IDAHO — Millions have used Ancestry.com to trace the roots of their family tree, but for Kelli Rowlette it led to the stunning discovery that her biological father is actually her parents’ fertility doctor.
A14 page lawsuit filed in Idaho claims that Dr. Gerald Mortimer – an elder in the Mormon Church – helped Rowlette’s parents get pregnant in 1980.
At the time, he recommended they use an “85% mixture of her dad’s ( Mr. Fowler) genetic material and 15% of the mixture would be from an anonymous donor.”
The suit said that didn’t happen – instead Dr. Mortimer used his own sperm.
The family only found out about it years later after an Ancestry DNA test said Dr. Mortimer was her father. Rowlette said at first she thought there was an error, but then she discovered her birth certificate had been signed by none other than Dr. Mortimer.
She said she was “horrified and contacted her parents in a panic.”
In a statement, Ancestry.com said “DNA testing helps people make new and powerful discoveries about their family history and identity. We are committed to delivering the most accurate results, however with this, people may learn of unexpected connections.”
