Solving the Mystery: Forensic Genealogy Determines the Circumstances of the Potential Heirs to an Intestacy

When Betty Colton died intestate at the age of 78, the court-appointed curator for her estate faced a complex situation. The decedent was a hoarder, leaving behind a cluttered home filled with various items but little valuable property for potential heirs. The estate consisted mainly of a homestead and some exempt property. The curator knew that Betty had an adult son, Charles Colton, who had been estranged from her for many years. Additionally, it was believed that Charles had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and had been in and out of jail for much of his adult life. It was also unclear whether Betty had been legally married to Charles’s father, Wesley Colton, at the time of her death, as the curator had not found a final judgment of dissolution between Betty and Wesley. This uncertainty necessitated the heir search for both Wesley and Charles Colton.

The Forensic Genealogy Investigation Begins

To begin our search, the curator provided us with useful information, including Wesley’s date of birth and Social Security Number, a certified copy of Betty’s death certificate, a certified copy of the Letters of Curatorship, Charles Colton’s birth certificate, and miscellaneous correspondence and documents suggesting that the marriage between Betty and Wesley may never have been legally dissolved.

Tracing the Colton Family: Records and Revelations

We conducted searches of various commercial and public records databases using Charles’s name and date of birth. We located a matching profile, which reported a last known address that was not current. Further court records searches revealed that Charles Colton had recently been charged with a felony crime and was at large, wanted by the police. Concurrently, our searches in commercial and public records databases also established that Wesley Colton was deceased and that at the time of his death, he was married to Gwyneth Campbell. We provided the curator with accurate documentation supporting all our findings.

The Curator’s Conclusion: Problem Solved

With this information, the curator concluded the search, having obtained the necessary documented evidence to satisfy the court. The curator expressed gratitude, stating, “I have utilized the services of HeirSearch on numerous occasions over the years and have always found their service to be highly professional, ethical, effective, and reasonably priced. I highly recommend HeirSearch to all of my colleagues.”

If you are an attorney faced with an intestacy, HeirSearch can help! Our researchers identify and locate missing or unknown heirs for probate, and we do so efficiently. We work exclusively with executors, administrators, trustees, fiduciaries, bank and trust officers, and their counsel to establish kinship for legal purposes. With our search services, we can help ensure an heir is located and not be a contributing factor to a prolonged estate distribution process.

We offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations, even if you are not planning to start a search right away. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have — we look forward to connecting!

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Disclaimer: Although accurate in scope, all identifying information such as names, dates and locations have been changed in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
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