By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. 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. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. [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. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. Want more real-life mysteries? Interesting history topics are just a click away. And she was aggressive about it, Velling said. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. 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. Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. 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. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. Photo Credit: Alchetron. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Join her as she shows you just how southern fried the justice system can be in the Deep South. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. There were two other pieces of paper. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. 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 wanted to live in her little cocoon.. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. She received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. 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. Synopsis Was she Lori Erica Ruff? 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). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 1,529 likes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. True Crime. 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. The house belonged . Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. The only person in attendance was the preacher. 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. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. 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. [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], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. 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. There was a successful application for a new social security number. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. 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. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Or, Becky Sue Turner? All rights reserved. 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. Nancy said it was like that all afternoon she asked questions, and Lori provided evasive answers. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. 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. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. After several miscarriages, the couple finally had a daughter in 2008. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. Hosted on Acast. Market data provided by Factset. It was under this new assumed name that sheeventually moved to the Dallas area, where she met andmarried Blake Ruff. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. 2010 42- , . Then, in September 2016, investigators believed they solved the case. One of these had notes written and a collection of phone numbers and names. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. 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. [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. 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. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. 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 2016, she was identified as. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. She was much older than that, he said. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. (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.) The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. 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. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. McLean requested the birth certificate in Bakersfield, California, Becky Sue Turner's birthplace. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. 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. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. 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 It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. Marriage is a sacred act between two people that care deeply for one another. 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 acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. Sources You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. 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. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Shewas an accomplished identity thief. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. After following numerous leads he was stumped, and sought the help of the general public to identify her through an article published June 22, 2013, in The Seattle Times. 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. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. Be the first to contribute! Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Pic credit: Family pic. But who she really was is still a mystery. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. He revealed that Lori considered it to be a personal item that must never be opened. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. These secrets Lori Ruff had kept from even her husband, Blake Ruff, and his family. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. [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. 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. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. ", "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. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . 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. 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. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. 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. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. She died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas, on Christmas Eve 2010. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. It was signed by a man called Roger Steinbeck. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Blake did learn that Lori was born somewhere in Arizona. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. He noticed the car and called the police. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. 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. Also found in the lockbox was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Or at least they should. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Who was she? Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. NY Daily News They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. She was never too keen to go into further detail. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. 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. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. He filed for divorce a short time later. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins."

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