between 30 and 55 years old. 

The Phoenix Police Department followed the standard process of identification — entering fingerprints and a DNA sample into police databases — but had no success for decades. 

However, after a series of specialist genealogy labs collaborated with authorities on the John Doe case, two living third cousins were identified, and the man has been confirmed as John Thiellesen.

John Thiellesen.via Ramapo College

According to police in Toledo, Ohio, who appealed for information on his whereabouts as recently as 2023, Thiellesen was reported missing there by his brother in 2004. Police said Thiellesen suffered from mental health problems and called his sister to say he had "cleansed himself" and was planning on jumping into a river.

It's unclear how he ended up in Phoenix.

The breakthrough in identifying Thiellesen came after the medical examiner in Maricopa County referred the case to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in New Jersey in September 2024.

From there, a blood sample was sent to genomic researchers at Genelogue in Georgia, and then to Parabon Nanolabs in Virginia, for bioinformatics research.

The resulting genotype was uploaded to DNA databases, and undergraduates and staff at Ramapo searched in vain for a match.

Then, between the last day of the semester and the winter break, the staff found the cousins and Christen Eggers, senior medicolegal death investigator in the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, confirmed it was Thiellesen.

Eggers said in a statement that the college's work "has become a beacon of hope for individuals and families across the nation" whose loved ones have gone missing.

"This case showcases the power of investigative genetic genealogy to close longstanding missing persons cases," Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the IGG Center at Ramapo, said. "Every John and Jane Doe is the answer to a family missing a loved one, and we will continue to do everything in our power to keep restoring their names and providing those answers."

The IGG center has helped solve 28 cases and is currently working on 39 others.

Kansas police have finally identified the remains of a teenager who went missing 52 years ago.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced on Tuesday that it used DNAtechnology to determine that remains discovered in 1973 belonged to 16-year-old Jimmy Dollison.

The teenager had been living in Kansas City when he went missing in the autumn of 1972. His family reported his disappearance but never learned what happened to him.

In April 1973, authorities found Dollison’s unidentified remains three miles southeast of Garnett, Kansas. He was wearing a brown corduroy jacket, a green long-sleeve buttoned shirt, jeans, a black leather belt with a large black buckle, brown hiking boots and a navy blue stocking cap.

He was also wearing two gold rings with crosses, a ring with the number 78 and a silver chain with a large cross.

The coroner ruled his manner of death a homicide due to signs of trauma.

Two decades ago, officials determined the remains belonged to a man with brown hair and a slender build. Police made many attempts throughout the decades to figure out who the remains belonged to, but were not successful.

In 2024, investigators extracted DNA from the remains for forensic genetic genealogy testing. The testing was conducted by Othram, a company specializing in genealogy to help solve murders. To find a match, the company needed to identify any living relatives of the unidentified person.

Dollison’s siblings were identified through testing. Police contacted them for interviews and to obtain DNA samples for comparison. Officials later confirmed the remains belonged to the 16-year-old.

An investigation into the teen’s death continues. Officials are asking anyone with information to call 1-800-KS-CRIME.

For over two decades, Google has been the search engine that most people use for everyday searches, product research, and staying up to date on the latest news.

Because of this market dominance, Google has also been the main search engine of focus for SEO and marketing professionals.

However, following the introduction of ChatGPT and Bing Chat, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin reportedly returned to take an active role in Google’s plans to add chatbot features to Google Search.

Shortly after that, around May 2023, Google introduced the chatbot Bard (later renamed Gemini), and after a year, rolled out “AI Overviews” on May 14, 2024, to USA-based searchers.

OpenAI followed with ChatGPT search in late 2024, transforming the former SearchGPT prototype into a fully integrated search feature within ChatGPT.

Google does still hold majority market share, but there are several alternative search engines that offer distinct advantages over Google, such as enhanced privacy, specialized content, unique algorithms, and tailored user experiences.

Here are 25 of the best alternative search engines you can try.

List of Alternative Search Engines

1. 1. ChatGPT Search
2. 2. Google AI Mode
3. 3. Perplexity.ai
4. 4. You.com
5. 5. Yep.com
6. 6. Openverse
7. 7. Bing.com
8. 8. Yahoo.com
9. 9. Ecosia
10. 10. KARMA Search
11. 11. DuckDuckGo
12. 12. Startpage
13. 13. Swisscows
14. 14. Brave
15. 15. Kagi
16. 16. Mojeek
17. 17. X (Formerly Twitter)
18. 18. SlideShare
19. 19. Wayback Machine
20. 20. WolframAlpha
21. 21. LinkedIn
22. 22. Baidu
23. 23. Yandex
24. 24. Sogou
25. 25. Naver

The Internet Archive is proud to join in celebrating a major milestone in the preservation of global cultural heritage: documents related to the history of slavery in Aruba have been officially added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MoW) International Register. The digitized documents have been preserved and are accessible online through the Coleccion Aruba and the Internet Archive.

