In this episode of Locating the Lost, we sit down with Jack Fronczak and Tracey Hastings, co-hosts of The Fronczak Files, for an incredible conversation about identity, survival, and the pursuit of truth in one of the most unique missing persons cases in American history. Raised as Paul Joseph Fronczak after being discovered as an abandoned toddler in 1965, Jack spent decades living an identity that wasn't his. It wasn't until a 2012 DNA test shattered everything he believed that his true journey began—a search to uncover who he really was, who left him behind, and what happened to his twin sister who vanished without a trace. The 1964 Kidnapping & Identity Mix-Up: In April 1964, newborn Paul Joseph Fronczak was abducted from a Chicago hospital. In July 1965, a toddler was found abandoned in a stroller outside a department store in Newark, New Jersey. Lacking modern DNA technology, law enforcement mistakenly declared the toddler to be the stolen Chicago baby based on physical features and ear shape, handing him over to be raised as Paul Fronczak. The 2012 DNA Revelation: Having felt out of place for years, "Paul" secretly took a DNA test in 2012. The results proved he was not biologically related to the Fronczak family, reopening both the original 1964 kidnapping case and launching an investigation into the abandoned toddler's true origins. Uncovering the Rosenthal Roots: In 2015, with the help of forensic genealogist CeCe Moore, Jack unlocked his true identity: he was born Jack Rosenthal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to parents Gilbert and Marie Rosenthal. The Vanished Twin Sister: Along with his name came a tragic discovery—Jack was born a twin. His twin sister, Jill Lynn Rosenthal, was born on October 27, 1963. While Jack was abandoned in Newark in July 1965, Jill vanished entirely around the same time. No photos of Jill exist, and her fate remains unknown. The Ongoing Mission: Today, going by Paul Jack Fronczak, he and co-host Tracey Hastings run The Fronczak Files podcast and advocate through the Jack and Jill Rosenthal Foundation (JJRF). Together, they combine investigative research, forensic genealogy, public tips, and cold case advocacy to search for missing twin Jill Rosenthal and help others seeking identity and closure. Living a Borrowed Identity: Jack discusses the emotional reality of growing up under a misidentified name and the pivotal moment he decided to uncover the truth.Unraveling the Past: How genetic genealogy exposed decades of buried secrets and tied his past back to Atlantic City. The Hunt for Jill Lynn Rosenthal: Jack and Tracey break down active investigative leads, forensic age-progressed imagery created by NCMEC, and the ongoing efforts to bring Jill home. Reclaiming the Narrative: Why Jack and Tracey launched The Fronczak Files to tell the unfiltered story straight from the source and advocate for missing children. Call to ActionDo You Have Information About Jill Lynn Rosenthal?Jill Lynn Rosenthal was born on October 27, 1963, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and was last seen around July 1965. If you or anyone you know lived in Atlantic City or Newark in the mid-1960s, knew the Rosenthal family, or have any information regarding Jill, please reach out. Submit Tips & Case Information: Visit The Fronczak Files or the Jack and Jill Rosenthal Foundation. Report to NCMEC: Contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).Share This Episode: Every share helps put age-progressed imagery and case details in front of people who might hold the key to solving this mystery.Support Locating the Lost #LocatingTheLost #TheFronczakFiles #JackFronczak #JillRosenthal #MissingPersons #TrueCrimePodcast #GeneticGenealogy #ColdCase #MissingChildren #BringJillHome #DNAFoundling #NCMEC #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrimeCommunity #PodcastInterview #ColdCaseAdvocacy
