In the year 2000, the TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation introduced American viewers to the use of forensics to solve crimes. At the Martin County Genealogical Society’s (MCGS) September meeting, Rebecca Hickey-Patrick, a certified crime scene analyst in the Martin County Sheriff’s Forensic Science Unit, will present “DNA in the Forensics World.” She will discuss what a crime scene investigator actually does, including the process they follow to get results, how often they deal with DNA and how they collect it. She also will talk about how the “CSI effect” complicates the job in the real world.
A 2016 Keiser University graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in forensic investigations, Rebecca Hickey-Patrick has worked at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for nine years as a CSI and latent print examiner. She is a certified crime scene analyst and a certified latent print examiner through the International Association for Identification as well as a graduate of the National Latent Print Examiner Academy in Hattiesburg, Miss. A member of the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System (FEMORS), in 2022 she was elected Region 4 Director of the Florida Division International Association for Identification. Hickey-Patrick serves on the Keiser University Advisory Board, and in 2024 she received the Keiser University Advisory Board Member Award.
Free and open to the public, the meeting will be at the Blake Library, 2351 S.E. Monterey Road in Stuart, from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19. The meeting begins with social time followed by a short business meeting, and the presentation is at 2 p.m. The meeting will be available on Zoom, registration required. For details, go to mcgsfl.org/events.
In October, the 2025 Family History Fair, co-sponsored by MCGS and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), will offer a range of information from genealogy basics to advanced research techniques. Free and open to the public, the fair will be on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LDS church, 2401 S.W. Matheson Ave., in Palm City. A number of free gifts, including DNA test kits, will be given during the fair. Attendees may bring their own lunch, go out for lunch or order lunch to be delivered. Water and snacks will be provided.
This year’s fair will include lectures by experienced genealogists on a variety of topics including Intro to Genealogy, DNA Research, How AI Transforms Genealogy Research, Tax Records – More Exciting Than You Think, Behind the Scenes of Finding Your Roots and How to Find a Provable Patriot in 90 Minutes or Less. The full schedule of events and speakers is posted at mcgsfl.org/family-history-fair. Online registration will be available later this summer at the same site.
