Home in Independence, Missouri, and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas.

At the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Colleen Shogan, former archivist of the United States—a position that oversees government records—was fired on February 7 by President Trump. US Deputy Archivist William “Jay” Bosanko subsequently chose to retire. ALA signed a joint letter to the White House on February 11 outlining the threats these staffing changes pose to the collective memory of the country and Americans’ ability to access their history. The Society of American Archivists also issued a statementcondemning the firing at NARA and employees at other cultural institutions.
WBUR (Boston), Feb. 19; KSHB-TV (Kansas City, Mo.), Feb. 18; CBS News, Feb. 7; CBS News, Feb. 15;Freedom of the Press Foundation, Feb. 12; Society of American Archivists, Feb. 25

Books removed from school libraries on military bases

As a result of executive orders aimed at removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) materials from federal spaces, school libraries on military bases have been told to remove for review books the Department of Defense describes as “potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics.” Books flagged for review include No Truth Without Ruth, a biographical picture book about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, written by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Nancy Zhang; Freckleface Strawberry, a picture book by actor Julianne Moore, and Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by Vice President J. D. Vance. On February 2, ALA and the American Association of School Librarians released a statement calling the order calling the order “censorship of legitimate views and opinions that violates the First Amendment rights of those who serve our nation and their families.” On March 6, hundreds of students on Defense Department campuses in Europe and Asia staged a coordinated protest of the removal of library books and other materials.
The Guardian, Feb. 13; PEN America, Feb. 19; ALA, Feb. 2; Stars and Stripes, Mar. 6

The fates of federal grants remain unclear

The Trump administration’s January call for a pause to all federal grants through the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) has led to conflicting guidance from OBM on which programs will be defunded—although there has been a marked focus on ending DEI-related programs. Two separate injunctions have been levied against the funding pauses in federal courts in Rhode Island and in Washington, D.C. With federal funding in limbo, organizations have come out in support of further funding for cultural institutions—including the Authors Guild, EveryLibrary, and the American Alliance of Museums. ALA’s Show Up for Our Librariesinitiative calls on supporters to share stories of how libraries have benefited their communities and provides other tools to illustrate to government officials the importance of library funding.
NPR, Jan. 29; NPR, Jan. 31; NPR, Jan. 28; The Authors Guild, Mar. 5; EveryLibrary, Jan. 28; American Alliance of Museums, Jan. 28; ALA, Jan. 22

Kathryn Donohue

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit charged 82-year-old Rodger Zodas Brown with the 1979 murder of Kathryn Donohue in Glenarden, MD, following advancements in forensic genetic genealogy. Brown, who lived in Hyattsville at the time of the crime, was arrested in North Carolina and faces extradition to Prince George’s County on charges of first-degree murder, rape, and related offenses.

Per the news release distributed on Tuesday, March 18: “The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit identified and charged a man for an unsolved murder that occurred more than 45 years ago in Glenarden. The suspect, 82-year-old Rodger Zodas Brown of Pinehurst, North Carolina, is now in custody for the 1979 murder of 31-year-old Kathryn Donohue of Arlington, VA.

 On March 3, 1979, a citizen walking through a parking lot in the 8400 block of Hamlin Street located the victim’s body and called police. The PGPD’s Homicide Unit responded and opened an investigation into the victim’s rape and murder, which despite an extensive, years-long investigation, remained unsolved.

PGPD Cold Case Unit detectives sought and obtained court authorization to initiate a forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis in connection to this case. Thanks to advancements in both DNA and genetic genealogy, in late 2024, the FBI Baltimore Field Office was able to identify a relative of the unknown male suspect. Additional investigation ultimately led to the identification of the suspect, Rodger Brown. With the assistance of the Moore County Sheriff’s Office (NC) and FBI Charlotte Field Office, he was arrested at his home in North Carolina last week. Brown lived in Hyattsville at the time of the murder in 1979. While this remains an active investigation, at this time, there is no known connection between the victim and suspect.

Brown is charged with first degree murder, rape and related charges. He remains in North Carolina pending extradition to Prince George’s County.”

