It began with an identity question
Tori began genealogical research in 2016 after a paternity test changed the known structure of her own family. That search led through DNA matches, conflicting identities, copied trees, living-relative research, and the discovery of a previously unknown brother. It also exposed a recurring problem: conventional tree platforms could preserve names and relationships, but not the full reasoning that established them.
The missing layer
Evidence lived in downloads. DNA analysis lived in spreadsheets. Theories lived in notes. Correspondence lived in email. The final answer could look clean while the path used to reach it remained fragmented. ProofTrail was designed to hold that missing investigative layer.
Built around reasoning, not hints
Every major part of ProofTrail answers a question encountered in real research: What supports this claim? What contradicts it? Who supplied the information? What was searched without result? Which hypothesis survives correlation? What remains unresolved? The software, Academy, and professional network share that evidence-first architecture.