02/17/2026
As a private investigator, I’ve located several missing people. I’ve searched for birth parents, and birth children. I’ve also searched for aunts, uncles, cousins, long-lost friends, and runaways. Making the choice to search for someone can be a life changing decision.
When someone calls me about a birth parent or lost relative search, the first thing I usually recommend is DNA testing. So if you are thinking about it, please start there first. And not just with one company. Try several of the major DNA sites if you can. They often have sales, especially around the holidays. The more companies you use, the better your chances of finding a real connection. Because I love what I do, I’ve personally sent my own DNA to four companies: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA).
I recently had a client who I suggested do a DNA test just out of curiosity. She wasn’t actively searching for anyone. When the results came back, she was shocked. She didn’t recognize the surnames on her father’s side except one. It turned out the man she believed was her father her entire life wasn’t her biological parent. One simple DNA test gave her answers to questions she never even asked and changed many things overnight.
An investigator can help interpret DNA matches, follow leads, search records, and try to discover answers. State adoption laws do change, so always double check the most current ones.
If you’re thinking about starting this kind of search, I’m here and just a call away at 954-378-8011.