A Las Vegas man is seeking the truth about his past—and possibly his future—as he asks the court to determine if his youngest brother might also be his biological son. The painful question stems from years of abuse he says he suffered at the hands of someone who should have protected him: his own mother.
Logan Gifford, now 26, is speaking out about a childhood marked by loss, confusion, and unimaginable trauma. Beginning when he was just 10 years old, he says his mother, Doreene Gifford, began abusing him—setting off a pattern that lasted for years and left deep emotional scars.
Now an adult, Logan has filed a petition in family court to determine whether he is the biological father of his youngest sibling, a boy born in 2009. He says the question first surfaced during a therapy session when he was 17, and it has weighed on him ever since.
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” Logan told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I was a child when everything started, and now I’m left trying to pick up the pieces. But I feel a responsibility to find out the truth—for him, not just for me.”
Logan was the oldest of four brothers growing up. His early years were shaped by instability, exposure to substance use, and a heartbreaking tragedy—the loss of a younger brother who drowned at age three. The family never fully recovered from that loss.
In 2015, Logan testified in court about what he endured, describing how his mother first brought him into her bedroom and initiated abuse while a video played in the background. It was the beginning of repeated incidents, with serious events continuing until he was about 15.
His mother, Doreene, denied the allegations, but she entered what is known as an Alford plea—a legal option in which the accused maintains innocence but agrees that there is enough evidence for a likely conviction. She was sentenced to serve between eight and ten years in prison and was required to register as a sex offender.
Today, Logan has rebuilt parts of his life. He earned a college degree, works full-time, and lives with his wife, stepdaughter, and now his younger brother, for whom he’s been granted temporary guardianship. He says that no matter what the DNA test reveals, he is committed to raising the boy in a safe and loving home.
“If it turns out I am his father, then we’ll go through that together. If not, I’m still going to be here for him,” he said.
Logan’s attorney, Timothy Treffinger, explained that if paternity is confirmed, the case will move into custody proceedings. If not, the guardianship will remain in place. Due to the family’s shared genetics—Logan and the boy both being related to Logan’s father—it may take additional steps to confirm the biological relationship.
The case is emotionally difficult for everyone involved. Logan says he wants to protect his younger brother from the confusion and hurt he grew up with and make sure he has the opportunity to experience a healthy, peaceful childhood.
“To even imagine that he might have come into this world because of what happened to me… it’s hard to accept,” Logan said. “But I can’t change the past. What I can do is make sure he feels safe and loved going forward.”
Doreene’s legal defense included claims that she had faced abuse herself as a child and during her adult relationships, along with long-term struggles with substance use. Her public defender also raised questions about Logan’s account and suggested he harbored resentment.
She was released on parole in 2023 but was taken back into custody earlier this year for violating conditions of her release by attempting to contact her son. A new parole hearing is scheduled for April, the same month her original sentence is due to end.
For Logan, though, the focus is no longer on the past—it’s on the future of the child he’s now raising.
“I’m not trying to bring up pain just for the sake of it. I’m trying to give him answers, if and when he wants them,” he said. “And more than anything, I want him to grow up knowing he’s cared for and that he’s not alone.”
