Identifinders International

04/17/2025

On Friday July 7, 1972, 26-year-old Phyllis Bailer was traveling from Indianapolis, Indiana to Bluffton, Indiana with her 3-year-old daughter. They were traveling in a borrowed car to visit Phyllis’s parents. Phyllis and her daughter left Indianapolis around 8:00pm but never arrived at her mother’s home in Bluffton. Her family called police to report Phyllis missing.

The next morning, around 10:30 am, her car was found on northbound I-69 in Grant County. Her car was abandoned with the hood up and no one around. Indiana State Troopers from the Redkey Post responded. Approximately 1 hour later, at 11:37 am, a woman driving on West Road, just north of Schoaff Road in Allen County, found Phyllis Bailer and her daughter along the side of the road in a ditch. Phyllis was deceased; her 3-year-old daughter was with her, unharmed. The Allen County Police Department and the Indiana State Police investigated the case. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound and determined that Phyllis had been sexually assaulted.

DNA testing was not available in 1972 and did not gain widespread use in law enforcement until the early 1990’s. Years after the murder, a partial DNA profile was developed from her clothing. It eliminated the main suspect in the case. The Indiana State Police Cold Case Team continued to work on the case as DNA testing continued to improve. In 2024, the Indiana State Police Laboratory developed a much stronger DNA profile from Phyllis Bailer’s clothing. The Indiana State Police Cold Case Team and the Allen County Police Department began working with Identifinders International, a forensic genealogy company in California, founded by Colleen Fitzpatrick. Forensic genealogy was utilized in conjunction with the DNA profile and the killer was identified in early 2025.

Fitzpatrick stated, “Identifinders is proud to have supported the Indiana State Police with bringing long overdue answers to Phyllis and her family. This case is an example of still another homicide that would never have been solved without Forensic Genetic Genealogy”.

Fred Allen Lienemann, age 25 in 1972, from Gross Point, Michigan, was found to be the contributor of the DNA obtained from Phyillis Bailer’s clothing. Lienemann was born in the Anderson, Indiana area. Lienemann had no known connections to Phyllis Bailer but had a significant criminal history. During their investigation, detectives learned that Fred Lienemann was murdered in Detroit in 1985. If Fred Lienemann were alive today, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office would have charged him with the murder of Phyllis Bailer.

This case demonstrates the commitment the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, the Allen County Police Department, and the Indiana State Police Laboratory have for victims and victims’ families. Not only does this work convict criminals, but it also answers questions that grieving families have had for decades regarding the deaths of their loved ones.

03/28/2025

SEARCH EVERY WORD of the JFK Assassination Records!
EVERY handwritten and typewritten page from the recently-released 75,000+ pages of the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection is now available to the public in indexed and searchable format.

Are you curious about the umbrella man, or the role of safe houses in the assassination investigation? What about potential connections to the Cuban Missile Crisis? Secret operatives (spies)? There are 661 mentions of the word “conspiracy”, four specifically of “murder conspiracy” and seven of “assassination conspiracy” in the records.

If you want a fascinating read, or just want to search for free, check out the official Kindex John F. Kennedy Assassination Record Collection at:

Kindex™: Gather and index your historical records and creating an accessible, searchable archive.

03/28/2025

THERE IS STILL TIME to write the California State Legislature to advocate for the passage of California AB 1019, that would provide local Sheriffs in thirty-seven rural counties in CA the freedom to use up to 20% of their already existing discretionary funds to identify missing and unidentified human remains to solve cold cases. The funds were originally allocated in 2001 under AB 443, when DNA technology was not as advanced as it is today. While conventional state laboratory work is still important, the additional funding would allow higher levels of forensic identification beyond the present capabilities of conventional government laboratories. Every person, no matter what their circumstances in life or death, deserves to be identified and to be laid to rest with dignity.

Please support us in our efforts to get AB 1019 passed by the CA State Legislature. There is still time to submit your letter of support before they vote on April 1. Feel free to use the template below. The link to the California Legislature Position Letter portal can be found at:

https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml

03/23/2025

Important announcement for all those in the forensic identification and and genealogical communities. We need your help!

On April 1, 2025, the California legislature will vote on California AB1019 that could allow Sheriffs Offices of thirty-seven rural California Counties to use a portion of existing state discretionary funding to cover the costs of forensic testing and genealogical research on unidentified human remains cases. We need your help in getting this bill passed.

Since 2001 when bill AB 443 was passed by the California legislature, the technology of human identification has advanced along with soaring costs. While AB 443 still provides annual supplemental funding for law enforcement in rural counties through the Local Assistance for Rural and Small County Law Enforcement Program, nearly 25 years later, the focus of AB 443 remains narrow in how on those funds can be spent. If it is passed, AB 1019 will allow 20% of existing AB 443 discretionary funds to cover modern, advanced forensic services.

While conventional forensic identification methods are still useful, forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) has proven to be a game changer for human identification. Yet there are countless UHR cases that remain untouched, due to lack of funding to cover the required DNA analysis, uploads, and genealogical research. So many of these cases could be solved, and so many families could finally have answers about the fate of their loved ones, if adequate funding were provided.

The attached image of a letter provides a template you can use to voice your support. You can mail in a hard copy, or you can upload your letter through the Califoria Legislature Position Letter Portal at:

https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml

If you wish to be listed as a bill sponsor, please contact (916) 319-2009.

So share, share, and share this post with your colleagues and ask them to write letters of support to the Honorable Nick Schultz, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee and the Honoable Juan Alanis, the Committee's Vice Chair. It does not matter if you reside in California or elsewhere., we could use your help!

02/28/2025

Identifinders is proud to have assisted the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) with the identification, arrest, and successful prosection of Allen Houston James for the attempted murder of a fellow soldier in 2000. James was recently sentenced to 200 months in prison for his crime.

