Research America was founded by Gary R. Schieferstin in 1991, building on his experience identifying and locating missing heirs on a full time basis for another company. Since 1976, Mr. Schieferstin has visited over a thousand county courthouses across the United States and has located thousands of heirs to hundreds of estates.
In 2002, he was joined in his business by his daughter, Heather Spears. Ms. Spears has learned every facet of the business, including constructing family tree charts, the key processes involved in the identification and location of missing or unknown heirs, the necessary accounting functions as well as the ability to work well with attorneys and heirs.
Research America conducts research throughout the USA, and works closely with overseas associates in the following locations: London; Paris; Rome; Vienna; Dublin; Stockholm; Budapest, Hungary; and Heilbronn, Germany. Our overseas research network is not limited to these areas.
As of January 1, 2026, we have closed our business. We appreciate the business of our past clients, it was a pleasure working with each of you over our forty plus years in business. If you are interested in a referral to one of our trusted associates, complete our contact form and we will ask someone to reach out to you
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Research America, Inc. • PI License #A1200299
Private Investigative Agency licensed by the State of Florida
15 Folcroft Lane • Palm Coast, FL 32137