By Deborah Lord Campisano

Are some of your DNA matches a complete mystery? No familiar surnames? No trees or only a tiny pedigree chart with ancestors named "Private?" No response to your messages? Discover how obituaries, people finders, public family trees, social media, and other online genealogy resources can help identify mystery DNA matches—and determine where they fit in your family tree. Learn to use shared matches, cM (centimorgan) amounts, build out a match's tree, and identify the most recent common ancestor (MRCA). Bring a laptop or tablet to follow along. Make sure your tree is attached to your DNA.

Debbie Lord Campisano, (BA History), has over 40 years of genealogical research experience -- 25 as a professional. She's a long-time member of LGS, a past president of the society and its current newsletter editor. Since retiring in 2014, Deborah has concentrated on using genetic genealogy and traditional genealogical methods in the search for her great grandmother's Irish origins. She enjoys helping others solve their DNA mysteries and traveling to research facilities with her genealogy friends.