Kerryn Tate was murdered in 1979, and advancements in DNA technology have identified a suspect in the case.  (Supplied: WA Police)

Described as WA's biggest cold case breakthrough since the introduction of new DNA technology, the naming of Terence John Fisher as a suspect in the 1979 murder of Perth woman Kerryn Tate created headlines around the country.

But for those who specialise in genetics and forensic work it came as no surprise, and they believe it could be part of the new normal when it comes to solving old crimes.

"I'd be expecting this to happen in quite a lot of cold cases now," said Dr Jemma Berry, who has a PhD in genetics, and lectures in genetics and forensic science at Edith Cowan University.

Police say those who had believed they had gotten away with major violent crimes can no longer rest easy.

Senior Constable Lisa Rosenberg issued a warning to criminals that advancements in DNA technology would mean more cold cases are solved.  (ABC News )

"Finally they're looking over their shoulder, instead of the victims and their families," said Senior Constable Lisa Rosenberg, who specialises in Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) with WA Police.

She played a major role in the breakthrough case of Ms Tate.

"If someone knocks on the door or they're getting pulled over, we'll be coming for you," Senior Constable Rosenberg said.

Terence John Fisher died in 2000, but he has now been named as a suspect in the 1979 murder of Kerryn Tate. (Supplied: WA Police)

The breakthrough was possible due to new techniques in tracing DNA in investigations.

How exactly does it work?

Thanks to a spike in the popularity of ancestry websites as people look to learn more about their family history, police have access to more DNA data, which they can use to identify familial matches.

The DNA databases providing answers to unsolved mysterie

Federal, state and territory police forces have started solving cases using official police access to private genealogy databases, which combined, hold the DNA records of millions of people.

"This is not necessarily a development in DNA technology, these ancestry websites and the DNA analysis has been around for a really long time, it's just a totally different way of looking at the DNA," Dr Berry said.

"What they're really looking for is familial relationships, links to other people in a suspect's family tree that they can then use to start their genetic search.

"And then finding those links to people in that family tree that could then potentially be a suspect for these cases."

But the method requires a remarkable amount of time and resources, which the Tate case illustrates.

It involved going through the profiles of more than 10,000 people, all the way back to the 1600s.

"Most of our matches were six to seven generations away from our person," Senior Constable Rosenberg said. 

"We have four people in our team and we worked on this pretty much non-stop for 12 months until we identified that one person."

Can my family data be used?

Police have downplayed concerns people may have regarding law enforcement having access to their DNA profiles, emphasising the information from the websites is publicly accessible, and those who use the sites have the option as to whether they allow the data to be shared with police.

"I can't see the concerns and if people don't want to upload they don't have to, but if they've already got their DNA on these databases, millions of people worldwide are seeing that data, so I don't see why we can't," Ms Rosenberg said.

"That's all we see, just what they see.

Police currently only have access to two DNA databases.  (ABC News)

"If you're allowing all of these millions of strangers around the world to look at your DNA data, it's not a big question for me to tick that box and allow law enforcement to solve serious crimes."

Dr Berry said she would also have no concerns sharing her data.

"I personally haven't done anything that the police need to worry about, but that doesn't say some third cousin twice removed in my family might not have," she said.

"But you know what, I'd rather they get caught and prosecuted for something like that than be left free in the community."

Do police have access to enough data?

For now, WA Police only have access to the databases of two genealogy websites.

It's prompted a public plea for people to upload their DNA and make it available to them, to help police solve violent crimes.

"We use GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA at the moment," Senior Constable Rosenberg said.

Police name suspect in 1979 cold case murder after DNA breakthrough

Photo shows A head and shoulders profile shot of Terence John Fisher posing for a photo with a bushy beard.

Evolving DNA technology helps WA Police identify Terence John Fisher as a suspect in the cold case murder investigation of Perth woman Kerryn Tate.

"There are other databases starting up but the numbers are just too small for us to use at the moment.

"Of those, probably only 10 per cent have opted in for law enforcement.

"We're just asking members of the public to upload to GEDmatch or FamilyTreeDNA."

Do police expect more breakthroughs?

Experts describe DNA technology as forever improving, and as it evolves, it's hoped more cold case crimes can be solved more easily.

"It's a great investigative tool, and it's only getting better with technology and the changes that we see coming, we're only getting better," Ms Rosenberg said.

Dr Berry agrees.

"DNA technology is rapidly evolving, there's new things coming out all of the time," she said.

"With all the new advancements in DNA technology there's always an application for those in the forensic sphere."

Pat Sydlo-Arshan spent decades wondering about her Irish heritage, carrying fragments of family stories and newspaper clippings about relatives she'd never meet. At 73, she finally walked through the door of her great-grandfather's cottage in County Roscommon, Ireland — a home her family has maintained for over 200 years.

"Americans always know they're from somewhere else," the Port St. Lucie resident told TCPalm. "All these people are ones you've heard of in your head, but you would never imagine meeting them."

The journey to find her Irish family began with a DNA test and a message on Ancestry.com. A family genealogist in Ireland contacted Pat with news that would change her life. The genealogist's husband's uncle was a strong DNA match to Pat.

Her family's story, like many Irish immigrant tales, began during the aftermath of the Great Famine. In 1890, Pat's great-grandfather, Patrick, left the family cottage for America. As the eldest child, he carried his family's hopes and savings across the Atlantic, settling with wife Margaret in New York, where they remained active in Irish causes, sending money back to support those he'd left behind.

But the family's American story took a tragic turn. Pat's grandfather, Martin, who was Patrick's son, was killed in a train accident before Pat's mother was born. The tragedy left her mother disconnected from her paternal relatives; their stories preserved for Pat only in microfilmed newspapers she would later discover in the Bayonne Public Library in New Jersey.

In November, Pat took a three-week journey to Ireland, to reconnect these severed family ties. Her first stop was Roscommon, where her ancestors' cottage still stands. In Galway, she spent a day with her newfound cousin and his wife, who arrived bearing photographs of relatives long passed.

"They brought an entire bucket of pictures," Pat recalls, "showing me all the people I could never meet. They told me stories about them, told me who they were." The day ended in true Irish fashion — at a local pub with hot whiskies, creating new memories to replace the ones lost to time.

The journey's emotional peak came in Dublin, where the genealogist's family welcomed Pat with a special Thanksgiving dinner, thinking she'd missed the American holiday. "We were all sitting around saying this should be a movie," Pat laughed, suggesting Irish actress Saoirse Ronan could play her younger self.

For Pat, a retired English teacher who once briefly considered staying in Ireland during a trip 45 years ago, this homecoming held special significance. "I'm 73 years old and went all this while, always wondering about them," she reflects. "And someone gave me this gift of: these are your people."

Her family legacy now stretches from Ireland to America and even Australia, with cousins scattered across continents, all connected by DNA and a shared heritage. Pat's journey represents more than just a family reunion — it's a testament to the enduring bonds of ancestry and the power of modern technology to bridge centuries-old separations.

"They just love their heritage so much, they're so open and warm and friendly," Pat says of her Irish relatives. "I feel like I don't deserve that. I feel so lucky." Then, with a smile, she adds, "I guess you could say it's the luck of the Irish!"

Thanks to our partners at the Railroad House Historical Association and Museum in Sanford, North Carolina, DigitalNC is proud to announce that a variety of records relating to our state’s railroad history are now available online! Ranging from as far back as 1894 (and as recently as 1984!), these materials encompass a variety of aspects relating to our state’s steam engines — from coal mining to passenger rail. They will join an already existing collection of materials from the Railroad House Museum uploaded earlier this year, deepening the digital presence of Lee County’s oldest building. Materials in this batch include annual reports, newspaper clippings, and ration books, as well as a collection of local high school yearbooks.

The front page of the Langdon-Henszey mortgage bill.

Ardent railroad fans will be pleased to know that DigitalNC now has a modest collection of Rail South, a bimonthly magazine written by and for locomotive aficionados. Each issue featured stories on train-spotting across the Southeastern United States, as well as updates on the construction and operation of major rail lines across North Carolina. Letters from conductors, union leaders, and trainspotters were also featured in each issue, granting the magazine a community-oriented and grassroots feel. Even if you’re not a train-head, these magazines are a fascinating glimpse into an industry, sub-culture, and even hobby that you may be unaware of. It’s somewhat amusing to flip through each issue and read perspectives on apparently longstanding and contentious topics, such as the disappearance of Chessie Coal Trains, or the relative rarity of color slides depicting “ICG SW14s.”

A personal highlight of this collection, however, is a mortgage deed dating from 1894. The deed was issued by the Langdon-Henszey Coal Mining Company for five hundred dollars, which was due in full twenty years after being issued. These deeds were given by the company to workers based out of then-Egypt, North Carolina (now known as Lumnock). It included stamps that were dated with each payment amount and due-date. The document is a wonderful piece of mining history, and demonstrates the centrality of coal corporations to its employees. On a logistical level, it’s wild to see how mortgage deeds worked before the advent of modern payment methods — before digital banking, one’s entire history resided in one collection of card-stock.

The front cover of this batch’s War Ration Book, given to Archie M Hubbard

Also included in this collection is a ration book from the second world war, which also charged its owner with maintaining a collection of stamps — to be cashed in exchange for household goods such as sugar, flour, and cloth. The book was created just fifty years after the Langdon-Henszey mortgage, and similarly grants us a glimpse into the everyday logistics of a pre-digital age. It’s interesting to note that neither the mortgage nor the ration book are exhausted of their stamps, suggesting that the recipient of the ration-book was perhaps more fiscally secure than the grantee of the mortgage.

Other items of note in this collection include dedication programs for railroad depots, timetables for passenger train rails to Asheville, and a written account of locomotive history within North Carolina. You can find the new rail memorabilia and yearbooks online now at DigitalNC. Interested in learning more about Lee County history? You can find our partners at the Railroad House Historical Association and Museum online at their partner page here, or search our collections by location here. Thanks again to our wonderful partners at the Railroad House Historical Association and Museum for making these records available.

Join the Belfast Free Library and the Wawenoc Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library for a presentation by Dana Murch titled, “Mysteries, Mistakes, and Surprises: Adventures in Maine Genealogy.”

Genealogy can be an adventure. In this presentation, Belfast resident and author Dana Murch will talk about some of the mysteries, mistakes, and surprises he has found while researching the Murch family of Maine.

These adventures include stories about King Philip, the Mayflower, child-bearing, genealogists, extra-marital affairs, birth and death records, cousins, George Washington, gravestones, granite, and Henry David Thoreau. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

The Wawenoc Chapter is part of the Maine Genealogical Society. It meets monthly on the third Wednesday at the Belfast Free Library. Genealogists of all abilities and skill-levels are encouraged to join. Annual dues for members are $5 and go toward speaker fees and supplies, but membership is not required to attend individual programs.

This event is free and open to the public. It is an in-person event, with a Zoom option available. Please email to request the link.

For more information, contact Sharon Pietryka at spietryka@belfastlibrary.org or 338-3884 ext. 25.

• A man uses dowsing rods, which he believes are affected by the Earth's magnetic field, to locate unmarked graves.
• He believes that disturbed earth from a burial creates a different magnetic field, causing the rods to cross.
• The man uses this method to help families find the unmarked graves of their loved ones.

Walking on a hilltop in an all-but-deserted town in Southwest Mississippi, a man searched for lost graves. Most graves in the area are unmarked, so he relies on copper, steel and the Earth's magnetic field to locate the dead.

"It's just some steel rods placed inside some copper tubing that lets them freewheel around," said Neil Randall of Slidell. "That's basically all it is."

The steel rods are bent at 90 degree angles in the shape of an "L". The short ends sit inside copper tubes that Randall uses as handles. He holds the rods in front of him with the longest parts of the rods parallel to the ground as he walks along. When the rods turn inward and cross, that indicates a grave.

"I believe they pick up the Earth's magnetic field," Randall said. "If dirt is disturbed it creates a different magnetic field than the Earth's normal magnetic field.

"That's what causes the crossing of the rods. Dirt that has been disturbed has a different magnetic field than dirt that hasn't been disturbed."

Finding graves in a lost Mississippi cemetery

Randall, a Vicksburg native, was recently working with a cousin, Trent Lewis, who owns The Cemetery Doctor. Lewis' business is cleaning and repairing headstones, clearing overgrown areas and bringing old cemeteries back to life.

On this rainy afternoon, the two were trying to find graves in what appears to be a Black section of a cemetery in Rodney that Lewis recently located adjacent to another section of cemetery that he and others have been trying to restore for a number of years.

Some of the graves have headstones and Randall, who enjoys genealogy, researched the names on them. "They were African-American, definitely," Randall said. "A number of them are on the 1900, 1910 census."

According to Britannica, dowsing appears to have first come into fashion in the Middle Ages and is a practice used to find a number of things including underground water sources. While Randall relies on metal rods, other methods call for forked sticks. The practice has its skeptics, but Randall believes it works.

Man finds more than graves through dowsing

Randall said he was introduced to dowsing when he purchased a set of the rods from a member of a historical society about 10 years ago. Randall said he first tried dowsing over known graves and found the method to be reliable.

"To my surprise, it worked," Randall said.

Randall said he can also determine the sex of the deceased. Holding a single rod over a grave, Randall said a clockwise motion indicates a male and a counterclockwise motion indicates female.

"I can't explain how it works, but it does work," Randall said.

Randall said it's exciting to find graves, but it can also bring a sense of satisfaction. He said he was recently able to locate an unmarked grave for a family that wants to provide a headstone for their departed relative.

"I feel like that was a success; giving the family a location where the grave is," Randall said.

• A forensic artist created this sculpture of a man found unidentified in Ormond Beach in 1982.
  

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for individuals with French Canadian or Irish Canadian ancestry who could help solve a 43-year-old cold case.

According to VCSO, deputies are collaborating with FHD Forensics to help identify a man who was found deceased in Ormond Beach on March 12, 1982. His skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area by two boys who were camping.

Since the man was found without any clothing, jewelry, or any personal effects, his death was ruled “suspicious.” He was approximately 5’7” tall, weighed around 150 pounds, and was likely born between 1935 and 1947.

FHP Forensics investigators, who have an average of 15 years of genealogical research experience, are hoping to collect additional DNA samples from people with similar backgrounds to the unidentified man. In addition to restoring the man’s identity, they are looking to help bring closure to his family.

The sheriff’s office states that the man’s ancestral ties are “French Canadian, with deeper Irish (Canadian) influence in both his maternal and paternal ancestry.”

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, VCSO released an image of the man, which was created by a forensic artist.

In addition to the man’s genetic ties to Ontario and Quebec in Canada, he also has genetic ties to Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan. Investigators believe that the man, or his family before him, may have lived in one of these areas before moving to Florida.

“(The man’s) distant ancestors include the surnames LeFevre, LaPoint, Bellenoit, Brosseau, Lerat, and Desjardins,” added VCSO.

For more information, including how to contribute a DNA sample, visit the Genealogy for Justice’s 1982 Volusia County John Doe webpage.

The following is a press release from the National Archives and Records Administration:

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2025 – The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will host a substantive forum, “Transparency and Access to NARA Records,” on Wednesday, March 19, at 1 p.m. ET. This program will headline Sunshine Week, an annual nonpartisan, nationwide collaboration bringing together those in media, civics, and government. The forum will be held online and livestreamed on the National Archives YouTube Channel. Those interested in transparency may also attend an in-person livestream in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Jill Reilly, NARA’s Acting Chief Innovation Officer, will moderate the forum, which will include a discussion with National Archives officials about NARA’s commitment to maximizing transparency and providing access to records. The discussion will focus on NARA’s efforts to digitize its records, leverage artificial intelligence, and improve its online experience for researchers. Reilly will be joined by Denise Henderson, Director of Digitization; Michael Knight, Director of Web Division; and Carol Lagundo, Director of Digital Partnerships and Outreach. This event is being offered in partnership with Sunshine Fest, organized and sponsored by the University of Florida’s Brechner Freedom of Information Project. For more information, visit https://sunshineweek.org/sunshine-fest/. More about past Sunshine Week at the National Archives programs: https://www.archives.gov/ogis/outreach-events/sunshine-week  Moderator and Speakers:  Jill Reilly is the Acting Chief Innovation Officer at the National Archives and Records Administration. Throughout her 20-year federal career, she has focused on digital engagement, access, and discovery. In addition to her 10 years at the National Archives, she has served at the National Agricultural Library with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Law Library of Congress, and the U.S. Department of Education. She holds a masters in library science with a concentration in archival administration and a master of arts in U.S. history from the University of Maryland Denise Henderson is the Director of Digitization for Research Services at the National Archives and Records Administration. In her role, Ms. Henderson coordinates digitization efforts to align with NARA's strategic goals and initiatives. These efforts include centralized mass digitization projects involving the systematic digitization of holdings, including textual, special media, and microfilm materials. From 2011 to 2018, Henderson worked in NARA's Office of Innovation in various roles including as the Chief of the Digital Public Access Branch. From 2007 to 2011, Henderson was a processing archivist in the Textual Services Division, where she successfully completed the Archivist Development Program in 2010 before attending the Archives Leadership Institute in 2011. She holds a masters in library science from the University of Maryland. Michael Knight serves as the Web Division Director in the Office of Innovation at the National Archives and Records Administration. Mr. Knight has led a wide range of website development projects that support NARA’s efforts to provide online public access to records and additional customer-focused resources. He is also a subject matter expert on agile product development methods and is a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP-SM), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He is a graduate of Delaware State University. Carol Lagundo started her career at the National Archives and Records Administration in 1993 and currently serves as the Director of Digital Partnerships and Outreach within the Office of Innovation. Ms. Lagundo has spent most of her NARA career managing IT software development projects to describe and provide online access to NARA’s holdings. She currently manages NARA’s digital partnerships and NARA’s digital reference platform History Hub and online chat Ask the Archives. She holds a FAC-PPM Level 3 certification. ###

