Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? 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 was eventually identified as a native. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. 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. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. They looked for signs of gambling addiction and sex trafficking. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. Based on her own research, and a DNA sample the Ruff family submitted that indicated Lori had a first cousin named Michael Cassidy, Fitzpatrick suggested Velling contact the Cassidy family in Philadelphia. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. Who was she? 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. 1,529 likes. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. Although she left notes for her husband and her daughter, they didn't provide any clues. 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. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. 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. Image: Social Security Administration. 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 Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. Yes! This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her famil. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. [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. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Such things have happened in other cases, and are often traumatic events. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. Real Life is Horror. We cover everything from big time serial killers (and those you may never have heard of), to hauntings, possessions, disturbing mysteries, bizarre whodunits and basically anything that tickles our creepy fancy. [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. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. 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. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. McLean, posing as Becky Sue Turner, then appeared before a judge in Dallas on July 5, 1988, and legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. 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. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. After some failed marriage therapy meetings, Blake Ruff moved back to his parents' house in Longview and filed for divorce, leaving Lori with their daughter in Leonard. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. 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. All rights reserved. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. She was much older than that, he said. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. The other was for Blake. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. 2021 Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. It's not exactly clear why Kimberly McLean fled (most family accounts suggest it was due to a dislike of her new stepfather), but extended family immediately recognized the woman in the investigator's photo. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. 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. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. 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. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. 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.' Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. In 2016, she was identified as. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. Lori Erica Ruff. ", "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. [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. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. But Blake was in love. Pic credit: Family pic. 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. 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. For several years, nobody suspected anything. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. 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 . His wifewas not who she claimed to be. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. 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 house belonged . 2021 Wondery LLC. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. Or at least they should. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. It's a big Universe full of wonders. [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. 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. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. 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. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. Be the first to contribute! On Monday though, Lori. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. The response? Many of these sessions tended to feature increasingly strange behavior on her part. [4] She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986,[5] because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. 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. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Who was she? 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. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. 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 acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. [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. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. Nothing. The only person in attendance was the preacher. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity. Sources She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. The family tried everything to find her but she changed her name and location regularly, making it difficult for Kimberlys family to find her. 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. And, as he flipped through multiple IDs with pictures of his wife at different ages, he realized they all had different names printed on them, according to the Daily Mail. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. But who she really was is still a mystery. Review our. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. 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. Within the next two years, she . She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. And she was aggressive about it, Velling said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? 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. (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.) Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. 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. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. She also began sending harassing e-mails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody hearing, and stole a set of house keys from them. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. Or, Becky Sue Turner? 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. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. 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. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. The woman received breast implants in 1991 and claimed to have suffered from bulimia in 1990. 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. Lori didnt take this at all well. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding 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. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? However, according to records, Becky Sue Turner asphyxiated in a house fire when she was just 2 years old. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. 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. 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. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. 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. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. But this could have simply been a number picked for convenience purposes only. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. 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. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. Market data provided by Factset. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. [3], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. That created a lot of heartburn for the family.. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. 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. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. 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. 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. On Christmas Eve in 2010, Lori Erica Ruff sat in her car outside her in-laws' Longview, Texas home, and ended her life with a gunshot to the head. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. 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], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. 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. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. It did. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. [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. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". There was a birth and death certificate in the box. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. 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. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. 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. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. In the days that followed, Blake tried to make sense of how things had gone so wrong. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. 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. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings.