After some failed marriage therapy sessions, Blake Ruff moved back to his parents' house in Longview and filed for divorce, leaving Lori with their daughter in Leonard. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. For several years, nobody suspected anything. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. 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. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. 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. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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.. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. 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 . 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. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Who Was Lori Ruff: DNA Evidence Sheds Light on Texas Mystery Woman Image: Social Security Administration. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. 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. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. The Generation Why Podcast: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Lori Erica Ruff: The Perplexing Mystery of the Woman - The Lineup Be the first to contribute! 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 They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. 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. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. True identity of Lori Ruff revealed six years after she committed 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. 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 . Yes! She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be undernourished and that Lori would often ramble incoherently to herself while pacing back and forth outside. So, it was granted without question. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. But Lori tragically died by suicide just before Christmas in 2010. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. Over time the pair grew closer and eventually, they eloped to Dallas. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. Interesting history topics are just a click away. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. See acast.com/privacy for more information. In the car were two suicide notes: One 11page note addressed to "my wonderful husband" and another addressed to her daughter, to be opened on her 18th birthday. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. Or at least they should. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. All rights reserved. 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.' Trophy Wife (2022) - IMDb She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. The house was in total shambles. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. 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. One of these had notes written and a collection of phone numbers and names. 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." After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. True Crime. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. Lori Ruff & The Dark Secret She Hid From Everyone - YouTube About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. The Mystery of Identity Thief Lori Erica Ruff - Mental Floss Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. 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. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. 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. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. All rights reserved. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. Papers belonging to Ruff, who had been married with a child, surfaced after her suicide indicating she had once been known as Lori Kennedy, and prior to that, as Becky Sue Turner, the name of a young girl who had died in a Washington state fire in 1971. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. In May of 2016, several commentators on the internet noticed similarities to Ruff's story and to the plot of a 1987 crime drama called Positive I.D., which was directed by a professor of film at UT Arlington. [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. In the days that followed, Blake tried to make sense of how things had gone so wrong. 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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas 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. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. 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. (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 family members identified the picture of the mystery woman as Kimberly Mclean. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. 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 had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. 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. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Blake admitted knowledge of the box. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. 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. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. 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. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. Or, Becky Sue Turner? McLean also asked them not to come after her. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Find a Grave Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. She was never too keen to go into further detail. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "Live chat with investigator, reporter about Jane Doe case", "Mystery woman: After 30 years and a suicide, Lori Ruff's real identity emerges", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lori_Erica_Ruff&oldid=1125479355, Articles with minor POV problems from October 2022, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 December 2022, at 06:14. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. Who was she? Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. 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 . Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Within the next two years, she . Investigators wondered if she had been a KGB agent, or if she had been in the military and gone AWOL. 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. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. 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. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. NY Daily News "Criminology" Lori Erica Ruff (Podcast Episode 2021) - IMDb [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. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. 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. 2010 42- , . Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. Her Idaho identification card listed her as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and her Dallas drivers license had her at 5 feet, 10 inches, but she was really somewhere in-between, Velling said. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. 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. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. [3] The fact that Ruff was able to cover up her identity so well in a time before the Internet has led to speculation that she had visited an "identity broker".[3]. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . 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. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Lori didnt take this at all well. [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. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. She also received breast implants during this time. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. 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). It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. In 1989, her new identity was completed with a Texas drivers license. Lori Erica Ruff - Wikipedia [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. 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. [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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Criminology: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Strange life of identity thief Lori Ruff, aka Kimberly McLean 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. 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. These secrets Lori Ruff had kept from even her husband, Blake Ruff, and his family. 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. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist.