Facebook helps reunite St. Augustine man with brother after 47-year search

A St. Augustine man reunited with his brother after they were separated nearly 50 years ago.

A photo from 1970 shows a five-year-old Jason Schofield with his mother and siblings when they lived in Connecticut. His younger brother, Ed Reiske, appears in the photo.

STORY: Murder victim's brother throws 2 TD passes in emotional season opener

Shortly after the photo was taken, he and his siblings were separated and adopted. Schofield moved to Florida, and that photo was the only memory he had to remind him family was still out there.

On Friday, an emotional, tearful reunion at Jacksonville International Airport put to bed a frustrating, 47-year-old search for both Schofield and Reiske.

“It just seemed like every time I thought I had a lead, it was a dead end,” said Schofield after he embraced his younger brother.

Schofield currently lives in St. Augustine. He says just this week a mutual friend shared one of Reiske’s posts on Facebook.

“My phone went off and he says, 'Is this Chuckie?'” said Schofield. “And I said yes.”

Reiske lives in Kentucky with other family members he reunited with along the way. He says he’d tried to access Connecticut adoption records to find Schofield, with no luck.

“I no longer have a hole in my heart,” said Reiske. “My heart’s whole.”

“It was my last thing, as long as I live to find him,” said Schofield.

Schofield plans to see his mother and siblings in Kentucky soon.

For now, there’s a lot of catching up to do for these brothers.

“It’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” said Reiske. “I can’t say it any better.”

Cox Media Group