As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. That created a lot of heartburn for the family.. "My God, thats Kimberly! The family member confirmed Ruff was actually Kimberly McLean, daughter of Deanne Cassidy and James McLean, who had run away from home in Pennsylvania at the age of 18. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. She was eventually identified as a native. 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. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. 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. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Nancy said it was like that all afternoon she asked questions, and Lori provided evasive answers. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. 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. [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. Review our. 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. 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. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. 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. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. 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. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. 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, 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. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." It did. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Find a Grave In 2016, she was identified as. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. Lori Erica Ruff and Her Various Identities - Historic Mysteries Where is Lori Ruff's Daughter Now? - The Cinemaholic He filed for divorce a short time later. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. Pic credit: Family pic. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. These secrets Lori Ruff had kept from even her husband, Blake Ruff, and his family. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. 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. Be the first to contribute! According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. 2021 Wondery LLC. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. Marriage is a sacred act between two people that care deeply for one another. Jane Doe had a simple narrative and stuck to it: She was the only child of a failed stockbroker and his wife, who both died. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. 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. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. 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. 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. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. [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. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. All rights reserved. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. 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. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. 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. 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. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. Who was she? Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. The following people have been ruled out as possible identities for Ruff:[5], Ruff was a white female, who was approximately 41 to 50 years old when she committed suicide. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). Sources [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. 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. 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. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. Nothing. Using DNA analysis from Ruff's daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruff's identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose teenage daughter had disappeared in 1986, per Mental Floss. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. 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. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. 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. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. 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. 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. Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Market data provided by Factset. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. 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. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. 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. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. All rights reserved. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. ", "Mystery of the woman with two names: Investigator tries to discover true identity of mother who committed suicide three years ago after husband finds evidence of a double life hidden in a lock box", List of unidentified decedents in the United States, List of unidentified decedents in California, List of unidentified murder victims in the United States, List of unidentified murder victims in California, List of unidentified murder victims in Texas, List of unidentified murder victims in New York, List of unidentified murder victims in Florida, List of unidentified murder victims in Michigan, List of unidentified murder victims in Pennsylvania, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Lori_Erica_Ruff&oldid=718811075, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. 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. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. 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.. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. The house was in total shambles. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. ruff in - Translation into Russian - examples English | Reverso Context Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? 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. There was a successful application for a new social security number. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. 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 . [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. Image: Social Security Administration. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. 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. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. 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. El Sorprendente Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental - YouTube [citation needed], After Lori's funeral, some of the Ruffs drove to Leonard to see if they could find out more about her in her house. 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. 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. Criminology: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. 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." Who Was Lori Ruff: DNA Evidence Sheds Light on Texas Mystery Woman Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". Lori Erica Ruff: The Perplexing Mystery of the Woman - The Lineup [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. Within the next two years, she . 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.