In the autumn of 1971, a babysitter in Texas held a baby named Melissa, then 22-months-old, while her parents were at work. But the babysitter didn’t return later in the day as planned, and instead kidnapped the child.
For the next five decades, Melissa’s parents and siblings searched for her. In 2018, the family set up a Facebook page dedicated to finding her. They also took DNA ancestry tests in the hopes their missing sister would do the same.
The ancestry approach worked. In 2023, a family member matched as a relative with one of Melissa’s children through the testing service 23andMe. Melissa, who was raised as Melanie, reunited with her family and told reporters she was surprised to learn she had been kidnapped as a baby.
Other users have reported their own surprises. DNA ancestry tests have made paternity tests widely available for the first time in history, and are exposing longtime family secrets.
