The following is an announcement written by the U.S. National Genealogical Society:

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has commissioned two of the country’s leading forensic genealogists—Michael S. Ramage, JD, CG, and Catherine Becker Wiest Desmarais, CG—to produce a new book, Forensic Genealogy: Theory and Practice. Ramage and Desmarais will lead a team of contributing authors including Cairenn Binder, Angie Bush, David Gurney, PhD, JD, Kelvin L. Meyers, and Rich Venezia, to create a scholarly and comprehensive book on the field of professional forensic genealogy. Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, will serve as editor.

Ramage is a former trustee and treasurer of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and serves as general counsel to BCG. He authored chapters for Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, and his articles have appeared in OnBoard, the BCG newsletter, and the APG Quarterly. He is a former instructor at Boston University’s Genealogical Research Program and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), NGS, and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. His expertise is in missing and unknown heirs in trusts and estates and real estate in the mid-Atlantic region. 

Desmarais is a BCG trustee, former APG vice president, and member of NGS and the APG Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group. She has coordinated popular forensic genealogy courses at Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (now GRIP Genealogy Institute) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Her articles have appeared in the NGS Quarterly, Utah Genealogical Association’s Crossroads, and the APG Quarterly. She specializes in forensic genealogy to resolve military repatriation, estate, and realty cases. As a US Department of Defense qualified genealogist, she and her research team have located families for more than twelve hundred World War II and Korean War soldiers.

“We are extremely pleased to have seasoned forensic genealogists at the helm of this important project,” said NGS Executive Director Matt Menashes, CAE. “Forensic Genealogy: Theory and Practice promises to be a ‘must have’ resource for those seeking to learn about or enhance their skillset in the field. The publication date will be announced later this year.”