Detective. Youre back to where it all started. Taking them on the search of a lifetime. Thats all we have to go by. Your dna and the location you were found. The brandnew leads and blind alleys. I dont want to give you any false hope. This is a longshot. The setbacks, the rejections. She hung up on me. I thought maybe somebody was thinking of me, and where i was. The surprise of something they never saw coming. And i saw this. I had the same reaction. And the biggest shock of all. Who is waiting behind that door . Its a big secret. Thanks for joining us. Im david muir. And im amy robach. This is 20 20. Reporting here tonight, deborah roberts. Who am i . Where am i from . I was abandoned at a hospital. I just wanted to know why. Theres this feeling of not being wanted. I just thought i would never really know. A small, scenic town on a lake nestled in the mountains in idaho. Its name originating from a native american tribe who call themselves the discovered people. While some are discovered here, others are lost. Our first mystery begins in 1987, at this hospital. A pregnant woman checks herself in, alone, in labor, and carrying no luggage or personal items. She said she was in california, visiting some friends in idaho. 55, brown eyes. They said she was attractive but uptight. At 6 30 a. M. , shes moved to the birthing room. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Good size, full term. After a short time, the mom does something inexplicable. She disappeared 12 hours later. She just left the hospital gown on the bed and that was it. She just walked out . Just gone. Mystified, the nurses give the now abandoned girl a nickname. They named her baby girl beach. Which is pretty cute. One of the better names for forr foundling. This foundling is later adopted by a couple from idaho. This was a dream we had had for so long. When they brought her out, here came this little baby, this beautiful little girl. Santa brought this for me . Theyre a loving family, naming the new little girl andrea. She enjoyed piano, swimming, gymnastics. Flash forward 31 years, shes now living in colorado and works as an office manager. She has no idea of the strange circumstances around her birth until age 16. They told me i was abandoned at the hospital. And i could not believe it. This story is, this is crazy. A crazy mystery she feels compelled to solve. You have a tattoo. I do. What does it say . It says baby girl beach. That was sort of your identity in the beginning. Right. Youre living a pretty happy life. You have lovely parents. Why do you need to go looking if youre happy where you are . Theres always going to be void you dont know about. I just have always wanted to meet whoever she was. That she, the mother who walked out on her hours after her birth, was now the center of andreas quest. I was born on april 7th, 1987. She posts a photo on facebook, holding a sign outlining her story. I was abandoned at a hospital in idaho by a woman named amy beach. Please like and share. The post goes viral. Her birth made headlines after her mother disappeared from the hospital. Trying to be reconnected with her birth mother. Many documeadopted kids have sense of yearning. How different is it for f lin foundlings . Its like their life began the moment they were found. 2,400 miles away in another foundling mystery. Another runaway mother abandons her baby. Its a cool summer evening in 1986. At sundown, a newborn boy is found, in a Cardboard Box next to a Salvation Army bin. Two boys were riding their bikes, and found a live baby in a box. And they scooped the baby up, and i guess literally cycled home to their house with it in their arms. Hours before, bystanders recalled seeing a pregnant woman nearby. They saw a very pregnant lady standing near the bin. Havent given it much thought, but then they started watching the news, and heard that a baby had been abandoned there. A Police Sketch is published, looking for the mystery woman who left the baby. And like andrea, this baby boy doe is also adopted into a loving home. He grows up in idaho, being raised with sisters. Flash forward 31 years later. That baby is now benjamin. A soldier in the Idaho Army National guard. Deployed twice to iraq. How did you learn you were adopted . My 11th birthday, my dad told me. How did it hit you . I didnt believe him at first. Then i was devastated. They brought the newspaper clippings. I was spinning. Like, this is all a joke, right . This was the biggest question in my life. Who am i, where am i from . I would look up at the stars and wonder if my mom, dad, brothers, sister, or grandparents were looking at the stars that night. Ben is on the biggest and most personal mission to date. Trying to solve the mystery of his birth. Like andrea, hes put his faith in one woman, c. C. Moore. A worldrenowned dna detective, whose work recently grabbed nationwide attention. Leading to arrests in a number of cold cases. The same technique authorities used to arrest the suspected golden state killer. Ive worked with dozens, maybe hundreds of foundlings by now. And so i know this is a really intense process for them. Still ahead, andrea is about to find out some secrets get buried for a reason. You may have this idea that youre going to find birth parents who will readily accept you. But that may not be the case. And a stunning discovery for ben. And i saw this. Stay with us. You shouldnt have to pretend youre fine. You shouldnt have to be the ambulance. You shouldnt have to be thinking about the cost. You should just be focused on her. Covered california can help you find a health plan that fits your needs and budget. Because we believe you shouldnt have to choose between the life youve built and the care you need. Reporter andrea and cece are on a trip back in time, back to 1987, a year of coincidences when this u2 song about searching topped the charts. Reporter and an abandoned baby is the storyline in the number one movie three men and a baby. Im not picking it up. Reporter where roommates discover an infant left on their doorstep. It was also the year that andrea was abandoned in real life at this hospital in coeur dalene, idaho. Now, she and cece are retracing the steps of the mom who left her, hoping to find clues that might unlock the mystery. Youre back to where it all started. So, a lots changed since 1987. This is one of our postpartum rooms which actually is similar to what it was back in 1987. I wonder how much time she spent with you. At least she was good enough to come in and have you in a hospital. The feelings that she could have had, i cant even imagine. Not that shes a hero, but it took a lot of courage to come in. It was a criminal offense to leave a baby somewhere. Now, fortunately, safe haven laws have been created where women can take a baby to a safe place like a fire department, hospital, and they wont be prosecuted. Reporter a barren hospital room offering no answers for andrea. Then, suddenly, an unexpected emissary from her past. This nurse, the same nurse who 31 years ago cared for andrea as an abandoned infant, kim beckman remembers trying to fill the void left by the babys vanished mom. I remember holding you a lot. I worked evenings and rocking you and just wanting you to feel loved, and thats all i remember. I just remember how cute you were and wondering how desperate that mom must have been. I hope you find your birth mom. Reporter sadly, clues are hard to come by in the maternity ward. With the exception of one. Andreas mother left behind an admission form. And on it, next to andreas baby footprints her mothers fingerprint. Was that significant for you . Well, it was certainly a clue and it was the only clue we had. And so we did want to follow up on that. Reporter hopes pinned on this single fingerprint. Andrea and cece enlist the nearby Police Department for help. Im scott hogg. Im the chief here in post falls. Nice to meet you. Very nice to meet you too. So lets see what you got here as far as the fingerprints go. The name that was used was last name of beach . Uhhuh. Okay, are you comfortable that she simply walked away on her own, that there was no foul play, any of that type of activity that may have occurred . I dont know if there was any foul play, i dont know. I dont want to give you any false hope because this is a long shot, and ill get in touch with you as soon as i hear something back. I feel like this is a puzzle that were trying to put together, but all the pieces are face down on the table. Reporter like andrea, ben tveigt, also abandoned at birth, is determined to find his biological mom. So right now were heading to cece moores house. Hello. Hi. Come on in. Im ben. Hi, its really nice to meet you. Likewise. All right, come on in. I have some news. Some things to show you. Reporter cece has taken bens dna and entered it into four national databases, hoping for a match to his biological mother. With possible hits on distant relatives, the dna detectives got her work cut out for her. Its going to be difficult reporter then, she catches a break a direct hit on someone they werent even looking for. I logged into your match list a couple of days ago, and i saw this, r. B. Is your father. Reporter ben does an actual double take. I had the same reaction. How did the planets align perfectly for that to happen . Its a man named richard blanshfield, whos a pretty incredible guy. Hes a vietnam vet and hes not just any vietnam vet, hes a highly decorated vietnam vet. Reporter what are the odds . Ben, a veteran of two tours in iraq, learning his biological father is a war hero. His arm was nearly blown off at the shoulder. He was 47 years old at the time of your birth. Is he still alive . He is still alive. Heres the good news, your