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CeCe Moore            

Founder of The DNA Detectives & I4GG, Chief Genetic Genealogist at Parabon; Lead GG at PBS "Finding Your Roots"

CeCe Moore is an investigative genetic genealogist and media consultant. She is the Chief Genetic Genealogist for Parabon Nanolabs, heading their Genetic Genealogy Services for law enforcement unit, boasting an unparalleled record of over one hundred successful identifications of violent criminals since the unit’s launch. Her work has led to the first conviction, the first conviction through jury verdict, and the first exoneration in criminal cases where the suspect was identified through investigative genetic genealogy. The ABC documentary series "The Genetic Detective" follows Moore as she uses her unique research skills to assist law enforcement in pursuing justice.

Moore is considered an innovator and pioneer in the use of autosomal DNA to resolve unknown parentage and family mysteries, frequently consulted by DNA testing companies, genealogists, adoptees, law enforcement, and the press. In recognition of her contributions to the field, Moore was appointed as a Non-Resident Fellow of the Du Bois Research Institute at Harvard’s Hutchins Center. As a leading proponent of genetic genealogy education, she co-founded the Institute for Genetic Genealogy (I4GG). She has taken a leadership role in creating educational resources for the genetic genealogy community and helped create and teach the groundbreaking first genetic genealogy courses at the premier genealogical institutes, including Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and Forensic Genealogy Institute. Further, Moore organized the groundbreaking Institute for Genetic Genealogy conferences held in Washington D.C., San Diego, and Las Vegas. She founded and manages the largest educational online DNA-focused forum, the DNA Detectives Facebook group, which boasts a following of over 130,000 members, along with many other specialized subgroups.

Moore has been a core production member as the full-time genetic genealogist of the PBS Television documentary series "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." since 2013 and as a producer in Season Five. She is an ABC News Consultant and collaborates regularly with 20/20, showcasing her cutting-edge work reuniting individuals of unknown parentage with biological relatives through genetic genealogy, and helping law enforcement to resolve cold cases. She has appeared frequently as a genetic genealogy expert on TV shows, including "60 Minutes," "The Dr. Oz Show," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," and many more. Moore has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review, The Guardian, etc., and her work has also been featured in hundreds of articles and books, some including the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Insider, Wired, and The Atlantic. Moore was recognized by the Orange County Register as one of the Ten Most Influential People in Orange County, CA. She is a long-time member of Screen Actor’s Guild and Mensa, and a proud mother.

News


Who Is CeCe Moore, DNA Genealogist on 20/20?
When three half-siblings who were abandoned at birth – Janet, Julie and Dean – go searching for their biological mother, CeCe Moore connects the dots. On ABC 20/20 the genetic genealogist reveals that she found a DNA link from the woman who supposedly rescued Janet from an alleyway. “The woman is either your mother or aunt,” says Moore, in a typically shocking reveal. The three siblings, now adults, don’t understand why she would do that. CeCe Moore knows family geneaology can reveal stories even more complicated than that of Janet, Julie and Dean. Moore has appeared on many TV shows and is a consultant on Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
What happened to Baby Alpha Beta? Did the newborn found behind a grocery find her birth mother?
A friend of a friend saw the post and contacted someone in a unique position to help: CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist who does the DNA research for the popular PBS series “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and also consults on “Genealogy Roadshow.” Moore lives in San Clemente and has a son a few years older than Kayla Tovo’s. She has a special place in her heart for foundlings like Kayla Tovo who have nothing to go on. “DNA,” Moore says, “was the only way to solve this.” MYSTERY SOLVED
I-Team: Man's identity revealed, 50-year-old mystery solved
Paul did get help from an unexpected source. He has been on the phone daily with Moore. She is the founder of The DNA Detectives. The company which has taken the point on the Fronczak case. “My team and I have worked on this case every single day for the last year-and-a-half. It might have been just a few emails per day or 18 hours a day. It's been an incredibly long road with unbelievable twists and turns,” Moore said. Moore and her team scoured all three of the major DNA data banks, including Ancestry.com, to look for a genetic match. A company named Family Tree DNA donated free genetic test kits so the team could pursue numerous leads. Most of them fizzled. But a possible match found six months ago led to the East Coast. Team members cracked the puzzle days ago by building a time machine in a way.
Stolen at Birth: Paul Fronczak Closer to Finding Possible Blood Relatives
CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist who helped Fronczak with his case, said finding a second cousin match was "substantially better" than finding a third cousin match. A second cousin could unlock the mystery of Fronczak's true identity because his and Alan Fisch's parents could be first cousins and their grandparents could even be siblings.
Man with no name finally knows real identity
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - It's been 11 years of wondering, searching and struggling for a man who calls himself Benjamin Kyle. For the last 11 years, BK didn't know his real identity. But now, the man who calls Jacksonville home knows his true identity...Alive, but lost in his amnesia, until he got help from genetic genealogist CeCe Moore. The methodology we used to solve the Benjamin Kyle case was actually developed for adoption searches. For people who wanted to ID their birth families. It's applicable to lost identity as well," Moore explained. Moore and a team worked on BK's case for two and a half years, comparing his DNA to those in databases across the country. Along with information BK thought he remembered, Moore's team made the connection - when law enforcement couldn't.
San Diego firefighter searches for birth mother
He's hired three private investigators hoping to find his biological mother and get those answers. All led to dead ends. Until now. Detective Cece Moore is part of his new team which was profiled in Friday's 20/20. “It's definitely time for him to turn to DNA testing,” Moore said. “It's given answers to many families. The databases have grown immensely.”
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“SINCE THE DAY I WAS BORN” AIRING ON “20/20,” MAY 6, 10 P.M. EDT ON ABC
20/20” asks: could someone ever forgive a mom who would abandon not one but three newborn babies within blocks of each other over a five year period? It is an incredible mystery that is solved right before viewers’ eyes as “20/20” teams up with renowned DNA detective and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore.
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