Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. She also began sending harassing emails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody exchange, and stole a set of house keys from them. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. She also received breast implants during this time. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. 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. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. [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. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. The other was for Blake. "True identity of Lori Ruff revealed six years after she committed suicide", "After 30 Years, Lori Ruff's True Identity Finally Revealed", "5 Creepy-As-Hell Stories Of Real People With No Identity", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. The response? Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? 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. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. 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. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. 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. Where Murder Lies is investigating the mysterious case of identity thief Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, aka Kimberly Maria McLean, who, unbeknown to her husband, led a secret life for decades. It's a big Universe full of wonders. [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. Authorities inspected both letters, which they described asramblings from a clearly disturbed person.They contained no reference toLoris life as an identity thief, nor a confession of her trueidentity. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. One was for her daughter. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Sources Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. 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. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Or at least they should. 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. They looked for signs of gambling addiction and sex trafficking. 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. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. Lori didnt take this at all well. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. 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. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. 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. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. She was never too keen to go into further detail. 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. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. 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. But who she really was is still a mystery. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. After several miscarriages, the couple finally had a daughter in 2008. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. But Lori tragically died by suicide just before Christmas in 2010. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. Or, Becky Sue Turner? Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. And she was aggressive about it, Velling said. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. 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. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. 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. She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 18, in the fall of 1986, because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. All rights reserved. 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. Nancy said it was like that all afternoon she asked questions, and Lori provided evasive answers. [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. Pic credit: Family pic. The woman used the birth certificate to obtain a valid Idaho identification card under the name Becky Sue Turner, issued on June 16, 1988, and bearing the photo of Jane Doe. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. And she did it all pre-InternetShe may have done this on her own, but its possible she sought out one of these identity brokers.. 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. He filed for divorce a short time later. 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 . Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. 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. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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." Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. 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. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. [6] The Ruffs opened and read the letter, but it contained only "ramblings from a clearly disturbed person" and no details about Lori's past. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. All rights reserved. In 2016, she was identified as. When problems became too difficult for him to continue, Blake finally accepted that their marriage wasnt working and subsequently moved out of the home they shared. Blake admitted knowledge of the box. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. The mystery surrounding Jane Does identity begins in May 1988, when the unknown woman requested the Bakersfield, Calif., birth certificate of a 2-year-old girl, Becky Sue Turner, who died in a 1971 house fire in Fife, Wash., Velling said. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Yes! Everyone in Dallas has an accent and she did not. 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. How had their marriage fallen apart? 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. 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 . For several years, nobody suspected anything. In 2010, a woman in Texas named Lori Ruff parked her Tahoe in the driveway of the house where her estranged husband Blake had been living since he had walked out on her after their relationship had soured. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. At some point in the past, Lori had been a dancer at an exclusive gentlemans club, and a post-mortem examination revealed that Lori, not Becky, had received breast implants. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas, on Christmas Eve 2010. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [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]. The house was in total shambles. Real Life is Horror. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. 2010 42- , . Legal Statement. When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. Review our. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. 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. 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. 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. 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. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. True Crime. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. ", "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. They married and had a daughter together. On Monday though, Lori. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Using a DNA analysis from Ruffs daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruffs identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose daughter had disappeared in 1986, when she was 17. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. 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. All rights reserved. Papers belonging to Ruff, who had been married with a child, surfaced after her suicide indicating she had once been known as Lori Kennedy, and prior to that, as Becky Sue Turner, the name of a young girl who had died in a Washington state fire in 1971. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. [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. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. Velling, a seasoned government sleuth, has been stumped in figuring out the true name and background of this Jane Doe, who took on aliases with spy-like sophistication. Hair pulled from the woman's head had skin on it that helped forensic investigators learn she had one of the genes associated with coronary artery disease. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. The family tried everything to find her but she changed her name and location regularly, making it difficult for Kimberlys family to find her. Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. [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. Interesting history topics are just a click away. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. 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. He noticed the car and called the police. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. McLean requested the birth certificate in Bakersfield, California, Becky Sue Turner's birthplace. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Image: Social Security Administration. [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? On December 24, 2010, the body of Lori Erica Ruff was found in her car parked in the driveway of the Ruff family's Texas home. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Market data provided by Factset. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. 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. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. 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. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. A Net Inceptions project. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. McLean also asked them not to come after her. It's clear that even at this time, Lori knew what she was doingBecky had been born in one state and died in another, making it far less likely that the fraudulent use of her identity would be discovered. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts.
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