dad lives 20 minutes from here. He just happens to live down the freeway. Reporter did you believe this . I thought i got struck by lightning when she told me. To find a relative that close, it blew my mind. Reporter up next bens visit, face to face with a father he never knew. Im trying to regulate my breathing, im trying to be calm. Okay, lets do it. I knock on the door and theres this voice someone knocking on my door . Reporter and cece hits paydirt with andrea. And when i opened it, i had quite a surprise. I thought, wow, this actually worked. I just couldnt even get on a plane fast enough to go meet her. Reporter stay with us. Reporter as a sergeant in the Idaho National guard, ben tveigt has tested his mettle and grit as part of the perilous u. S. Led invasion in iraq. Hes an experienced gunner on one of the most powerful tanks on the planet. Were driving to my dads house. Reporter but now ben has to muster all the courage he has for a deeply personal mission. I am terrified and excited all at the same time. In 800 feet, turn right the longest 800 feet of my life. Reporter genealogist cece moore joins him at a house in Southern California where bens birth father lives. You ready . Im ready. Give me a hug. I know your father is very excited to meet you. Im trying to regulate my breathing, trying to be calm and not look like an idiot. Lets do it. I knock on the door and there is this voice. Somebody knocking at my door . Hello. Hello, you must be ben. Im ben. Im doc. Wow. How you doing . This is eerie. You bet its eerie. Come on in, son. Come on in. Welcome. Welcome. And i was just overwhelmed. I didnt even know what to say. Did you feel a connection . Yeah, right away. Right away. Come on in here. This is the room i love the most. Reporter his biological dad richard or doc blanchfield recipient of the purple heart, shares keepsakes from a rich life lived. See the pictures on the wall . Mmhmm. Vietnam vet, 82nd airborne. Reporter the two, startled by the similarities in their lives. You went in the army, you were 18 . I was 18 years old. So same as i did. I went to the marine corps at 18. Reporter what if anything does he remember about bens birth mom . Doc recalls a night 32 years ago in anchorage, alaska. As a single dad he had a chance encounter at a bar called the cabin tavern. And there was a young lady sitting at the bar. I just went up and sat down. Didnt say anything. I had my beer. We started a conversation. She was in a difficult relationship. But i took a liking to her, i really did, she didnt want to go back wherever she came from. I dont remember the ladys name, honest to god i dont. Reporter he recalls making dinner for the woman. And the two sharing a tender, romantic night. Before she left, i remember this distinctly, i had three statues, i still have two of them, theyre from china, and it was a chinese goddess statue and i gave it to her and i said, this will bring you good luck. I never heard from her again. I wonder if she still has it. And heres sean, my other boy. These are my brothers . Yup. Reporter then, a revelation of relief. Doc says he wouldve kept his son if hed known he existed. There was that feeling of rejection that i had for so many years being abandoned, and it counterbalanced that feeling because i was accepted and i was wanted, it lifted a weight off my shoulders, off my chest. I couldnt go to bed angry anymore. Reporter as a parting gift, doc offers his newly found son a note. It says we are family and the marine coda semper fi, always loyal. Meanwhile, andreas identity search has hit a snag. She had been so hopeful after offering to police that fingerprint from her birth mom. And did they find anything . No. I mean, it would have been great to get the identity, but had her fingerprints been in the system, that probably wouldnt have been a very positive indicator. Reporter usually its associated with crime. If theyve been arrested, we didnt want to believe that she went on to live a life of crime either. Place three swabs. Reporter but where oldfashioned forensics have failed, some hightech dna sleuthing by genealogist cece moore has come up with a startling match. This is your match list. And when i opened it, i had quite a surprise. If you share both parents, you would have big blocks of green. So how much green do you see . Theres a lot of green. Do you know what that means . That we could be siblings . Youre not just siblings, you are full siblings. Whoa, that is so crazy. You share the same mom, and the same dad. Reporter and suddenly you realize youve got a sister. For somebody whos not even really expecting much and youre seeing this now. I thought, wow, this actually worked, i found something. I just couldnt even get on a plane fast enough to go meet her. Reporter wasting no time, andrea leaves colorado for wisconsin. Im nervous to meet a stranger that just