Finding Family DNA

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, we're celebrating a major milestone with a special look back at the journey so far. Host Jay Rosenzweig sits down with longtime co-host Misty, plus the studio team behind the scenes, to reflect on how far the show has come and the moments that made it unforgettable. Along the way, we revisit three past reunion stories, hearing directly from former guests about where their journeys have led sin...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, filmmaker Rebecca Autumn Sansom joins Jay to share the story behind her acclaimed documentary, Reckoning with the Primal Wound, and the winding path that led her back to both of her birth parents. Rebecca opens up about the years-long process of earning renowned author Nancy Verrier's trust for the film, the emotional risk of reconnecting with her birth father after a chance discovery sent her...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, we sit down with an author and adoptee who turned a decades-long search for her birth family into three deeply personal books. Adopted in Denver in the early 1960s, she spent years chasing fragments of her past before taking a daring, real-life risk to uncover her birth mother's identity. What followed was a reunion that didn't unfold the way she'd imagined, a startling twist involving the man...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, we meet a California adoptee who grew up knowing she was adopted but never imagined how her story would unfold. After decades of quiet curiosity, a chance moment during the pandemic sparked her decision to finally search for her birth family. What followed was a whirlwind two-week journey that led her to not just one, but two loving families she never knew she had. She shares the emotional fir...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, Jason didn't learn he was adopted until his late 40s — and a simple request for his original birth certificate cracked open decades of family secrets. After a DNA test revealed zero biological connection to the woman who raised him, Jason turned to genetic genealogy and, within weeks, was face to face with the truth about where he came from. What followed was an emotional reunion with a ...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, Jay sits down with Linda Burleson, a woman who spent over five years searching for the identity of her birth father after learning at age sixty-plus that the man who raised her was not her biological dad. What made Linda's case one of the longest in BirthParentFinder.com's history was the absence of any close DNA matches — just a wall of third, fourth, and fifth cousins that no genealogi...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, Jay and co-host Misty Gillis introduce Carla Salvatierra, a 29-year-old woman born in Los Angeles County who has spent years searching for the truth about her biological father. After discovering that neither the man on her birth certificate nor the man her family insisted was her father shared any DNA with her, Carla found herself starting completely from scratch — with no name, no coun...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, attorney, author, and TEDx speaker Maria Leonard Olsen shares the shocking DNA discovery that changed her identity forever. After taking a 23andMe test, Maria learned that the man who raised her was not her biological father. What followed was a years-long search that led her to an aging Hollywood actor, former NFL player, and legendary Del Mar horse handicapper living in California. Maria ope...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, we follow Porsha Jones’ powerful journey from loss to reconnection. Adopted at birth and later losing both of her adoptive parents as a teenager, Porsha grew up navigating life on her own while carrying questions about where she came from. After years of searching, she turned to Jay Rosenzweig and BirthParentFinder.com—and in a matter of hours, her birth mother was found. What foll...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, Jay and Misty sit down with Taylor Shennett, a Chinese-born adoptee who was adopted into an American family as a baby and has spent the last decade searching for her biological roots. As a transracial adoptee, she shares her deeply personal journey navigating identity, belonging, and the realities of growing up looking different from her family. From viral search efforts in China to DNA testin...

This week, Jay & Misty celebrate the show’s 2-year anniversary by looking back at some of the most powerful, emotional, and unforgettable stories from the past two years. From long-lost family reunions to shocking DNA discoveries and unresolved cases that still stay with them. They also share behind-the-scenes insights, updates on past cases, and reflect on how the show has grown—from just a handful of viewers to a ...

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, we follow Jenn Reinschmidt’s emotional journey to uncover her biological family after growing up knowing she was adopted. What started as a search for medical history quickly turned into a life-changing discovery when Misty Gillis used DNA matches and family tree analysis to identify Jenn’s birth mother—and ultimately connect her with her half-brother. Along the way, long-hel...

This week, Misty explains how investigative genetic genealogy helped solve the 1991 murder of Danielle Clause in Ventura, California. Using preserved crime scene DNA, GEDmatch, and advanced genealogy techniques, the team identified Larry Devon Welch more than three decades after the crime. Misty breaks down the science behind centimorgans, kinship testing, phenotyping, and how everyday DNA uploads can help solve violent cold cases.

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This week, Misty explains how investigative genetic genealogy helped solve the 1991 murder of Danielle Clause in Ventura, California. Using preserved crime scene DNA, GEDmatch, and advanced genealogy techniques, the team identified Larry Devon Welch more than three decades after the crime. Misty breaks down the science behind centimorgans, kinship testing, phenotyping, and how everyday DNA uploads can help solve violent cold cases.

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This week, we meet Linda Rasmussen — Jay’s right-hand woman and the intake specialist for BirthParentFinder.com. Linda introduces us to the powerful case of Victor, a young man living in a homeless shelter, whose search for his birth family becomes one of the most emotional reunions the team has worked on. With Linda’s investigative support and Jay’s guidance, Victor reconnects with his biological mother and...

Jay and Misty sit down with Shanna Daloussi, a past giveaway recipient, who shares the emotional and unexpected journey of discovering her biological father. With Jay’s help, Shanna used DNA testing to uncover the truth: the man who raised her was not her biological father — and the person who was turned out to be someone already inside her family circle. What follows is a raw and vulnerable conversation about betrayal,...

We’re kicking off 2026 with a powerful reunion story between Mary and Nia — two half-sisters who had no idea the other existed. After decades of dead ends and a private investigator who vanished, Mary found Finding Family DNA and began her journey again. With the help of public ancestry records, GEDmatch, and a remarkably detailed family tree, Misty and Jay uncover a maternal match and open the door to long-lost family....

In this special edition of Finding Family DNA, Jay turns the spotlight on co-host and investigative genetic genealogist Misty Gillis, as she walks us through the chilling and historic “Boy in the Box” case — a mystery unsolved for over six decades. Misty shares how she used the same DNA techniques applied in adoptee reunifications to help identify the boy as Joseph Augustus Zarelli, a four-year-old found murdered ...

In Episode 32 of Finding Family DNA, Jay and Misty sit down with Chakari Smith, an adoptee who grew up in Philadelphia and entered foster care at age 7 before being adopted at 11. Despite reconnecting with her birth mother later in life, Chakari never knew her father—until a combination of DNA testing, genealogy, and birth index research led Misty to uncover his identity. Chakari shares the emotional journey of discovering a ...