Margaret Press Biography

How might genetic genealogy assist in identifying John and Jane Does? she inquired. Margaret Press and Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, a forensic genealogist, co-founded the DNA Doe Project in 2017. They took on their first case in September 2017 after months of searching for laboratories, specialists, bones, and contributions. The following month, they formed as a non-profit. Persistence, patience, and a team of experienced and enthusiastic volunteers have shown to be the answer in following success stories. That is how it is carried out. Margaret grew raised in Los Angeles, California, where she acquired her grandmother's interest in genealogy at the age of 15. She obtained her bachelor's degree in linguistics from UC Berkeley and went on to UCLA to pursue her Ph.D. in Native American languages and child language development. She wrote a descriptive grammar of Chemehuevi, a virtually extinct dialect of the Uto-Aztecan family, based on her extensive fieldwork. Margaret stumbled into mystery writing while working in software development for most of her life. Following two published novels set in Salem, Massachusetts, she wrote essays and short tales, as well as a true-crime book based on a murder that occurred in her own neighborhood in 1991. The book was the subject of many documentaries, including a 1996 episode of Unsolved Mysteries and a 1998 episode of the A&E series City Confidential. She's also taught a number of mystery and crime writing classes. Margaret joined the passionate community of citizen scientists who would drive this new discipline to where it is today when DNA testing changed the genealogy landscape. She began by establishing a number of Y-DNA surname projects. She, like many others, became hooked by the unique difficulties of creating family trees forward in time, rather than backward, once autosomal testing reached critical mass and its potential for assisting in unknown parentage inquiries became evident. The sense of accomplishment that comes from assisting an adoption is immense and addictive. But using this approach to her present objective — finding a name for an unidentified victim – adds a whole new level of satisfaction. Margaret is a happy mom and grandmother, having her own offspring to pass along her mitochondrial haplogroup C1d and enthusiasm for genealogy.

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Margaret Press's expertise is in high demand. To book Margaret Press for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Margaret Press's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Margaret Press's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Margaret Press for your next speaking engagement.