A DNA test has reunited a Texas woman with her biological family, ending a mystery that spanned more than five decades. Melissa Highsmith, now 53, was abducted by a babysitter from her home in Fort Worth in 1971 when she was just 22 months old.
For years, the family searched tirelessly, following tips and working with authorities, but without success. The breakthrough came on 6 November when DNA samples submitted to the ancestry website 23AndMe produced a match, with the help of an amateur genealogist.
Ms Highsmith, who had been raised under the name Melanie Walden, was unaware of the search. Initially, she thought the family's attempts to contact her via Facebook were a scam. She has now met her parents for the first time and plans to change her name back.
Speaking to the BBC's US partner CBS, Ms Highsmith described the reunion as overwhelming but wonderful. Her biological mother, Alta Apatenco, said she 'just couldn't believe' the family had been reunited after so many years.
No information has been released about the kidnapper. Ms Highsmith said the woman who raised her, with whom she has been estranged, admitted to knowing she was the kidnapped child. The Fort Worth Police Department stated it will continue investigating the case.
The family is now making up for lost time. Ms Highsmith's sisters told the Washington Post that she plans to redo her wedding so her biological father can walk her down the aisle.
