The third cousin connection that eventually proved decisive required extensive genealogical research to trace: identifying the shared ancestor, following the line down through two additional generations, cross-referencing with public records to identify contemporary individuals in the right age range, and then connecting the genealogical finding to the investigative lead that allowed Velling to bring photographs to Pennsylvania.
The method is labor-intensive and requires expertise in both genetic analysis and traditional genealogical research. It cannot be executed quickly, particularly when the matches are distant relatives rather than close ones. The approximately two-year timeline between Fitzpatrick’s engagement in 2013 and the Cassidy family identification in late 2015 reflects the reality of the method applied to a case with only distant database matches.
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## Telling the Public: Responsible Journalism in an Age of Online Investigation
The decision by Maureen O’Hagan and the Seattle Times to publish the handwritten notes from the lockbox was a deliberate investigative choice with both potential benefits and potential costs. The benefits were clear: if someone recognized the handwriting or the specific notations, they might provide a lead that would advance the investigation. The costs were also clear: publishing identifying details about a mystery subject in a case with a significant online audience could produce misidentification, harassment, and harm to innocent individuals.
The period around June 2013 was particularly sensitive from a journalism ethics standpoint. The Boston Marathon bombing had occurred in April 2013, and the subsequent Reddit misidentification disaster had concluded only weeks before O’Hagan’s article was published. The editorial decisions around the Ruff article were made with that episode explicitly in mind.