Forensic. Genealogy News. Unclaimed Kin Project has First Successes. February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1

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1 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Published bimonthly by the: COUNCIL FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF FORENSIC GENEALOGY P.O. Box 1085 Manvel, Texas info@forensicgenealogists.org Progressive Leadership in the Field of Forensic Genealogy CAFG 2013 Board Members President Leslie Lawson Vice President Michael Ramage, J.D., CG Secretary-Treasurer Dee Dee King, CG Mentor Program Representative Cathi Desmarais, CG Registered Agent Kelvin Meyers Newsletter Editor Bethany Waterbury Unclaimed Kin Project has First Successes The Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) has established a Volunteer Initiative Program (VIP) to give back to the community while helping members gain experience. The program, coordinated by Catherine Desmarais, CG, has established "Unclaimed Kin" as its first VIP project. Associate members are researching the family members of individuals with unclaimed remains at the Walla Walla County, Washington, coroner s office. Each researcher handles a decedent s case from beginning to end, writing a professional forensic report at the conclusion. Along with Cathi, Melanie Holtz, CG, and Janice Sellers act as team leaders to mentor the associates during the research process, and the CAFG board provides feedback on each report. Five solved cases have been submitted to the coroner s office so far, and several others are nearing completion. During the process, members have learned new resources and techniques for searching for the living, expanded their professional networks, improved their report-writing skills, and built hours of forensic experience. Other VIP projects are under development as the organization s way to pay it forward to the community. Contributed by Cathi Desmarais, CG

2 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 2 Forensic Genealogy Institute II The Forensic Genealogy Institute I was a great success! The inaugural session was held mid- October 2012 at the Wyndham Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Thirty people from across the country attended. Feedback for the event was very positive. Organizers are incorporating many of the feedback ideas into plans for future Institutes. Seats for Institute I filled quickly. The waiting list ultimately equaled the number of actual enrollees. Because of this demand, Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy scheduled an encore event for April The Forensic Genealogy Institute II will be held April at the Wyndham Love Field. Institute II offers twenty-plus hours of significant hands-on instruction with realworld work examples, resources, sample forms and work materials. The embedded practicum offers an actual forensic case study that will be covered from start to finish. The registration fee is $ for CAFG members, $ for non-members. Registration fee includes enrollment in the Institute and all activities with breakfast, lunch and morning and afternoon break snacks all three days. One partial scholarship will be reimbursed to a non-cafg attendee. One CAFG Mentor Program enrollee will be reimbursed a partial scholarship. Scholarships sponsored are by Forensic Genealogy Services, LLC. The Institute staff is also developing plans for a Forensic Genealogy Institute Advanced Track, possibly as early as this fall. For more information, visit the CAFG website at: -genealogy-institute.html Those who satisfactorily complete the course will receive a Forensic Genealogy Institute Certificate of Completion.

3 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 3 Forensic Genealogy Institute II Instructors Announced With over fifty years of combined forensic genealogical experience, instructors for Forensic Genealogy Institute II are practicing professional genealogists with real life experience in the field. Michael Ramage, J.D., CG, is a full-time, professional genealogist specializing in forensic genealogy and proof of lineal descent including missing and unknown heir research, real estate, oil & gas, adoptions, and expert testimony. Kelvin L. Meyers, Forensic Genealogist, has seven years experience in forensic genealogy, a professional genealogist for the last twenty-five years and an avid researcher-historian for the last thirty-three years. Leslie Brinkley Lawson, Forensic Genealogist, has performed genealogical research for attorneys across the United States. One of her specialties is reuniting families in guardianship cases. Leslie has thirteen years experience as a forensic genealogist. Dee Dee King, CG, Forensic Genealogist, provides services to the legal and business communities and is the contract genealogist for the US Navy POW/MIA Branch. Catherine W. Desmarais, M.Ed., CG, has three years forensic genealogy experience in military repatriation, probate, trust and real estate cases. She is the owner of Stone House Historical Research, located in Vermont s Champlain Valley. Special guest speaker Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL, is a full-time genealogist experienced in using laws and DNA analysis, as well as more traditional techniques for genealogical research.

