Judge Left In Shoebox As A Newborn, Finds Birth Parents

After being featured in a Fox News interview, a Black County judge who was orphaned as a child, found his birth parents.

Joseph Wood had been left in a shoebox when he was a newborn in Chicago. He resided in multiple foster homes before he was adopted.

He had many issues with who he was as he grew up and ultimately moved to Arkansas. There, he became the state’s first Black County Judge.

Last November, during National Adoption Month, he began his search to find his birth parents. While interviewing on Fox News Digital, a notable genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore, offered to help him.

After seeking his original birth certificate, Wood discovered that he was abandoned on March 10, 1965. He had always believed that was his birthday.

Moore quickly began to assist as it could take time to locate some individuals.

In December, Moore discovered a match. Sadly, Wood’s mother had died in 1978 at the age of 36. In 2007, his father passed away at 68. In 2013, one of his brothers had died at 48. Also, his maternal grandfather died in 2020 at the age of 98.

To add, Wood has a brother and a sister that are still living. Although they haven’t reached back out to him, he desires to connect with them soon.

“My dad was one of 10 or 11 brothers and sisters. My mother was one of six brothers and sisters, a number of whom are still alive. And so I don’t want to start reaching out to uncles and aunts without trying to connect with my siblings first,” Wood noted.

“I’m just blown away that I got this far. I thought I would not know anything for the rest of my life,” he added.

Wood said his mother must have loved him because she left him a block from her home where he could be located.