Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. 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. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Photo Credit: Alchetron. 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. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. In 2016, she was identified as. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. 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. 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. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. 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. 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. 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. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified - Facebook [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. Late in 2015, Velling received a call from a former nuclear physicist and forensic genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick, who had been following the case online. 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. 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. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. "Criminology" Lori Erica Ruff (Podcast Episode 2021) - IMDb Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. 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. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Market data provided by Factset. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Review our. Pic credit: Family pic. 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. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. He filed for divorce a short time later. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. True Crime. 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. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little Trophy Wife (2022) - IMDb Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. All rights reserved. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins." Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. They separated, but on Christmas Eve, 2010, the woman everyone knew as Lori Erica Ruff pulled into the driveway of the Ruff family home and shot herself. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Lori Erica Ruff (born Kimberly McLean, October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010) was a woman who took her own life while living in Longview, Texas. 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. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The nature of these scribblings led some followers of the case 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 Ben Perkins, a Los Angeles attorney. [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. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. [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. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Find a Grave Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. 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. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Whilethe file on Lori Erica Ruff may be closed, her bizarre case continues to fascinate, and will forever raise thechillingquestion: Just how well do you know those closest to you? [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. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. 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. 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. Lori Ruff & The Dark Secret She Hid From Everyone - YouTube Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? 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. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. 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. A Net Inceptions project. [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. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. However, it was written on hotel stationery from Bangkok, Thailand. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . Any time she got around the family, they would ask her questions and it was uncomfortable for her. 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 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. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. For example, Lori would often ramble to the minister on a variety of topics; mainly her perceived flaws, problems, and the failure of her marriage. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. 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. 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. Sources She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. 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 house belonged . This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. Be the first to contribute! Yes! 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 . Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. NY Daily News During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. But Blake was in love. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity. 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.' However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. Market data provided by Factset. 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 wanted to live in her little cocoon.. 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. 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. Legal Statement. Lori Erica Ruff - Wikipedia There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas 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. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? 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. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. 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. Ruff's true origins remained a mystery until 2016, when her identity was confirmed using a combination of public records and direct-to-consumer autosomal SNP analysis of her husband's and daughter's DNA, leading back to the McLeanCassidy family on Philadelphia's Main Line. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. [2], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. 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. [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. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. 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. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. In the days that followed, Blake tried to make sense of how things had gone so wrong. ", "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. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. 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 Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. 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. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. Lori Erica Ruff. On Monday though, Lori. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? The request was made in Bakersfield, California. Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. 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. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. McLean also asked them not to come after her. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Legal Statement. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. 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. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. Lori Erica Ruff - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core But who she really was is still a mystery. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. The only person in attendance was the preacher. 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. 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. Interesting history topics are just a click away. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Hosted on Acast. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. The woman received breast implants in 1991 and claimed to have suffered from bulimia in 1990. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Lori Erica Ruff: The Perplexing Mystery of the Woman - The Lineup Who Was Lori Ruff: DNA Evidence Sheds Light on Texas Mystery Woman This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. That created a lot of heartburn for the family.. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. They looked for signs of gambling addiction and sex trafficking. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. The Generation Why Podcast: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts He noticed the car and called the police. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death.