Ancestry DNA Test Reveals Shocking Truth About Fertility Doctor

In December 2024, Joseph Laedtke uncovered an unsettling truth from his ancestry DNA test. The test results revealed that he had nine half-siblings, all linked to his mother’s former physician.

Mary Ellen Lukezich and her late husband, Thomas Laedtke, sought help from Dr. Frederick Dettmann in the early 1980s. The Wisconsin couple struggled with fertility issues and eventually opted for artificial insemination using donor sperm. Lukezich recalls Dr. Dettmann suggesting a medical student’s sperm, assuring her that the donor was likely from out of state and would mirror the couple’s appearance.

“I was young,” Lukezich confided. “I desperately wanted to be a mom, so I followed his instructions.”

Lukezich kept the use of donor sperm a private matter. “It was our journey. I got pregnant, and everyone was happy,” she shared. Despite this success, further attempts to conceive were unsuccessful.

The truth emerged decades later when her 43-year-old son, Joseph, underwent DNA testing. He connected the dots back to Dr. Dettmann, suggesting Dettmann had used his sperm for insemination.

Joseph received an email from the testing company, Ancestry, about a half-sister. Upon checking, he found multiple half-siblings in the results. He called his mother, learning that donor sperm was used, shocking her with the suspected identity of the donor.

At first, Joseph felt the absence of the man who raised him and had passed away in 2005. As the situation’s gravity set in, he felt “disgust and disappointment.” He expressed a desire to hold Dr. Dettmann accountable for his mother’s pain.

Lukezich described the revelation as a profound violation, likening it to rape. “I want other women to feel safe coming forward,” she asserted.

The family’s attorney, Al Foeckler, stated that many women have since contacted him with stories of uncomfortable encounters with Dettmann, some dating back to the 1970s. According to Foeckler, Dr. Dettmann displayed predatory behavior towards women.

Dettmann, 91, retired in the 1990s and resides in Arizona. His lawyer, Sean Gaynor, acknowledged the allegations but cited privacy laws preventing discussion. Gaynor noted that the events were alleged to have taken place nearly 50 years ago and that there is no evidence supporting the claims.

In 1985, police received a report from a man accusing Dettmann of assaulting his wife during a gynecological exam. Dettmann denied it, and authorities dropped the case due to insufficient proof. The alleged victim’s identity remains undisclosed due to privacy laws. No open investigation exists with the department.

Police records show that the sexual assault complaint was reported to the medical licensing board, which closed the case in 1986 after a review. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services holds no records of complaints from that era. Gaynor’s statement emphasizes that Dettmann was never sued, disciplined, or investigated, nor were there ethical complaints against him.