A man from Las Vegas has opened up about a painful chapter in his life, one that resurfaced after he requested DNA testing to see if his younger brother might actually be his son.
Logan Gifford, who is now 26 years old, first came forward back in 2015 when he was 16. He publicly accused his mother, Doreene Gifford, of sexually abusing him, claiming the abuse started when he was just 10 years old.
Although she didn’t admit guilt, she entered what’s called an Alford plea. This means she accepted that there was enough evidence for a conviction, but did not formally say she was guilty (as explained by PEOPLE).
She is currently listed as a registered sex offender in Nevada. Speaking to 8 News Now, Logan said: “Sending her to prison was halfway vindicating since I thought the largest problem of my life was originally dealt with.”
Logan shared that although she was taken into custody, her name didn’t show up in Clark County’s inmate system. He believes she has since relocated to Massachusetts.
Currently, Logan is the caregiver for his 15-year-old brother — a child Doreene gave birth to when Logan was just 11. He says his younger brother has disabilities and requires extra attention and care both at home and in school.
But when the results arrived this week, they didn’t bring the closure he had hoped for.
According to reporting by 8 News Now, the results showed a 99.9 percent match to both Logan and his father. This means either one of them could be the biological father. Because both a sibling and a parent share roughly half of their DNA with a child, the test was unable to give a conclusive answer.
Following the hearing, the judge gave Logan permission to pursue more advanced DNA testing in hopes of getting a definitive answer.
He also added: “The funds raised here will go toward legal fees for the custody and paternity battle, care for my brother, and advocacy efforts to amplify male survivors’ voices. Every bit helps, whether it’s a donation or just sharing this story.”