4 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 4 Ethical??? An op-ed piece by Dee Dee King, CG Well, we got what we needed, didn t we? Are deceit and lies OK if they get the results we want? Anyone can use online public databases like Veromi or WhitePages.com in an effort to locate people. In most states, one must be a licensed private investigator, attorney, or have other valid legal access to proprietary databases that contain Social Security numbers, credit reports, and other very private information about people. What if you run out of leads for a potential heir, or a possible DNA donor in a military repatriation, or whatever you need for a case? Is it ok to stretch those rules to get what you need, to get those results? Is it OK to ask your buddy at the friendly loan company to do a credit check on your search subject? A quick check won t hurt? Is it OK to ask your paralegal friend to access the legal proprietary databases LexisNexis or Westlaw to help you find your subject? Is it OK to lie to a person on the phone, sometimes called pre-texting, in order to gain their trust and obtain information about your search subject? I m an old friend from college. Is it OK to join a DNA group project by telling the administrator you have one purpose, when indeed your purpose is entirely different and may compromise the privacy of the valid members of the group? There are right ways and wrong ways to get results. Many of these scenarios could be avoided if the researcher informed the client that the legitimate services of a private investigator were needed. Then the parties could discuss whether the genealogist or the client negotiates with the investigator. What s that old saying, Honesty is the best policy? Sticks and Stones We ve all heard the children s saying, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Or can they? Can they come back to bite us? You bet they can. False or misleading claims can damage a career and contribute towards negative feelings against a profession or segment of a profession. Genealogy list serves occasionally include threads cautioning members to carefully word their biographical and promotional information so that the reader is not misled. Recently I ve run across a rash of questionable wording on websites and other promotional material for those offering genealogical services to the legal community. Most sites are fair and accurate. Sometimes the wording is just poor content. Sometimes it s, Eh, this looks a little shady. Sometimes it is downright misleading. (Continued on page 5)

5 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 5 (Continued from page 4) Ethical???, cont. A check of websites of three prominent heir search firms found that each claims to represent the heirs in court and in all legal matters. Uh hum, that sounds like practicing law without a license if the firm is not made up of attorneys. Only a licensed attorney can represent a client in court. Or does this really mean that the heir search firm instead contracts with an attorney to represent both the heir search firm and the potential heirs? Never mind the conflict of interest of an attorney representing two different entities in the same case. Or the ethical issue of possible fee splitting by the attorney with the heir search firm. Some sites that advertise forensic genealogy include broad statements that the company s researchers are all accredited or certified. Yet these sites do not list any personnel, much less credentialed genealogists or the accrediting or certifying agencies. Some sites claim hundreds of genealogists placed all over the US and in foreign countries. What they really mean is they use the APG or other lists to find someone if needed in a certain area. These genealogists are not part of the firm; they are sub-contractors. We all need to constantly be mindful of ethics and how our actions may appear in the professional world. Networking with colleagues for advice on sticky issues is a good idea. We all need to carefully word our self-promotion. Asking for peer-review is one way to get objective feedback. Hopefully we will be able to avoid a situation where our work or our ethics are called into question. Members in the News Kathleen Hinckley, CG, Tina Sansone, and Leslie Brinkley Lawson had articles published in the December 2012 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. Michael S. Ramage, J.D., CG, had an article published in the January 2013 BCG newsletter, OnBoard. Kelvin Meyers was co-author of an article published in the July 2011 (published November 2012) issue of The American Genealogist. Frank Southcott was elected President of the Greater Philadelphia Area Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. The term of office is two years. Frank s genealogical area of specialty is Chester County, Pennsylvania.

