A body pulled from Lake Michigan nearly four decades ago has finally been identified as 71-year-old Dorothy Glanton, a Chicago woman who disappeared in December 1987. The Michigan State Police, together with the DNA Doe Project, announced the breakthrough on Wednesday.

Glanton’s remains were recovered on April 8, 1988, near the small lakeside city of New Buffalo, Michigan. At the time, investigators were unable to identify her despite extensive efforts. She became known for decades as “New Buffalo Jane Doe,” with authorities believing she was a white woman in her 40s or 50s. Her cause of death could not be determined, News.Az reports, citing ABC News.

The case shifted dramatically in 2023 when investigators partnered with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit specializing in advanced genetic genealogy. A team of genealogists began reconstructing the unidentified woman’s family tree, eventually determining that early assessments from 1988 were incorrect. The victim was actually African American and in her early 70s.

As the genealogists worked through DNA matches and historical records, they found a potential lead: a missing woman named Dorothy Glanton. She had been born in Alabama and moved to Chicago with her family in the 1920s during the Great Migration. Glanton left her home on Dec. 9, 1987, and never returned.

The breakthrough came when researchers found a newspaper advertisement from August 1988, placed by a relative on behalf of Glanton’s mother. The ad pleaded for Dorothy to come home, saying her mother was “ill, lonely & afraid” and needed her. By that point, Glanton’s body had already been discovered, though still unidentified.

Investigators said the decades-long mystery was resolved through persistent detective work and the genealogical expertise of the DNA Doe Project. Michigan State Police thanked all those involved, noting that the identification brought long-awaited answers to the case.

Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St in Ravenna Ohio at 10:00 a.m.  

The guest speaker will be Brian Rhinehart, who will present “Uncovering an Unlikely Civil War Story through Federal Records, about a 60 year-old soldier, originally from New Hampshire.

The next genealogy program will be February 7, 2026.

The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up-to-date information please visit our web site at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/    or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.

Great news! The MyHeritage team just rolled out an update to Theory of Family Relativity™, adding an impressive 103 million new theories — a 44% increase that brings the total to over 336 million. Theory of Family Relativity™ is the ultimate tool for smashing brick walls and solving DNA-Match-related mysteries. It’s the only DNA tool on the market that leverages historical records as well as family tree and DNA data to suggest how a given DNA Match may be related to you. Because of the vast amounts of data involved, Theories of Family Relativity™ are calculated and refreshed on a periodic basis. With this update, 3.5 million DNA kits now have at least one Theory of Family Relativity™ — a 20% jump since the last time the data was refreshed. Look for the purple banner at the top of their DNA Matches page that indicates that they’ve received new theories! For those who don’t get any new theories, this is a great reminder to build out their trees as much as they can to increase their chances of receiving new theories next time. More information on the update is on the blog. Feel free to use the image above when spreading the word! By the way, we just launched our Early Black Friday DNA Sale — another great opportunity for all to stock up ahead of the holidays.

The Tillamook County Library is proud to announce the launch of Ancestry Library Edition, a powerful genealogy resource now available to the public in all library branches. This new service replaces the library’s previous genealogy tool, Heritage Quest, and offers dramatically expanded access to historical records from around the globe.

Ancestry Library Edition is the largest online family history resource available, providing access to more than 20 billion historical records. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned genealogist, this collection allows users to uncover personal histories through documents that span centuries and continents. Records include U.S. census data, military records, birth and death certificates, immigration and passenger lists, and so much more.

“This is an incredibly exciting upgrade for our genealogy researchers,” said Danielle Meininger, Systems Librarian. “Ancestry Library Edition makes it easier than ever for community members to research their family history. Whether you’re tracing your roots or digging into local heritage, the library is proud to provide access to such a valuable and comprehensive tool.”

Ancestry Library Edition is available inside the library only, either on public computers or on personal devices connected to the library’s Wi-Fi network. Patrons can explore global records from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and beyond. The database includes unique primary source documents and enhanced images, along with user-friendly search tools and extensive indexing to help patrons get started quickly and confidently.

In addition to Ancestry Library Edition, Tillamook County Library continues to support family historians with a growing collection of genealogy resources on its website at www.tillabook.org and in the Local History Collections located at each library. In the coming year, community members can look forward to these collections being revitalized and offered in a whole new way.

Whether you’re interested in tracing your immigrant ancestors, discovering military service records, or building a complete family tree, Ancestry Library Edition is a one-stop destination for exploring your heritage. Visit a Tillamook County library location to get started on your family history adventure.

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Photo credit: City of Spokane Police Department

After nearly three decades, Spokane Police detectives have identified the man responsible for the 1997 murder of 34-year-old Margaret Anselmo.

Anselmo’s body was found on the morning of January 3, 1997, in an alley near 700 East Pacific Avenue. Investigators determined she had suffered severe head tårauma and signs of sexual assault. The Spokane County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.

Despite years of investigative effort, detectives were unable to link a suspect to the case until recent advances in forensic genetic genealogy provided a breakthrough.

The Spokane Police Department announced that Brian J. Anderson of Pend Oreille County—now deceased—has been identified as Anselmo’s killer. Evidence collected at the scene was sent to Othram, a Texas-based forensic laboratory specializing in genetic genealogy. There, a DNA profile was developed and analyzed with the help of volunteer genealogist Lynda Keenan, who assisted Spokane detectives by tracing relatives connected to the profile.

Family members of Anderson provided DNA samples and family context, expressing sympathy for Anselmo’s surviving family and a desire to bring closure to the case. Othram’s kinship analysis confirmed that one relative was Anderson’s child and another his half-brother, making Anderson the only possible suspect.

Had he still been alive, the Spokane Police Department stated it would pursue charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape.

Anyone with additional information related to the case is encouraged to contact Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference case number 97-2325.

Need help with family history or genealogical research? Stop by the Campbell County Public Library reference desk and get some one-on-one assistance from our volunteer family history consultants!

Drop-In

The first Wednesday of each month 6-8pm; first come, first served; no sign up required.

One-on-One

Thursdays each week, 2-4pm. By appointment; sign up today.

 Upcoming dates

• Thu, Nov 13 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Nov 20 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Nov 27 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Dec 4 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Dec 11 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Dec 18 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Dec 25 @ 2:00 pm

• Thu, Jan 1, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Jan 8, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Jan 15, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Jan 22, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Jan 29, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Feb 5, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
• Thu, Feb 12, 2026 @ 2:00 pm

 Schedules

• Starting Thursday, September 4th, 2025, repeated every week on Thursday @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

 Venue

Campbell County Public Library

After more than half a century, investigators have finally identified the remains of a Calgary woman found murdered in Nevada in 1970. The victim has been confirmed as Anna Sylvia Just, who was 29 years old at the time of her death.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Just’s remains were discovered on June 7, 1970, by children playing in the desert. Her body had been buried in a shallow grave. A medical examination determined her cause of death was a homicide caused by a skull fracture.

A Cross-Border Mystery

Just was first reported missing from her Calgary home on August 17, 1966. Two years later, she was also listed as missing from Nevada after personal belongings believed to be hers were discovered in the desert near Henderson. Investigators located her suitcase, purse, passport, a plane ticket, and strands of human hair inside the purse. Clothing and a blood-stained sheet were found nearby, but no trace of Anna herself was discovered at the time.

Reports from the late 1960s linked Just to Thomas Hanley, a well-known union figure in Las Vegas. Some accounts alleged she went to him seeking money and that associates of Hanley may have taken her into the desert, where she was killed. However, no evidence was ever found to confirm his involvement, and Hanley was never charged before his death in 1979 while in federal custody.

DNA and Genealogy Breakthrough

The Clark County Coroner’s Office worked with the Las Vegas police cold case unit and Calgary Police Service to pursue new leads. In October 2024, Calgary investigators were contacted by their Nevada counterparts to locate surviving family members. A DNA sample was collected from Just’s biological sister in Alberta, leading to a match through genetic genealogy.

“Through genetic genealogy, it was confirmed that the remains located in 1970 were those of Anna Sylvia Just,” Las Vegas police said in a public statement. The confirmation officially closes a case that spanned 55 years across two countries.

What You Can Do

Cold cases like this show the importance of DNA technology and cooperation between international agencies. Share this story to help raise awareness about long-term missing persons cases that still await answers.

A new online resource opens Ireland’s transport heritage to the public with a genealogical database of almost 7,000 names. 

Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, officially launched the CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue at the Salesforce Building, North Wall Quay, Dublin, a building which once formed part of Dublin’s historic railway infrastructure. 

Following an ambitious programme of conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation, over 166,000 pages of material, dating back to the early 19th century, have been digitised, and thousands of historical documents are now accessible to the public.

The platform includes a map-based search tool and a genealogical database of almost 7,000 names, enabling users to explore the stories of those who worked within, or were connected to, Ireland’s transport network. 

The online catalogue, charting more than two centuries of Ireland’s transport, industrial, and economic development, features the corporate records of 68 railway companies and 10 canal, tram, and road transport companies, as well as CIÉ’s own board and corporate archives from 1945 onwards.

Among the highlights is the first minute book of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway Company, the organisation that built Ireland’s first railway line in the 1830s, a rare record of Ireland’s earliest railway history. 

While these records have long existed, few were aware of their scale, depth, or national significance.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, said: “It is an honour to be here today to launch the CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue. The archives provide an invaluable record of Ireland’s transport development and the people who helped build it. By digitising and sharing this nationally significant collection, CIÉ has ensured that generations to come will be able to explore, learn from, and build upon our transport and industrial heritage. This project honours our past while embracing a future rooted in accessibility, education, and innovation.” 

In 2023, CIÉ appointed Kevin Forkan as the organisation’s first Group Archivist to lead this major heritage-preservation project. He brings almost two decades of experience in archival and cultural-heritage management, having previously worked with the National Archives, UCD Archives, the National Museum of Ireland, and M+ Museum in Hong Kong.  

Reflecting on the archival process, Kevin Forkan, CIÉ Group Archivist, said: “Since 2023, we have undertaken a significant programme of conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation to ensure this important collection is preserved and accessible for generations to come.

"This work has involved creating detailed catalogue records and digitising thousands of pages so they can be explored online for the very first time. Together, these materials reveal new insights into how transport shaped Ireland’s social, industrial, and economic development, while the genealogical resources allow families to trace the lives of those who worked across the network” 

As CIÉ opens its historic collections to a wider audience, Aidan Murphy, CIÉ Board Chair, welcomed the launch and its contribution to understanding Ireland’s past: "This project marks an important moment for CIÉ as these records give new insight into how rail, canal, tram and road transport connected towns, supported industry, and shaped everyday life. Their availability online will be invaluable to researchers and families alike, helping preserve stories that form part of Ireland’s national identity.” 

Underscoring CIÉ’s commitment to broadening access, Fiona O’Shea, Interim CEO, CIÉ, highlighted the significance of making the catalogue available online: “Putting this archive at the public’s fingertips opens up a rich resource for learning and discovery. The platform allows people everywhere to explore the people, places and engineering behind Ireland’s transport network. We look forward to continuing this work and ensuring the collection evolves as a meaningful tool for future generations.” 

A collection of national significance, the CIÉ Group Archives offer an unparalleled record of Ireland’s transport and industrial history, providing new insights into our economic and social development over two centuries. The initiative received investment from the CIÉ Sustainability Fund and is aligned to the CIÉ Group’s Sustainability Strategy to protect and safeguard cultural heritage. 

The CIÉ Group Archives Online Catalogue can be viewed at here.

If you’ve ever wondered where your family’s story began, this month’s Jewish Special Interest Group event offers a new way to trace it. As part of its continuing focus on Jewish genealogy in St. Louis, the group will host a Zoom-only session Sunday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. titled “How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps.”

The featured speaker, Andrew Kapochunas, is an internationally recognized expert in historical cartography who has spent years mapping Jewish communities across Central and Eastern Europe.

His talk will guide participants through the process of identifying ancestral towns, villages, and regions using detailed topographic and historical maps—tools that can reveal far more than names or dates alone.

Why maps matter to Jewish genealogy

For many descendants of European Jews, the search for ancestral shtetls is a challenge wrapped in myth and migration. Borders have shifted, records have vanished, and entire towns have changed names or disappeared. Kapochunas’s work helps researchers make sense of those changes by showing how geography and history intertwine.

His presentation will include examples of how maps can confirm family stories, locate nearby synagogues or cemeteries, and even identify migration routes taken generations ago. Attendees will also learn how to use free online resources to explore their own family’s origins.

A local link to a global story

The Jewish Special Interest Group, or Jewish SIG, operates within the St. Louis Genealogical Society and has become a consistent resource for anyone exploring Jewish roots. Recent programs have covered topics from reading cemetery symbols to documenting migration paths, all designed to help both beginners and experienced genealogists build stronger connections to their heritage.

While the group’s programs often draw participants from across the country, its leaders, Phyllis Faintich, Ilene Murray, and Carol Waggoner, continue to emphasize the St. Louis connection, showing how local genealogical work ties into global Jewish history.

How to join the program

The Dec. 7 session will be held online only, allowing participants from anywhere to attend. Registration is free and available on the Jewish SIG page of the St. Louis Genealogical Society website at stlgs.org.

For those keeping a calendar, the group’s 2026 schedule will be posted this week, including new meetings for both general genealogy and Jewish SIG members.

Event details:
What: How to Find any Shtetl on Topographic Maps
When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, 1 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
More info: Visit stlgs.org or email jewishsig@stlgs.org

After nearly three decades of uncertainty, investigators have finally identified the man responsible for the 1998 murder of 50-year-old Sheryl Crandell inside her office at Prince George’s Hospital Center.

Police said the suspect, Baari Shabazz, died in 2019 at the age of 69.

The breakthrough came through investigative genetic genealogy, a method that has helped close numerous cold cases nationwide.

Key Points

• Investigators identified Baari Shabazz as the suspect in the 1998 murder of Sheryl Crandell.
• Genetic genealogy led to the discovery after a renewed investigation in 2021.
• Shabazz lived about a mile from the hospital where the victim worked; the motive remains unknown.

DNA technology provides long-awaited answer

On January 13, 1998, Crandell was found dead in her Family Health Center office around 8:30 p.m. by a maintenance worker. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Despite a broad investigation, detectives at the time were unable to find a suspect.

The case went cold for more than two decades until December 2021, when Prince George’s County Police Cold Case Unit detectives obtained court approval to use genetic genealogy. Working with the FBI’s Baltimore Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, investigators began tracing DNA evidence collected from the crime scene.

FBI and local detectives trace DNA to deceased suspect

After months of analysis, the FBI team matched the genetic material to Shabazz in late October. Officials said he had lived about one mile from the Cheverly hospital at the time of the murder.

There is no evidence indicating that Crandell and Shabazz knew each other, and investigators have not determined a motive.

Police seek public input despite case closure

Although the suspect is deceased, police are encouraging anyone with information about Shabazz’s background or possible connections to other crimes to contact the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512.

Anonymous tips can be shared through the Crime Solvers website, the “P3 Tips” mobile app, or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Detectives ask callers to refer to case number 98-013-1118.

A family’s decades-long wait for justice ends

Crandell’s murder shocked hospital staff and the Cheverly community in 1998. The new DNA match brings long-awaited closure to her family and colleagues who endured years of unanswered questions. Police said the investigation represents another example of how emerging technology can help deliver justice even decades after a crime.