We acknowledge our success on this case was thanks to the hard work and dedication of the late Gretchen Stack, who passed away in February 2023.

01/23/2025

Many thanks to Joe Barrus, our genealogist on this case for the effort he made to help identify Mr. Frisby as an until-now unidentified victim of serial killers Lake & Ng. We are looking forward to many more solves. See the Calaveras County Press Release below for more details.

*****
Calaveras Cold Case Task Force Identifies the Remains of a Person Found During the 1985 Investigation of the Wilseyville Serial Killers After Forty Years.

On January 15, 2025, after years of investigation and collaboration with numerous public and private entities, the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force identified a body that was found in 1985 as Reginald “Reggie” Frisby.

Reginald’s body had been found in June of 1985, during the processing and investigation of a crime scene associated with the Wilseyville Serial Killings. These remains have been unidentified until this development.

In 2021, the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force undertook the enormous task of reexamining unidentified human remains from cases within Calaveras County. The basis for reexamination were technological changes and advancements in DNA technology, including the advent of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy. The purpose of the reexamination project was, is, and will continue to be to identify remains while providing closure to victims’ families.

The case that led to the current identification began with over 1,000 pieces of human remains that were exhumed from within a San Andreas crypt, as well as additional unidentified remains that were in the custody of the Calaveras County Coroner.

In November, 2022, Task Force members conducted a specific reexamination of unidentified remains that had also been the subject of an autopsy in 1985. These remains have been unidentified since their discovery despite the creation of a composite sketch and numerous attempts at identification by law enforcement. During this investigation, Task Force members took possession of a portion of the remains, which they later hand-delivered to the California Department of Justice for DNA analysis.
The California Department of Justice successfully obtained a DNA profile from the remains, which was then entered into the CODIS system. CODIS is the Combined DNA Index System which is operated and maintained by the FBI. No match was obtained using this system.

In 2024, the Task Force sent the remains to Intermountain Forensics, a private laboratory located in Utah, for additional analysis. Intermountain Forensics successfully extracted a DNA profile suitable for use in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG). FIGG is a technique in which expert genealogists use genealogy to compare a DNA sample with potential relatives in public genealogy databases and the use of publicly available records. The DNA profile for FIGG was assigned for research to Identifinders International, a Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy group.
In December of 2024, Identifinders International developed a lead regarding a possible match to the victim by way of DNA matches discovered on a public database. Task Force Investigators and the genealogist began conducting interviews of potential family members and determined that Reginald Frisby had not been in contact with his family since 1984. Task Force Investigators, with the assistance of the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit, also determined that Reginald had been living in the city of San Francisco as of January,1984.

Following these interviews, the California Department of Justice responded to a request from the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force and coordinated with the Delaware State Patrol Missing Persons Unit to acquire a DNA reference sample from Reginald’s mother. The California Department of Justice compared her DNA sample to the sample obtained from the remains, and the results, combined with the investigative facts, confirmed the identity of the remains to be Reginald “Reggie” Frisby.

Reginald Frisby, who was born in 1956 in the State of New York, had never been reported missing and was previously not considered or suspected to be a potential victim or suspected to be associated with the Wilseyville Serial Killer case.

The circumstances regarding the death of Reginald are still being examined while Task Force members continue to review original reports, evidence, and facts of the case. It is believed that Reginald was the victim of homicide.

After forty years, this identification would not have been possible without the assistance of the California Department of Justice, The Delaware State Patrol Missing Persons Unit, the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit, Identifinders International, Intermountain Forensics, and all the supporters, agencies, and members of the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force.

The Calaveras Cold Case Task Force is funded entirely by donations. Without these donations, the private laboratory and genealogy work would not have been possible, and Reginald would remain unidentified. The Task Force has spent over $200,000 of donated money on reexamining remains from all assigned cases.

To support the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force or to learn about other cold cases, please visit the task force website at https://www.calaverascoldcase.org/.

12/28/2024

Identifinders International is honored to have assisted the Port Angeles WA Police Department in solving the 1988 sexual assault of two young girls in a tree house using Forensic Genetic Genealogy. The suspect was identified as Kim John Cederleaf, using DNA that was obtained from the vitreous humor obtained during his autopsy.

Special thanks to forensic genetic genealogist Jenna Robertson who worked this case.

A link to the Port Angeles press release can be found in the article published today in the Sacramento Bee.

The case “profoundly affected” the community, police said.

12/26/2024

Some cool scientific detective work solving long standing historical mysteries. Check this out!

https://apple.news/ALqbSNNGJQLqujkZA2bELAA

12/26/2024

Here is a great video that Jared Ross posted on his Geneavlogger YouTube channel to correct a lot of the misconceptions around the Baby Garnet case. It straightens out what probably happened versus what the granddaughter remembers versus what was reported in the news media.

I recommend it highly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fOpNPJ8D6Ps

In this professional genealogist reacts, I watch some TikToks related to the Baby Garnet case.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeneaVloggerInstagram: https...

11/27/2024

https://archaeologymag.com/2024/10/christopher-columbus-remains-in-seville/

Scientists have finally confirmed that the remains buried in Seville Cathedral, Spain, belong to 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus

09/28/2024

With Intermountain Forensics – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

09/05/2024

Identifinders International appreciates the trust the Medina County Sheriff's Office placed in us for the genealogical analysis we performed on this case. We give a high five to our friends at Intermountain Forensics for the great lab work on the case and Misty Gillis, the crack genealogist who came up with Robbins’ name. We made a great team.

We also thank Gray Hughes Investigates for his generrous support on the case. Gray Hughes is a great partner to work with - a champion of FGG to bring back home John and Jane Does who need to be returned to their loved ones. We wish the best to the Robbins family.