In the 80's a woman was found dead in a wooded area in Orlando, Florida. It took years to identify the then Julie Doe.

After more than 36 years, a non-profit has identified the remains if a Kentucky trans woman who was murdered in Florida, according to a press release from the organization.

The DNA Doe Project (DDP) is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization with the mission to identify John and Jane Does and return them to their families and communities. They use investigative genealogy and work with local law enforcement to help identify people.

On September 25, 1988 a passerby looking for cypress wood to build lawn furniture discovered the body of a woman in a wooded area in the vicinity of Hwy 474 west of Orlando, Florida.

Authorities at the time suspected she had been sexually assaulted and murdered. 

Her initial autopsy in 1988 discovered she had healed fractures of her cheekbone and nose, along with a rib. She also had breast implants dated from before 1985. 

The original autopsy showed the woman as being a cisgender woman but it was later discovered she was a trans woman.

In 2019, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reached out to DDP to try using investigative genetic genealogy to help identify the Julie Doe. They connected with volunteers who were also part of an initiative called the Trans Doe Task Force, who began the work on the case before leaving to focus full time on that group. 

“The team faced just about every possible hurdle, from unknown parentage, matches who were adopted, to endogamy,” team co-leader Eric Hendershott said. “Even up to the end, when we suspected that she was adopted, the team was stuck.”

Adoption records are not accessible to genetic genealogists. Adoption can also stall an investigation because the child is often removed from their community of birth and their name is changed. 

DDP discovered Julie Doe was adopted when she was 5-years-old.

“It was clear from the start that our Doe had strong family ties to Kentucky, but we didn't know for sure if she was born there or if she ever lived there,” investigative genetic genealogist Lance Daly said. “While searching Fayette County records, we discovered the names of two key relatives who were crucial to unraveling the mystery.”

After more than 36 years, Pamela Leigh Walton had finally been identified.

Walton grew up with her adopted family in Kentucky and officially changed her name before she was in her mid-20s, according to DDP. They say her name change likely happened around the same time she underwent gender affirmation surgery and hormone therapy.

“Pamela’s story includes many common themes that trans people face,” Executive Director of Media and Communications Pam Lauritzen said. “From derogatory notations left in high school yearbooks about her to a headstone pre-carved with her former male name, it’s heartbreaking to know that the community was not willing to accept her and the identity she chose.”

Walton's story was featured in a handful of publications but in the end it was genealogy research that resolved the case.

“Pamela Walton’s identification is the result of over five years of work by nearly 50 volunteers,” investigative genetic genealogist Emily Bill said. “Their efforts laid the foundation for a series of recent discoveries that finally led us to her name.”

To date, DDP says they have helped resolve more than 130 cases of unidentified human remains. 

For more about DDP's work, you can visit their website.