Lori Erica Ruff

Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (born Kimberly Maria McLean, October 16, 1968 – December 24, 2010) was an American identity thief who died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas on December 24, 2010. Following Ruff's death, her ex-husband and in-laws discovered through documents found in a lock box in her closet that she had been living under a false name when she married into the family. Coupled with her secretive behavior, which had contributed to the collapse of her marriage, Ruff's true identity remained unknown for nearly six years after her death.

A 2013 Seattle Times feature article about the case was published in news outlets around the world and created enormous interest in the online "websleuth" community. Ruff's true origins remained a mystery until September 2016, when her identity was confirmed using a combination of public records and direct-to-consumer autosomal SNP analysis of her husband's and daughter's DNA, leading back to the McLean–Cassidy family on the Philadelphia Main Line.

Activities before marriage

Early life Ruff was born as Kimberly Maria McLean in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to James and Deanne McLean (née Cassidy). She grew up in the Philadelphia metropolitan area until her parents divorced. McLean's mother gained custody of McLean and her sister, married her second husband Robert Becker, and moved the family to Wyncote, where McLean attended Bishop McDevitt High School. She reportedly had a difficult time adjusting to the new environment, and did not get along with her mother and stepfather. In the fall of 1986, just after reaching age of majority with her 18th birthday, McLean abruptly moved away from home to the nearby town of King of Prussia, cutting off contact with her family shortly thereafter. She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.

McLean, posing as Becky Sue Turner, appeared before a judge in Dallas on July 5, 1988, and legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. She retained Becky Sue Turner's birth date of July 18, 1969. She received a Texas driver's license in 1989 and qualified for a GED

Marriage In 2003, while residing in Carrollton, Texas, McLean met Jon Blakely "Blake" Ruff, the son of a socially prominent family in East Texas, in a Bible study class. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, that she had had an unhappy childhood, and that she had no siblings; she also said her father had been a failed stockbroker. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family. learned of Lori Ruff in 2013 and began work on the case. Fitzpatrick had Ruff's husband and daughter tested by a direct-to-consumer testing company, through which Fitzpatrick was able to obtain Ruff's DNA results using genetic genealogy phasing techniques, which essentially subtracted Blake Ruff's DNA from their daughter's. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third-cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity.

Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean. McLean's mother took a DNA test which confirmed the match.