Bio / History
Marian’s eventual foray into genetic genealogy came as a result of a series of cumulative events that influenced and impacted her over the years. Her strong interest in forensic investigations started at the young age of 10, when an unexpected death of a family member occurred under suspicious circumstances, and the manner of death was ruled “undetermined”. Soon afterwards, she began reading a 20-volume set of encyclopedias entitled Crimes and Punishment, which served to pique her curiosity into how crimes were solved.
In the late 80’s, TV programs such as Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted captured Marian’s interest, but left her feeling very unsettled – since many of the cases remained unsolved. However, being that she was also intrigued with the field of psychology and human behavior, she eventually chose to pursue an education in psychology which, providentially, included a biology course with a DNA lab module.
Around 2000, Marian stumbled across the program Forensic Files and immediately became engrossed with the emerging field of forensic science. In particular, she became fascinated with the advances in the science of DNA, and how vital DNA evidence is when it comes to solving crimes. As a result, she began studying forensic science and has since invested a tremendous amount of time analyzing actual cold cases that were solved utilizing DNA.
During this same time period, Marian’s “hobby” was genealogy, where she focused on researching historical records and building family trees. Once public genealogy websites began offering DNA testing, Marian tested, along with all her family members, and she began managing their online DNA accounts. She then became what is known as a “search angel”, and for several years, used DNA to solve cases of unknown parentage for individuals and adoptees – with the goal of biological family reunification. She found it extremely rewarding and personally satisfying to help individuals of unknown parentage and adoptees find closure by connecting them to their biological father and/or mother, siblings, and other relatives. Realizing that solving cases was “in her DNA”, she decided to combine her genetic genealogy experience, her strong sense of justice, and her passion for forensic investigations, to partner with law enforcement agencies to solve cold cases.
A native Texan, Marian earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas in Austin, and her Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She is a member of several genealogical societies, and is also a graduate of the Citizens Police Academy of Mauldin, South Carolina.