happens to be my sister. I was so nervous for her to open the door. I just didnt know what to expect. Hi. Hello. How are you . Good. How are you . Reporter at first, andrea and her sister heather are reeling from a combination of awkwardness and a deep bond. I just knew immediately that we were both really shy and kind of awkward and she just immediately told me that she had a bunch of information about our biological family. Thats my adoptive mom. Reporter heather was adopted in washington, a state that allows access to adoption records. So she already knows the names of their birth mom and dad. Our birth moms name is deirdre, she went by cindy. This is our mom. Oh, my gosh. Wow. Reporter after years of searching the moment has finally come. Andrea is about to learn about her origins, but the truth will be difficult. She had a baby boy two years after you. Oh, my god. And the baby and her passed away. Oh, my god, oh, that is so sad. I am really glad to find all this out. When i heard that news i just it took over. I just couldnt even i just came to a stop. I i will never be able to meet her. Reporter and to hear this from your sister who you just met. Yeah, it was sad. And all this time i thought maybe somebody was thinking about me and where where i was, but she hadnt. It feels like i just lost somebody that i didnt even know. Reporter and theres an astonishing twist in her family saga. While andrea and heather were given up, their mother and father kept and raised two sons. The boys were raised by our mother and father. Reporter why were they raised by your biological parents and you werent . Yeah, so we had a lot of questions. This dimple, yeah. Totally. Reporter next andrea starting her journey alone, now paired with her sister. Together they will travel to meet their two brothers and their father. Oh, boy. Reporter and confront a deep family secret. A mysterious notation on their moms death certificate. It was no normal death certificate, not what you would expect. Reporter stay with us. Do you recall, not long ago we would walk on the sidewalk all around the wind blows we would only hold on to let go blow a kiss into the sun we need someone to lean on blow a kiss into the sun we needed somebody to lean on all we need is someone to lean on reporter andrea klugnapier has discovered a sister, and together theyre going to meet two brothers they never even knew they had. Super nvous, i kind of have a stomach ache. Reporter and someone else, their biological dad. Oh, boy. Reporter with their mother gone, they hope their father holds the key to their looming question. Why would a mom and dad forsake their two daughters, but not their sons . Hi. Hows it going . Good. Hi. Im aaron. Im andrea. Hi. Nice to meet you. Reporter finally, face to face with brother aaron who answers the door and then their father dwight. The new family finding their footing as dennis, another brother, joins them. Have some flowers. Thank you. Reporter so you were meeting your biological father and your two brothers that you never had any idea existed . I cant even describe the feeling. It was crazy. The article that they had in the newspaper, the nurses described her as uptight and attractive. Thats what it says. Really . Dwight just immediately started talking to us and telling us everything that he knew about our mother. We just wanted to see every picture that was ever taken of her. This picture of her reminds me so much of heather. You guys look like mom big time. Yeah, yeah. Reporter dierdre, who went by the name of cindy, was only 16. And dwight, 17, when they married. She later worked as a computer programmer. And then he told you about the day she died. Yeah. It was like 20 below here, and the weather was bad. The city was shut down. And she told me she had the flu. He told us that she had been ill, and that he left for work and that when he got home she was unconscious. I called 911. Reporter and what happened . Well, they come and took her to the hospital and went to the hospital and they pronounced her dead. All the doctor said was that she was really torn up inside. It wasnt till i went home and it was couple of days later, i went to the bedroom door was locked. There was a baby sitting on the bed. Fullterm baby. Reporter an unimaginable discovery. The death of a baby boy he hadnt even known he fathered. I thought i knew her, i thought everything was great. Reporter but what about andrea and heather . Incredibly, dwight says he had no idea his wife gave birth to them either. And thats the story. Yeah. It was pretty brutal. I thought at first im for sure going to see something in dwight that maybe he did know and hes hiding it from us. But immediately when we sat down, he started talking. I knew that there was absolutely no way that he knew about us. She hid everything from him. Reporter most people would look at this and say,