History never stays buried.
Dead ends. Silenced stories. Forgotten graves. When the paper trail goes cold, I step in.
I investigate unresolved family history and unseal stories lost to time using archival analysis, specialized technology, and boots-on-the-ground fieldwork.
If your search has gone cold or you’ve hit a dead end in the archives, I don't just search—I dig deeper. Some names aren't lost in the archives — they're vanishing from the stone itself. I bring those back, too.
Start with The Grave Survey. Tell me what you know and what you want to find. After you submit, you will receive an email link to schedule a complimentary 20-minute Case Strategy Briefing on my Google Calendar. Scheduling is your choice; I review your Survey before any meeting and follow up on the next step.
Stories UnEarthed.
Field dispatches, investigations, and research notes.
From cold cases and forgotten burial grounds to archival surprises, this is the journal of my ongoing work. Start with the latest featured story, or explore the full archive.
Investigations in Practice
What the evidence can reveal.
From DNA and cemetery records to maps, military files, and court papers, these examples show how I follow a lead and test what the evidence supports. Some inquiries reach a clear answer; others reveal the next question. Every case gets the same care.
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![Close-up of DNA double helix strands with a dark background.]()
The 50-Year Silence.
My journey began with my own cold case. After five decades of unanswered questions, I used advanced genetic genealogy to identify my biological father. Today, I use those same forensic methods to untangle the strands in your DNA results.
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![A military cemetery with white headstones on green grass, an American flag, and trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.]()
The Silent Witness.
A name on a spreadsheet isn't enough. From overgrown rural churchyards to sprawling national cemeteries, I have photographed over 2,000 stones to verify locations, document conditions, and ensure the forgotten are finally found.
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![Snow-covered trees in a foggy mountainous landscape]()
Survival in the Storm.
The family story said he was a soldier. The records proved he was a survivor. Buried in Colorado and Wyoming Civil War files, I uncovered the near-fatal ordeal of my 2nd great-grandfather trapped in a Rocky Mountain blizzard—a dramatic history nearly lost to time.
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![Civil war reenactors dressed in blue uniforms firing muskets in a grassy field with trees in the background.]()
Killed in Action: Resaca.
The regimental histories held the truth. By correlating battlefield reports with muster rolls, I pinpointed the exact land where my 3rd great-grandfather fell during the 1864 Battle of Resaca, turning a missing ancestor into a documented casualty of war.
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![A vintage newspaper clipping with an illustration of a child's face with curly hair, surrounded by text promoting helping children find homes, with contact information for the home office in Columbus, Ohio.]()
The Lost Children
They were "adopted out" and erased from the family narrative. Through deep archival work and newspaper analysis, I reconnected generations of separated children, proving that even when names change, the paper trail remains.
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![Historical hand-drawn map of Township N XV, Range N XIV, showing divisions, coordinates, and water features, with grid lines and handwritten notes.]()
The Missing Signature.
History is often hidden in what remains unsigned. Investigating an 1813 land patent for Bennett Suttles revealed a 213-year-old clerical error that left a property title imperfect for over a century. By digging beyond the digital index, I unsealed the forensic evidence that standard databases missed.
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![Various antique ceramic and clay jars and pots outdoors on grass.]()
The Potter’s Trail.
History is often written in the objects we leave behind. By tracing a migration of rustic potteries from Ohio to Texas, I reconstructed a family legacy of craftsmanship, trade routes, and the clay that bound them together.
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250 Lost Graves.
A major historical recovery. Combining 1938 aerial imagery with infirmary records, my investigation into a Clinton County obscure lot helped identify the resting place of at least 250 unmarked individuals. My 4th-great-grandfather, an early settler of the county, was among the lost.
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![A wooden marker sign with the name Samuel Suttles, showing the years 1833 and 1864, and the text 'Muskingum to Clinton County, Ohio', placed on a wooden surface with a dark background.]()
Written in Wood.
Sometimes the best records aren't on paper. I located an 1858 contract dispute that preserved a rare whiskey barrel maker’s signature—transforming a legal footnote into a tangible family heirloom.
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![University of Cincinnati campus with a green lawn, trees, historic buildings, and a sign reading 'University of Cincinnati' in the foreground during a cloudy day.]()
Deep Archive Recovery.
The internet only scratches the surface. From University special collections to the Ohio History Connection, I physically pull the workhouse ledgers, military rolls, and county court packets that digitization left behind.
Ready to open the file on your family?
Start with The Grave Survey. I will review your starting evidence and follow up about the next step. You will also receive an email link to schedule a complimentary Case Strategy Briefing if you want to talk through the case.
Meet The Grave Guy™
Historical Investigator & Professional Genealogist
I don’t just study history—I go where it happened.
While most research happens behind a screen, the truth is often found in a missed clue or out in the field. I bridge the gap between digital databases and the physical landscape your ancestors inhabited.
With decades of experience in investigative research and data analysis, I bring the precision of a specialist and the persistence of an investigator to every case.
Whether it’s a forgotten soldier, a lost record, or a mystery passed down for generations, I examine the evidence to unseal the stories that others miss.
For 60 years, Clinton County’s volunteer Board of Visitors filed annual reports on the infirmary — and never once named the ground where it buried its poorest dead. The director who ended those burials was a genealogist who could not abide a name left unrecorded.