est. 2020
Caseworkers
Assisting with DNA Services
Nora Cheek
Caseworker
Nora Cheek is a retired Human Resources manager from the State of California who moved to New York in 2016.
Her post-retirement roles include local government positions, North Carolina Sea Grant analyst, and many volunteer jobs.
She became a genetic genealogist in 2013, locating her great-grandmother Nora Jackson’s family in Ireland.
For over a decade, Nora has been a Search Angel solving unknown parentage cases. She has successfully solved cases in Ireland, Austria, Germany, Italy, and many states in the US.
She is proficient in DNA software systems including tools at GEDmatch, DNAPainter, and BanyanDNA.
Nora's genealogical expertise includes Endogamous Populations and Geo-profiling.
Kris Wilson
Caseworker
Kris Wilson is a retired federal agent, with over twenty years of experience as a U.S. Special Agent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Criminal Investigation Division (preceded by five years as an environmental scientist with EPA).
Kris served on EPA’s National Criminal Evidence Response (NCERT) team, which focused on high hazard search warrants and terrorism related operations.
Kris was the Resident Agent in Charge of the EPA-CID in Los Angeles. Other duties with EPA-CID included on-the-job training for new agents, public speaking, training new agents at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and administrative duties running the LA office.
After retiring, Kris obtained a graduate certificate in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy from the University of New Haven. Other education includes a Juris Doctor from Temple University and a B.S. in Biology from Penn State.
Ferron Lien
Caseworker
Ferron Lien is a Long Island attorney with 16 years of experience, including 11 years prosecuting violent crime and trying cases. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Law from Binghamton University in 2004 and a Juris Doctor from Touro Law in 2008.
She obtained both a Graduate Certificate in FIGG and a Master of Science in Investigations (Criminal Concentration) from University of New Haven in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Ferron was the 2026 recipient of University of New Haven’s award for Outstanding Graduate Student in the Investigations Program.
Ferron is passionate about criminal law, especially cold case homicides. She is also interested in genetics, particularly epigenetics.
Valerie Palaninathan
Caseworker
Valerie Palaninathan is a forensic scientist and investigative genetic genealogist with a multidisciplinary background in forensic biology, forensic science, death investigation, and investigative genetic genealogy. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Biology from Guilford College, followed by a Master of Science in Forensic Science and a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Death Investigation from the University of Florida.
In 2025, she further expanded her education by earning a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy from the University of New Haven.
Valerie is passionate about the intersection of genetics, genealogy, and forensic science, with a particular interest in applying these fields to cold case investigations and the identification of unknown individuals. She is dedicated to using emerging scientific and investigative methodologies to help resolve cases, restore identities, and provide answers to families seeking closure.