6 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 6 Welcome New Members Senior Level Member Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG has been certified since 1984 and has been active in local, state and national organizations throughout her career as a professional genealogist. Kathy has lectured on 20 th century topics at national conferences for several years and served on the faculty at IGHR, NIGR and SLIG. She is the author of Locating Lost Family Members and Friends and Your Guide to the Federal Census. Kathy is the owner of Family Detective, LLC and specializes in kinship determination and evaluation, unknown/missing heirs, unclaimed property, and DNA validation. She is a courtapproved expert witness. She also locates DNAqualified relative of Army POW/MIAS. Kathy is Executive Director of the Association of Professional Genealogists and has served on the boards of FGS, BCG and APG. Kathy grew up on a cattle ranch in South Dakota and has lived in North Carolina, Minnesota and Colorado. She has three grown children two adopted Korean children and one biological. She looks forward to networking and getting to know other members of CAFG. Kathy is active on Facebook. If you are not already a friend, she welcomes your friend request. Junior Level Member Debra Osborne Spindle is the librarian in the Research Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. She has been a professional genealogist for five years and an avid genealogist for over 30! She was the manager of the downtown library in the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County for 10 years prior to her work at the Historical Society. Debra has served as an administrator for the University of Oklahoma's School of Library and Information Studies as well as adjunct professor. Her prior teaching experience includes working with adults returning to university to finish a degree, teaching communication at the university level for 16 years and 7th grade for two years. She holds a PhD in Communication and an MLIS (masters in library and information studies) from the University of Oklahoma. Debra s current position utilizes her knowledge of American Indian resources, assisting persons seeking to document Indian ancestry as well as locating people in early Oklahoma and Indian Territories. As an affiliate of the National Archives, the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division holds original records for the Five Civilized Tribes. Debra has extensive knowledge of these holdings, and used them in researching for the Who Do You Think You Are? television show. Her article "Claiming Native Heritage: Iron Eyes Cody and Chief (Continued on page 7)

7 Forensic Genealogy News February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1 Page 7 Welcome New Members, cont. (Continued from page 6) Thundercloud" is included in the Society's publication the Movies." She provided genealogical research for the "Governors of Oklahoma" opening exhibit and located relatives of the inductees into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame. "Researching the History of Your Home", "Researching Your Civil War Ancestor", "County Histories" and "Finding Your American Indian Ancestor" are among the research guides Debra has published for the Library. Debra has attended multiple IGHR courses including Advanced Methodology, Military Records, African American Research, Writing and Publishing, and Southern Research. She is an alumni of ProGen (6) and attended the RIGSA Workshop in Fort Worth. In addition, she has completed graduate courses in government documents, Indian resources in Washington, DC, and archive management. She has researched in repositories across the United States, including national and state archives as well as public libraries and courthouses. Debra has taught genealogy courses for community education and is a regular lecturer on a wide range of topics such as finding females, use of internet resources, internet search techniques, beginning genealogy, blogging, vital records and their substitutes, African American and American Indian research. She holds membership in multiple genealogy societies, including the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Lone Star APG Chapter, and now the Council for the Advancement for Forensic Genealogy. Associate Level Member Cinamon Collins has been conducting genealogy research for the past 16 years and taking clients for the past year. She enjoys the chase and the thrill of discovery. Cinamon has the good fortune of having adventurous ancestors who have migrated and traveled through many states, allowing her to become familiar with various archives. Before turning genealogy into a full time career, Cinamon was an elementary school teacher and professional photographer. It is not unusual to find her traipsing around cemeteries putting her photography skills to use. Cinamon has completed the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate Program, the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course, ProGen Study Group (9), National Institute of Genealogical Research, NIGR's Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis, and is a graduate of the 2012 Forensic Genealogy Institute. She also volunteers at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. *Certified Genealogist (CG) is a service mark (sm) of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, conferred to associates who consistently meet ethical and competency standards in accord with peer-reviewed evaluations every five years; the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.