Every case brought to Birth Parent Finder is unique in its own way. Each story is different, each client is different, and sometimes we run into stories like this one. A phoenix, where a good outcome rises from the ashes.
Our client came to us in July of 2022, wanting to find her biological father. She had connected with her biological mother and wanted to know more about her other side. She knew that she was adopted in Florida, and that her father lived in Honesdale, PA.
The case was assigned to Misty Gillis, who quickly got to work on the client's Ancestry results. Within 48 hours, she called the client and asked if she was sitting down.
Her father was identified as George Frederick Gengarelly, in which a quick Google search revealed some details that were shocking to the client. George was accused of killing Yvonne Weems in January of 1991 and a warrant was out for his arrest. Later, he was arrested in 1995 for second-degree murder in Volusia County and in 1998 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released in 2009 and eventually arrested in Cobb County, charging him with murder, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy, rape and possession of a firearm during the commission of a Felony.
This news was devastating to the client, tears were shed on the search for the unknown for all these years, to have this be the outcome.
Then the client asked a very important question, which changed her trajectory forever.
“Did he have any other children?”
Misty got to work quickly and was able to establish that he did have a daughter, who lived in the area he was originally from. She picked up the phone and reached out to her to tell her that she had a half sister out there and the response was surprising.
“She’s not the only one! I’ve been contacted by two other half siblings in the last few years, I would love to get in touch with her”.
And get in touch they did. Our client was able to meet her half-sister and extended family this past weekend and shared the following photo of them enjoying drinks together.
As the client says, “I know he doesn’t define who I am and he made his choices in life, but at least in all this craziness I have gained new people I can proudly call family”
Because that is why we do what we do – to find those people to proudly call family. Each family has their story, but at the end of the day, they’re family, and they’ve been found.