The registration formally incorporates Aruba’s contributions into the existing entry titled “Documentary heritage of the enslaved people of the Dutch Caribbean and their descendants (1816–1969),”which already included documents from Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and the Netherlands.

These newly recognized documents are held by the National Archives of Aruba (ANA) and the National Library of Aruba (BNA). They offer crucial insight into the lives of enslaved people and their descendants in Aruba, helping to illuminate a shared painful past and its continuing impact on the present.

The nomination was prepared collaboratively by the Aruba National Committee for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program (MoW-AW), UNESCO Aruba, ANA, and BNA. With the registration now official, these documents are not only globally recognized as having international significance—they are also more accessible than ever before.

The historical materials are available online through the Coleccion Aruba digital heritage site, as well as on the Internet Archive, supporting the goals of open access for schools, researchers, and the general public. This achievement underscores the importance of digitization and long-term preservation to ensure that future generations can continue to learn from these vital records.

The Internet Archive congratulates MoW-AW, UNESCO Aruba, the National Archives and National Library of Aruba, and their partners in Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Suriname, and the Netherlands on this historic achievement. 

Explore the documents: www.coleccion.aw/mow

The Spring Hill Genealogy & Historical Society has reformed after a 21-year absence, officials announced last week.

The original Society was formed on March 27, 1999, when the “Genealogy For Everyone” program at the Spring Hill Public Library voted to form the Spring Hill Genealogy & Historical Society. For a total of five years, Helen Dark, Effie Heiss, Mattie Laura Harris, Patricia Spears Thomas, Lois Glasgow and many other members of the society printed a quarterly Spring Hill genealogy and history journal, hosted speakers at their monthly meetings at the library and shared genealogy records any chance they could. Five years later, the society was disbanded due to the loss of many members.

Now, after 21 years of being gone, the Society held its first meeting on March 5, 2025, at the Spring Hill Public Library. Though the original society focused mainly on genealogy, this society will focus on Spring Hill history and genealogy equally. Board members of the society are Benny Jett, president; Jim Hellier, vice president; Carolyn Jett, secretary; Michael Langley, treasurer; along with Richard Jackson; Tom Powers, Ph.D; Sissy Taylor; Nanette Taylor and Corrine Tomlinson.

Everybody interested in Spring Hill history and/or genealogy is invited to join the Society. Dues are $25 (individual membership), $35 (family membership), $150 (Naomi B. Derryberry lifetime individual membership) and $200 (Naomi B. Derryberry lifetime family membership).

The Society will hold gatherings, most often at the Spring Hill Public Library, for everyone to get together, share stories and show pictures of “old Spring Hill” on the first Tuesday of each month starting at 5 p.m. The next gathering will be May 6.

To join the Society, please fill out a membership form (which can be found on the society’s Facebook page or requested through email) and mail it with your dues to the address listed on the form. Have questions? Feel free to email the Society at springhilltnhgs@outlook.com or visit its Facebook page.

The Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit has identified the killer in the murder of the 1972 killing of 26-year-old Phyllis Bailer. 

According to the news release, Bailer was traveling from Indianapolis, Indiana to Bluffton, Indiana with her 3-year-old daughter to visit her parents on July 7, 1972.

Bailer and her daughter left Indianapolis around 8:00 p.m. but never arrived. Her family reported her missing.

Her car was found abandoned on northbound I-69 in Grant County at around 10:30 a.m. the next day.

Bailer and her daughter were found in a ditch about an hour later by a woman driving on West Road, north of Schoaff Road in Allen County. 

Bailer was found dead while her daughter was unharmed. 

ISP said an autopsy confirmed Bailer had died from a gunshot wound and had been sexually assaulted.

Years after her murder, the ISP Cold Case Unit utilized DNA testing not previously available to develop a partial DNA profile from Bailer's clothing.

In 2024, ISP and the Allen County Police Department began working with Identifinders International, a forensic genealogy company in California, founded by Colleen Fitzpatrick. 

Forensic genealogy was used alongside the DNA profile to identify Fred Allen Lienemann as the killer.

ISP said Lienemann from Gross Point, Michigan, was 25 in 1972. Lienemann was born in the Anderson, Indiana area.

Lienemann had no known connections to Phyllis Bailer but had a significant criminal history, ISP said. 

Detectives learned that Fred Lienemann was murdered in Detroit in 1985 during their investigation.

ISP said if Fred Lienemann were alive today, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office would have charged him with the murder of Phyllis Bailer.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, founder of Identifinders International is proud to have help get answers for Phyllis Bailer's family. 

“Identifinders is proud to have supported the Indiana State Police with bringing long overdue answers to Phyllis and her family," Fitzpatrick said in the press release. "This case is an example of still another homicide that would never have been solved without Forensic Genetic Genealogy”.

ISP said this case demonstrates the Cold Case Unit's commitment to victims and their families.

Ramapo College’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center finally brought closure to a 70-year-old mystery. Human remains discovered in Arizona in 2002 have now been identified as belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps Captain Everett Leland Yager, thanks to DNA analysis and collaborative research conducted by students, faculty and partners at Ramapo.

The case dates back to May 2002, when a young boy collecting rocks in a remote area of Yavapai County, Ariz, discovered a human jawbone. Despite efforts by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the individual’s identity, early DNA testing showed no results. For over two decades, the remains, referred to as “Rock Collection John Doe,” remained unidentified.

In January 2023, the Yavapai County authorities turned to Ramapo College’s IGG Center for help. The Center, part of the School of Social Science and Human Services, was launched in December 2022 to provide students with hands-on experience solving real-world cases using investigative genetic genealogy. 

The jawbone was sent to Intermountain Forensics, a non-profit forensic DNA lab in Salt Lake City, where experts conducted DNA extraction and whole genome sequencing. Once the DNA profile was developed, it was uploaded to GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA. 

In a breakthrough, a match was found within just two days. The discovery came during Ramapo’s IGG Bootcamp, an intensive learning program where students and interns work on real cases and learn to adapt their skills. Among the participants was Ethan Schwartz, a high school student from Suffern High School who had joined the bootcamp as an intern. The team was able to narrow down to Capt. Yager as a candidate for identification.

Capt. Yager had died during a military training exercise in July 1951. His remains were initially recovered in Riverside County, Calif., and believed to be buried in Palmyra, Mo. The discovery of a portion of his jawbone in Arizona decades later remains a mystery.

To confirm the identity, a DNA sample was requested from Capt. Yager’s daughter. In August 2023, the analysis confirmed the match, officially solving the cold case. The identification not only brings closure to a family but also highlights the growing role of genetic genealogy in modern forensic science.

The Ramapo College IGG Center continues to offer pro bono casework to law enforcement agencies across the country. Students who participate in the program engage in a 15-week online certificate course. The program is designed to train students from a wide variety of backgrounds and provide them with skills that can be applied in criminal justice, anthropology, genealogy, and related fields.

For more information about the IGG Center and its educational programs, visit www.ramapo.edu/igg.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has officially identified the remains of a woman found on March 20, 2001, as Zania Lynette Williams (DOB: 9/28/1966), also known as Zenia Williams. Williams, 34 years old at the time of her disappearance, was last seen around Christmas of 2000 at her residence in Sacramento. Her skeletonized remains were discovered on Driver’s Flat Road in Foresthill, California, and had remained unidentified for over two decades.

Initially, the case was handled by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and classified as a Jane Doe cold case. Investigators were unable to identify the woman using the available technology at the time. Her dental records were entered into the missing and unidentified persons database in 2001, but no matches were found. Despite extensive efforts, the case remained unsolved until the formation of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Investigations team in 2023.

This newly formed Cold Case Investigations team, consisting of investigators from both the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the Placer County District Attorney's Office, reopened the case. The team utilized advancements in forensic technologies, including genetic genealogy, to assist in the investigation. In 2024, the Sheriff’s Office sent a DNA profile obtained from the remains in 2009 to Othram, an accredited forensic lab in Texas to generate a suitable sample for genetic genealogy.

Additionally, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Investigative Genealogy Center at Ramapo College to develop leads on potential relatives. Through this collaboration, detectives located a possible relative and obtained a DNA sample for comparison with the California Department of Justice’s database. In 2025, a match was confirmed, linking the decedent’s DNA to that of the relative.

In March 2025, the remains were officially identified as Zania Williams. Williams had never been listed as a missing person. While the circumstances surrounding her death are still under investigation, we hope the identification brings a sense of closure to her surviving family members after nearly 25 years of uncertainty.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into the circumstances of her death and is urging anyone with information to contact us at PCSOTipLine@placer.ca.gov.

“As I told my children growing up, ‘You’ve got to know where you came from to know where you’re at right now and where you’re going to, bottom line.’ You’ve got to know where you came from and the museum’s a good place to do that.”

