DNA test reunites half brothers; both were cops in Florida

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — When police Sgt. Dave Stull took a DNA test to learn more about his biological parents, he wasn't expecting much. He was tired of leaving the family history sections blank on medical forms, but he had no aching void to fill. He'd had a good childhood, with adoptive parents who doted on him.

"Of course, there were questions in my whole life about, 'Who am I?' and 'Where did I come from?' and all that, but they weren't burning questions," said Stull, 51, who was adopted as a baby by a Navy pilot and his wife.

But after losing his mother to Alzheimer's 20 years ago and watching his adoptive father die of heart disease just last year, he felt less guilty about tracing his biological roots.

The possibility of brothers or sisters didn't cross his mind. Maybe he'd find some cousins. But when he opened the link on the 23andMe website, the name topping the list of 1,200-plus potential relatives was that of a half brother, along with his photo.

Eric Reynolds had the same chin, different color eyes.

"He's wearing a police jacket, and it says Florida," Stull said.

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DNA kits such as Ancestry and 23andMe have exploded in popularity in recent years, with more than 26 million people taking an at-home test, according to MIT Technology Review. While the trend has populated the news with heartwarming stories of reunited family members, it also has posed ethical questions about situations that were supposed to remain private, such as anonymous sperm donors, adoptions, and children born out of wedlock or as the result of affairs.

Stull said his adoption records from decades ago were sealed, and he never spent much time thinking about it. He's had a full life: Married for 20 years, he helped raise two children, and he currently runs a tactical unit at an...