CeCe Moore Gets Canded: DNA, Friendship & the Stories Behind the Cases

When we recorded this episode of Finding Family DNA, we had no idea that CeCe Moore was about to be announced as a RootsTech 2027 keynote speaker. Now, with that announcement official, the timing of this conversation couldn’t be better.

Internationally renowned genetic genealogist CeCe Moore joins host Jay Rosenzweig, licensed private investigator and founder of BirthParentFinder.com, and co-host Misty Gillis, genetic genealogist and CeCe’s longtime friend and colleague, for a candid and personal conversation that goes far beyond the usual Q&A.

CeCe takes us through the unexpected path that led her to genetic genealogy — including how a Michael Jackson video shoot at USC and a career in the music world helped prepare her for life in front of the camera. She explains how DNA kept pulling her back until the early days of public testing at FamilyTreeDNA gave her a path into what would eventually become a groundbreaking career.

CeCe and Misty also dig into the investigative side of genetic genealogy and the difficult “brute-force” cases where distant DNA matches, unusual ancestry and incomplete family trees require creativity and persistence. CeCe discusses the nearly 50-year-old Nancy Anderson murder case in Honolulu, where researching city directories and Romanian and Italian surnames eventually led her to Tudor Chirila, as well as the Lindy Sue Biechler case in Lancaster, where an ancestral migration pattern from Gasperina, Italy, helped point the investigation in the right direction.

The conversation also goes beyond the cases. CeCe talks about discovering the connection between Madison Hemings, Thomas Jefferson and DNA while researching her brother-in-law’s family tree, answers some fun rapid-fire questions — from coffee to late-night casework — and shares her thoughts on Misty as both a genealogist and a friend, including why she describes Misty’s work as “magic.”

CeCe Moore has become one of the most recognizable figures in genetic genealogy through her groundbreaking work solving unknown-parentage and law-enforcement cases and through television appearances including Finding Your Roots and The Genetic Detective.

And now, CeCe will take the stage as a keynote speaker at RootsTech 2027, taking place March 4–6, 2027, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. RootsTech is the world’s largest family history and genealogy conference, bringing together genealogy enthusiasts, industry experts, technology innovators and people from around the world who share a passion for discovering their heritage and connecting with their family history.

Episode 52 of Finding Family DNA is sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA.

We’d be grateful if you subscribe to Finding Family DNA. Every subscription helps us grow the show and supports our ability to take on more pro bono DNA and family-search cases.

Watch this podcast right now on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/8yFKt23IJs8

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:11 Welcome, Sponsor, and a Guatemalan Father Case

03:05 Introducing CeCe Moore

03:37 Michael Jackson, USC, and a Music-World Sister

07:32 How CeCe Moved From Music Into DNA

11:23 Alternate Careers and Brute-Force Genealogy

16:14 Celebrity Cases and Growing Up Hip Hop

19:03 Broadway Dreams and Coming Full Circle on Camera

22:02 Midroll — Family Tree DNA and BirthParentFinder

23:37 Nancy Anderson and Tudor Chirila

28:23 Distant Matches, Gasperina, and Lindy Sue Biechler

29:58 Madison Hemings and Jefferson DNA

32:24 Jay's Spingarn Cousin and a Poland Trip

35:09 What If Not Genetic Genealogy

37:04 RootsTech and Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

39:44 Rapid Fire

45:14 Thanks and Close

Family Tree DNA: https://www.findingfamilydna.com/?utm_source=redcircle&utm_medium=social&utm_content=com+des&utm_campaign=finding+family+dna+ep+52

CeCe Moore: https://www.cecemoore.com/

Finding Your Roots (PBS): https://www.pbs.org/show/finding-your-roots/

RootsTech: https://www.rootstech.org

Follow the show here:

https://www.instagram.com/findingfamilydna

https://www.instagram.com/lasleuth

https://www.instagram.com/birthparentfinder

Are you looking to find your birth parents? Get in touch with Jay and his team!

https://www.birthparentfinder.com/

https://www.instagram.com/birthparentfinder

🚀 Edited with PodShuttle by CHOBO 👨‍🚀

Want help building your podcast?

Start at podshuttle.io, or follow along on Instagram.

https://podshuttle.io

https://www.instagram.com/podshuttle

https://www.instagram.com/chobostudios

Finding Family DNA, CeCe Moore, Genetic Genealogy, Cold Case DNA, Family Tree DNA, BirthParentFinder, Finding Your Roots, DNA Detective, Brute Force Genealogy, RootsTech

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands