How a Texas Woman Lived a Double Life for 2 Decades

Some people vanish without a trace. Lori Ruff did the opposite. She erased her entire past, created a new identity and lived a double life so perfectly that not even her husband knew the truth. For more than two decades, Lori buried these secrets so deeply that they only unraveled after her death. What could drive someone to bury their entire existence and disappear into a new life? As investigators would later discover, the answer was anything but simple.

How did Kimberly McLean become Lori Ruff?

In 1986, Kimberly Maria McLean, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, walked out of her life and never looked back. But Kimberly wasn't just looking for space or a fresh start — she intended to vanish completely.

She carefully orchestrated the creation of a new identity, weaving together a false persona that allowed her to live as someone else for decades. Her steps were deliberate and took advantage of the looser identity verification systems of the 1980s. Here's how she did it:

1. Obtaining the Birth Certificate: In May 1988, Kimberly somehow acquired the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old who tragically died in a house fire in the state of Washington. Because Becky was born in California but died in another state, this made it harder for authorities to link the two records and detect fraud.

2. Securing an ID: On June 16, 1988, Kimberly used Becky's birth certificate to get an Idaho identification card, using her own photograph. This ID was the first official document establishing her new identity.

3. Changing Her Name: Shortly after securing the ID, Kimberly legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy in Idaho, shedding her old identity once and for all.

4. Getting a Social Security Number: In the late 1980s, applying for a Social Security number as an adult was still possible without raising suspicion. Lori applied for and received a new Social Security number, which further solidified her new identity.

5. Applying for a U.S. Passport: On March 19, 1990, Lori took the final step to legitimize her identity by applying for a U.S. passport, giving her full access to travel and a legal presence as Lori Kennedy.

6. Enrolling in College: Lori managed to enroll at the University of Texas at Arlington, likely by obtaining a GED since she didn't provide high school transcripts. This allowed her to pursue a degree and blend more seamlessly into her new life.

7. Graduating With a Degree: By 1997, Lori graduated with a Business Administration degree, completing the transformation from her past as Kimberly McLean.

How did Lori manage to keep her secret for so long?

Lori built her life on lies and silence, but she built it well. In 1997, she graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in business administration. She filed for bankruptcy the same year, due to financial struggles, but that didn't stop her from moving forward.

In 2003, Lori met Blake Ruff, a man from a respected Texas family, and they married a year later. Together, they had a daughter in 2008. But even with a family of her own, Lori's walls of secrecy never came down. She avoided social gatherings, kept her past off-limits, and never allowed anyone to get too close. Her husband grew frustrated, unable to crack through the silence she held so tightly.

It wasn't just her past that she protected. Lori kept a lockbox filled with documents — a lockbox Blake was never allowed to touch. The contents of that box held the truth about who Lori really was, but Blake wouldn't discover it until it was too late.

How did the truth finally come out?

The truth finally began to emerge in December 2010. That month, Lori took her own life in the driveway of her husband's family home. Devastated and confused, Blake and his family began searching for answers. What they found inside that locked strongbox left them reeling.

Among the documents was the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner — the first clue that the woman they knew as Lori Ruff wasn't who she claimed to be. From there, the puzzle only grew more complex. Investigators discovered Lori had assumed Becky Sue's identity and legally changed her name. But this wasn't a simple case of a name change — it was a complete identity overhaul, designed to erase any trace of Kimberly McLean.

Despite discovering her deception, the Ruffs were left with more questions than answers. Who was she running from? Why had she gone to such extreme lengths to bury her past? The search for Lori Ruff's true identity wasn't over — it had only just begun.

How did investigators finally solve the mystery?

It took years to unravel Lori's secret life, and it wouldn't have happened without the combined efforts of Social Security investigator Joe Velling and forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick. Velling began investigating Lori's background shortly after her death, piecing together clues about her fabricated identity. In 2016, he partnered with Fitzpatrick, whose genetic expertise added a new dimension to the search.

Using genetic genealogy and a sample from Lori's daughter, Fitzpatrick traced Lori's DNA to the Cassidy family in Philadelphia. After two years of painstaking research and Velling's visit to Pennsylvania to meet the family, they uncovered a critical connection: a distant cousin who helped connect the dots. Eventually, they located Lori's mother, Deanne, who confirmed that Lori was actually Kimberly McLean. The woman who had lived as Lori Ruff for more than two decades was none other than the Pennsylvania girl who disappeared in 1986.

But even with this revelation, many questions remained unanswered. Kimberly McLean had effectively erased herself from the world, but why? What could push someone to go to such lengths to hide their past?

Why did Kimberly McLean become Lori Ruff?

Although the mystery of Lori's identity has been solved, her reasons for running remain elusive. Investigators suspect family conflict played a role. Kimberly left her home shortly after her mother remarried, and it's likely she wanted nothing to do with her new stepfather. But could that really be enough to drive someone to reinvent themselves entirely?

Others wonder if something darker lay behind her decision. Could Lori have been running from an abusive situation, trauma, or even someone dangerous? Her extreme secrecy and the lengths she went to suggest she feared being found, but no evidence points to who or what may have threatened her.

Some have speculated that mental health issues might have played a role, especially considering Lori's increasingly erratic behavior before her death. Her suicide notes — rambling and incoherent — suggest a mind in turmoil. But whatever her reasons, Lori took her motives to the grave.

A life of secrets, and a death of questions.

Lori Ruff — or Kimberly McLean — left behind a life defined by deception and secrets. She fabricated an entire identity, married, and had a child, all while hiding the truth about who she was. Her case baffles experts and fascinates amateur sleuths alike, not just for the mystery of her identity, but for the deeper, unanswered questions: What pushed her to such extremes? What was she running from?

Though her identity has been uncovered, the true story behind Lori Ruff's decision to disappear remains a mystery. Perhaps some secrets really do go to the grave.

References: Mystery woman: After 30 years and a suicide, Lori Ruff's real identity emerges | Case cracked: A Texas mother's identity is revealed six years after her suicide | She stole another's identity and took her secret to the grave. Who was she?