The grieving husbandrecognized the box. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. All rights reserved. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. Image: Social Security Administration. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. 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. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. All rights reserved. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. [3] The fact that Ruff was able to cover up her identity so well in a time before the Internet has led to speculation that she had visited an "identity broker".[3]. There was a successful application for a new social security number. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. [6], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter; as a result, the Ruffs began encouraging Blake to get out of the marriage. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Then, in September 2016, the case of Lori Erica Ruff was finally solved: her real name wasKimberly McLean. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. As Blake began the daunting task of sorting through his wife's possessions, he knew that he would have to deal with one thing that Lori had always told him he was to never touch. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. 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. It was under this new assumed name that sheeventually moved to the Dallas area, where she met andmarried Blake Ruff. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. [2] The writings on the paper found in the lockbox included the scribblings "North Hollywood police", "402 months", and "Ben Perkins", who turned out to be an attorney. [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. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. All rights reserved. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. He filed for divorce a short time later. Be the first to contribute! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little bit of luck to learn the truth. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. Lori didnt take this at all well. [8] She would also obsessively track the Ruffs' family history and try to find out their family recipes, but she still refused to talk about her own past. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Lori Erica Ruff. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. 2021 Wondery LLC. The other was for Blake. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. He revealed that Lori considered it to be a personal item that must never be opened. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. Who was she? He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. NY Daily News [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. 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. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. 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. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Or at least they should. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. 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. In 2016, she was identified as. In the box, which she told her husband never to touch, were all the documents exposing her elaborate ruse the paperwork showing the name change and the application for a Social Security number, among other receipts. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. 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. 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 generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "Live chat with investigator, reporter about Jane Doe case", "Mystery woman: After 30 years and a suicide, Lori Ruff's real identity emerges", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lori_Erica_Ruff&oldid=1125479355, Articles with minor POV problems from October 2022, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 December 2022, at 06:14. 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. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. Real Life is Horror. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. She received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. Blake admitted knowledge of the box. 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. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little bit of luck to learn the truth.Join Mike and . Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Or, Becky Sue Turner? The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. 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. All rights reserved. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. After obtaining the driver's license, Ruff went 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, effectively erasing her past. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. The house was in total shambles. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. 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. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins." I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. She had stolen the identity of deceased Becky Sue Turner in May 1988 before legally changing her name to "Lori Erica Kennedy ." Following her marriage in 2001, she assumed the surname "Ruff." Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. 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. Many of these sessions tended to feature increasingly strange behavior on her part. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Synopsis Lori Erica Ruff, a Texan who committed suicide in 2010 and left behind a series of puzzling documents hinting that she wasnt who her family thought she was, has now been identified. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. One was for her daughter. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. "My God, thats Kimberly! The family member confirmed Ruff was actually Kimberly McLean, daughter of Deanne Cassidy and James McLean, who had run away from home in Pennsylvania at the age of 18. 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. [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. Review our. 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. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. Legal Statement. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. 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. Blake did learn that Lori was born somewhere in Arizona. 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. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Although plenty of questions about the case still have not been answered, Lori Ruff's name was removed from the federal government's database of missing and unidentified persons. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. 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 I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Market data provided by Factset. But Blake was in love. 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. The following people have been ruled out as possible identities for Ruff:[5], Ruff was a white female, who was approximately 41 to 50 years old when she committed suicide. 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. McLean assumed a series of aliases before marrying Blake Ruff in 2004 and settling downleaving no trace of Kimberly McLean, at least until Fitzpatrick began researching her family tree. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her?You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminologyAn Emash Digital productionLearn more about your ad choices. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. True Crime. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. 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. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Ruffs apparent identity theft pulled in former Social Security Administration investigator Joe Velling, who hoped that publicity from the Times piece would urge amateur sleuths to provide some leads. Anyone with credible tips on this case is urged to email this reporter at cristina.corbin@foxnews.com. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. 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. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. or redistributed. 1,529 likes. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. The woman received breast implants in 1991 and claimed to have suffered from bulimia in 1990. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. 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.
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