Naman Shrestha
When the burned remains of a woman were discovered in 2006, she was unrecognizable to the point that the authorities thought it would be an impossible task to identify the victim. However, the trio of volunteer genealogical researchers of the DNA Doe Project — Kevin Lord, Missy Koski, and Lori Gaff — worked together to help the detectives determine the identity of the woman as Dana Lynn Dodd and solve the cold case. Apart from the murder and its aftermath, the episode titled ‘The Woman with No Name’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline’ also explores how the three armchair detectives tracked down distant relatives of the victim and identified her as Dana, ultimately leading to the conviction of her perpetrator, Joseph Wayne Burnette.
Kevin Lord’s Life Revolves Around Genealogy, Photography, and His Partner
By serving as the Director of Lab Logistics of the DNA Doe Project, Kevin Lord has assisted in solving various criminal cases with the use of genetic genealogy techniques. Besides the DNA Doe Project, he has affiliations and responsibilities towards a few more organizations. For instance, he handles the operation of his own two companies, Saber Investigations LLC and Sabertronics LLC. Besides that, he also serves as the Director of Bioinformatics at Intermountain Forensics and DNA Labs International.
When he is not busy solving crimes and helping law enforcement catch perpetrators and identify victims, Kevin enjoys honing his photography skills by capturing portraits of his loved ones or shots of landscapes and objects. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, he is in a long-term relationship with Erin Yousef, with whom she resides in Austin, Texas. In May 2024, he traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, and deemed Sloss Furnace as “One of the coolest places I’ve ever taken photos.” For his next trip, he visited Mexico City and captured several impressive images of different corners of the city.
Lori Gaff Has Worn Many Hats Throughout Her Professional Life
Before becoming the Forensic Genetic Genealogist at the DNA Doe Project, Lori Gaff had quite a journey. Her professional career began as a professional graphic designer at Fort Rucker and Fort Hood before she was presented with an unexpected opportunity to join the army. Given her determination to succeed, she became a Black Hawk pilot and even earned an Air Medal in combat. Several years later, in 2019, she even earned a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communications from a Texas-based college.
Despite having parted ways with the DNA Doe Project, Lori is admittedly still obsessed with true crime. Her other hobbies include spending time on social media and creating unique posts by making the most of her knowledge and experience in graphic design. From what we can tell, she and her small family even lived as full-time RV’ers for a while. Based out of Red Ranger, Texas, Lori Gaff leads an enjoyable life with his husband and a couple of rescue dogs, one of whose name is Petey.
Genealogy-Aficionado Missy Koski Leads a Fulfilling Life With Her Husband Today
Since February 2018, Missy Ringstad Koski has been serving as the Team Leader and Investigative Genetic Genealogist at the DNA Doe Project. Given her undying passion for genealogy, she also became a business partner at Find DNA Family in August 2022. What matches her passion for her job is her love and affection for her husband, Mark Koski, with whom she tied the knot back on February 15, 1983. Her longtime life partner, a Mount San Antonio College graduate, is employed as the Department Sales Manager at Foundation Building Materials. Despite having a busy professional life, they manage to take time out for each other and lead a well-balanced life in Bulverde, Texas.
