Mother Reunites With Two Sons Taken Under Pinochet

Nearly 40 years after her children were taken from her during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, Teresita Padilla reunited in Santiago with two of her sons, Tim Rolnick and Travis Murdoch, who had grown up in the United States. DNA testing and genealogical research, supported by the Chilean organization Nos Buscamos, helped uncover their family connection and the history of their illegal adoptions. The reunion highlights ongoing efforts to investigate thousands of cases in which children were forcibly separated from their families under the regime. Padilla’s other son, Murdoch’s twin, could not attend because of serious injuries, while their eldest brother, who had helped search for them, died before the reunion.