Those were the words shared by Cheatham County Historical and Genealogical Association Museum docent Jeff Taylor during the opening ceremony of the on Saturday. Taylor, dressed as a North Carolina militiaman who would have entered the county in 1780 under a land grant, perfectly summed up the sense of accomplishment and excitement present for all those who worked so hard to prepare for opening day and those in attendance.

Several hundred county residents descended upon the Cheatham County Historical and Genealogical Association’s (CCHGA) opening of the museum in its new location at 835 S. Main Street in Ashland City. The grand opening celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a special presentation to honor Ashland City’s first and only woman mayor Mary Gray Jenkins and refreshments.

The CCHGA and museum, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization supported by donations, began in 2002 inside the Cheatham County Public Library in Ashland City, but the library began to need more space. According to Cheatham County Historian Lisa Walker, artifacts were placed into storage in 2023 until the former Family Dollar space was secured. The CCHGA moved into the new location in August 2024 and began working on exhibits.

The spacious new location offers a little something for everyone, reflecting on the many facets of Cheatham County history including the school district, local industry, military service, law enforcement, local sports and famous musicians with Cheatham County roots. There is also a gift shop containing postcards and souvenirs.

Getting the CCHGA and Museum established took a village. Funding came from from association fundraisers and a $6,000 annual donation from the Cheatham County Commission. There was even a donation of picture frames the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 6181 for the museum’s local military history exhibit.

Walker talked about the importance of having a hub for local history. “History brings about community and you’re going to find stuff here you’re not going to find in other museums or other historical associations. We are the main collector of Cheatham County history and so people can come here and see the Mastodon bone that was found over across the [Cumberland] river and items like that. I mean, one story’s not as important as the other and that’s what we’re trying to do here, is to tell the stories of the people and the community and keep that alive for generations because we have 31 years worth of collected photos. People today, we’re not going to have that in the future if we don’t collect it,” she said.

Jenkins, who has spent her 90 years in Cheatham County, said how important it was to her to see the way CCHGA and Museum have taken off. “I’ve loved history all my life, so it’s beyond belief to see the museum and where the genealogy group has grown,” she said.

Cheatham County Mayor Kerry McCarver said the new museum is especially important with the influx of newcomers to Cheatham County. “We have so many new people here that don’t understand the history, that never picked it up here. They can come and start to absorb all that. People who’ve been here, they live it, they see it, they truly have a connection with it, but it also gives the opportunity for those new people to understand the history of Cheatham County, where we are and who we are,” he said.

Peyton Craft, who attended the opening with her son Travis Craft, said her grandfather Danny Stack volunteered to help bring the new museum to life, and she sees its value. “It’s important to know where we all come from and learn the lessons from our roots and our family members from the past and always remember them. They’ve done a lot of hard work to get us to where we are now, and so that hard work shouldn’t be forgotten just because time has passed,” she said.

Another highlight of the opening was the announcement of the winners of the Kiss-the-Critter contest, fundraiser where the mayors competed to collect the most donations for the new museum. The winner received the honor of kissing a frog. Ashland City Mayor Gerald Greer took first place, raising $1,496.

The CCHGA and Museum is located at 835 S. Main St. in Ashland City and shares the space with local non-profit organizations Art League of Cheatham County, Arts and Entertainment League and Cheatham County Sports Hall of Fame. The museum is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the CCHGA and Museum, visit https://CheathamCountyHistory.Weebly.com/ or call (615) 792-3623.

Researchers have long relied on the National Park Service’s online "Soldiers and Sailors Database" to search for Civil War ancestors.  Many of those same researchers have discovered, however, that there are significant problems with that system and the search results are often unreliable.

 
Now the NPS has officially abandoned the effort to resolve those problems and have announced on the site that the system will no longer be maintained or updated.

Fortunately, a free replacement is already available to researchers. Over the past two years, thousands of researchers have switched to BetterSoldiersAndSailors.com which allows searching of the same soldiers and sailors database but with a modern search engine.  The new system supports "sounds like" searches, wildcards, logical sorting of search results, and other modern features that were missing from the old system.  It also recognizes common abbreviations in the data like Geo., Wm., and Sam’l that caused many searches on the old system to fail. For those reasons, if you ever failed to find a soldier on the old system, it would be a good idea to try again with BetterSoldiersAndSailors.com.

But there are even more advantages to the new system. If appropriate, it will point you to the online sites where you can find your soldier’s military records.  If those records aren’t online, it offers an easy option to order copies from Gopher Records which is much faster and much less expensive than ordering them directly from the National Archives.  In fact, orders have typically been filled in about two weeks and Gopher Records guarantees that its prices are lower than those of any record retrieval service.

BetterSoldiersAndSailors.com is developed and supported by Gopher Records, LLC.