According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Then, in September 2016, the case of Lori Erica Ruff was finally solved: her real name wasKimberly McLean. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. 2021 Wondery LLC. And when he asked her to marry him in 2004, she said yes, but insisted on no announcement in the newspaper, and wanted a wedding where only the minister was present. She then received a Texas driver license in 1989, and the next year qualified for a GED[2] then enrolled in Dallas County Community College. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her family's driveway after spending decades using stolen identities to erase a past that remains mired in mystery. Review our. Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. She was sending unhinged, threatening emails to the Ruffs; she and her daughter were losing weight; she even possibly tried to break into the Ruffs' home. It wasnt until the Ruffs found a safebox hidden inside their daughter-in-laws bedroom closet that showed the woman wasnt who she had claimed to be. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. They Walk Among Us is an award-winning weekly UK true crime podcast covering a broad range of cases from the sinister to the surreal. In 2003 McLean met Jon Blakely "Blake" Ruff, the son of a socially prominent family in East Texas,[8][6] in a Bible study class. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. The other was for Blake. The house belonged to his parents and it was his father who discovered her [] The post Lori Erica Ruff 93 Generation Why appeared first on The Generation Why Podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. Lori Erica Ruff was as evasive as she had always been but did reveal that both of her parents had passed away and that she had no living relatives. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. When Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff took her own life on Christmas Eve, 2010 in Longview, Texas, she took with her all of the secrets of her true identity. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010), was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. In May 1988, McLean obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who had died, along with two of her siblings, in a house fire in Fife, Washington in 1971. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [6], Ruff was "extremely protective" of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her and even taking the baby with her to use the bathroom. Colleen Fitzpatrick, a former nuclear physicist who created[citation needed] the field of forensic genealogy, learned of Lori Ruff in 2013 and began work on the case. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. By the time she married Jon Blakely Blake Ruff, of Longview, Texas, in January 2004, her phony identification was as solid as her real past was distant. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. Investigators wondered if she had been a KGB agent, or if she had been in the military and gone AWOL. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. On Christmas Eve 2010, the body of 42-year-old Lori Erica Ruff was found in acar parked outside the Rufffamily home in Longview, Texas. McLean, posing as Becky Sue Turner, then appeared before a judge in Dallas on July 5, 1988, and legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six ye Lori Erica Ruff - Top podcast episodes Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Using DNA analysis from Ruff's daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruff's identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose teenage daughter had disappeared in 1986, per Mental Floss. Lori Erica Ruff (2021 Podcast Episode) Plot Showing all 0 items Jump to: Summaries It looks like we don't have any Plot Summaries for this title yet. They married and had a daughter together. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. 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. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. [1][10] Fitzpatrick had Ruff's husband and daughter tested by a direct-to-consumer testing company, through which she was able to obtain Ruff's DNA results using genetic genealogy phasing techniques, which essentially subtracted Blake Ruff's DNA from Lori's. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. ", "Mystery of the woman with two names: Investigator tries to discover true identity of mother who committed suicide three years ago after husband finds evidence of a double life hidden in a lock box", List of unidentified decedents in the United States, List of unidentified decedents in California, List of unidentified murder victims in the United States, List of unidentified murder victims in California, List of unidentified murder victims in Texas, List of unidentified murder victims in New York, List of unidentified murder victims in Florida, List of unidentified murder victims in Michigan, List of unidentified murder victims in Pennsylvania, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Lori_Erica_Ruff&oldid=718811075, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. Such things have happened in other cases, and are often traumatic events. Loris behavior was highly erratic in the timebetween theseparationand her death; she sent threatening emails to Blake and his family, and might have even attempted a break-in at Blakes parents home. Follow along with 48 Hours every week as award-winning CBS News correspondents investigate the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. Using DNA analysis from Ruff's daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruff's identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose teenage daughter had disappeared in 1986, per Mental Floss. The nature of these scribblings has led some to believe that Ruff was trying to avoid prison time, due to the references to police, a possible jail term length, and the name of an attorney. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. Who was she? Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. 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. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. True Crime. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. It must have been for some horrific reasoneither she was running away from a crime or an abusive family or relationship., She wanted a complete break from her past, said Velling. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruffs background began after the paper ran a story on her in 2013. The house was discovered in disarray, with piles of dirty dishes, laundry, and trash stacked up around the house, as well as shredded documents and papers with incoherent scribblings on them. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. In the car were two suicide notes: One 11page note addressed to "my wonderful husband" and another addressed to her daughter, to be opened on her 18th birthday. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy and moved to the Dallas area, where she met Blake Ruff. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. But Lori tragically died by suicide just before Christmas in 2010. [9][6], After Lori's funeral, some of the Ruffs drove to Leonard to see if they could find out more about her in her house. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. In 1989, her new identity was completed with a Texas drivers license. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Others, including a private detective, tasked with finding out more about her, consider that an incident in her past concerned her sufficiently to create an entirely new identity. 2010 42- , . [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. After some failed marriage therapy sessions, Blake Ruff moved back to his parents' house in Longview and filed for divorce, leaving Lori with their daughter in Leonard. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. Photo Credit: Alchetron. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. With little to no clues about who shemight actually be, the woman once known as Lori Erica Ruffwas registered in the federal governments database of missing and unidentified persons as a Jane Doe. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. Interesting history topics are just a click away. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. Velling said hes determined to uncover Jane Doe's true identity because he suspects she may have used a so-called identity broker to pull off such a complex crime. She was much older than that, he said. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. On Monday though, Lori. Follows Toni, who has a complete breakdown and ends up in a mental facility after the unexpected news that her husband was murdered, and even she is a suspect. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. In the box a number of documents were discovered which revealed that Ruff had stolen the identity of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl killed in a fire in 1971 in Fife, Washington, in 1988, and then changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. In September 2011 the Ruff family, with the help of a congressional aide, sought the help of Joe Velling, an investigator for the Social Security Administration (SSA). [2] She would also obsessively track the Ruffs' family history and try to find out their family recipes, but still refused to talk about her past. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 December 24, 2010), was an American identity thief[3] whose true identity remained unknown for nearly six years after her death. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Her Idaho identification card listed her as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and her Dallas drivers license had her at 5 feet, 10 inches, but she was really somewhere in-between, Velling said. Jane Doe had a simple narrative and stuck to it: She was the only child of a failed stockbroker and his wife, who both died. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. [2], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Or, maybe she was none of them. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. Last spring, we brought you 8 Mysterious People Without a Past, a list of individuals who seemed to have had much of their early existence wiped from history. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. McLean used the child's birth certificate to obtain an Idaho state identification card, then moved to Texas and had her name legally changed to Lori Erica Kennedy. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. All rights reserved. Real Life is Horror. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986, because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. Although questions about the case remain, Lori Ruff's name has now been removed from the federal government's database for missing and unidentified persons. On Christmas Eve 2010, the body of 42-year-old Lori Erica Ruff was found in a car parked outside the Ruff family home in Longview, Texas. Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. Be the first to contribute! 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. She enrolled at Dallas County Community College in the fall of 1990 and eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a business administration degree in 1997. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. Find a Grave She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. Hosted on Acast. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. The new Mrs. Ruff was an unusually private person, particularly around her in-laws, according to Velling, special agent in charge of the Social Security Office of the Inspector General in Seattle, Wash. When people made small talk with her like asking where she went to high school she would say, 'Its none of your business.' or redistributed. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Who was she? Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. (Perkins, who was black and who marketed his legal services to LA's African-American community, had never taken on a white client during his career.) A Net Inceptions project. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. There was a successful application for a new social security number. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. In the car were two suicide notes: an 11-page one addressed to "my wonderful husband" and another addressed to her daughter, to be opened on her 18th birthday. But Blake was in love. [4] She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986,[5] because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. Ruff's earliest known activity dates back to May 1988, when she requested the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who was killed, along with two of her siblings, in a house fire in Fife, Washington in 1971. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. Yes! Unresolved is an investigative and immersive look at those stories, as host Micheal Whelan tries to determine why these stories - unsolved crimes and other unexplained phenomena - have no ending. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . Lori Erica Ruff. The only person in attendance was the preacher. Lori Ruff & The Dark Secret She Hid From Everyone 864,142 views Feb 5, 2019 13K Dislike Share Save Weird History 3.81M subscribers Few stories have fascinated the Internet quite like the one of. Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas.After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Or at least they should. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. Years later, in the life she created with Ruff, tensions between the Verizon account manager and the wife he never really knew eventually reached a breaking point. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. In May of 2016, several commentators on the internet noticed similarities to Ruff's story and to the plot of a 1987 crime drama called Positive I.D., which was directed by a professor of film at UT Arlington. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. Join Jim Clemente (former FBI profiler), Laura Richards (criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard) and Lisa Zambetti (Casting director for CBS' Criminal Minds) as they profile behavior from real criminal cases. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. Ordinary people who do unthinkable thingsThe Minds of Madness is a True Crime Podcast that examines the most disturbing criminal minds and the impact violent crimes have on survivors of homicide. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. Until now, Lori Erica Ruff was known to authorities as Jane Doe a woman of mystery who jumped from state to state, taking on the identities of other people. For two years, Social Security investigator Joseph Velling has been working to uncover the real identity of Lori Erica Ruff, who was Lori Erica Kennedy before marrying into an East Texas family in 2004. She enrolled in Dallas County Community College,[7] and in 1997 she graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in business administration. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. All of that work by the investigators traced several links back in the history of Lori Ruff's false identities, but they still didn't know who she really was. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. It did. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. She was eventually identified as a native. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. He filed for divorce a short time later. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Based on her own research, and a DNA sample the Ruff family submitted that indicated Lori had a first cousin named Michael Cassidy, Fitzpatrick suggested Velling contact the Cassidy family in Philadelphia.
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