In December 2024, Joseph Laedtke received surprising results from his ancestry DNA test. He discovered he had nine half-siblings, all linked to his mother’s former doctor.
Mary Ellen Lukezich and her late husband, Thomas Laedtke, consulted Dr. Frederick Dettmann in the early 1980s for fertility treatments. They eventually agreed to artificial insemination with donor sperm. Lukezich recalls Dettmann suggesting a medical student as the donor and assured them of several conditions regarding the donor’s anonymity.
I was young. I so wanted to be a mom that I was going to do anything, and I did whatever he asked me to do.
The couple chose to keep the decision private. Lukezich believed all was well after she became pregnant, although she never managed to conceive again.
Decades later, her son used a genetic testing service which revealed unexpected connections. Laedtke found himself linked to multiple half-siblings, suggesting Dettmann used his own sperm.
Upon discovering the truth, Lukezich felt deeply violated and distressed. Laedtke shared his anger and disappointment, wanting the doctor held accountable for the betrayal of trust.
Attorney Al Foeckler reported several women have shared similar troubling experiences with Dettmann. Many allege predatory behavior spanning decades.
Dettmann, now 91, retired in the 1990s. His lawyer, Sean Gaynor, stated that Dettmann was aware but couldn’t discuss past patient care due to privacy laws. Gaynor claimed no evidence supported the allegations, which allegedly occurred 50 years ago.
A 1985 report accused Dettmann of assault during a medical exam. However, authorities didn’t pursue charges due to insufficient evidence. No investigation records remain due to record retention laws.
Gaynor emphasized that Dettmann was never sued or disciplined, nor faced challenges to his licensure or ethics complaints.