Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. 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. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 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. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. 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. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . 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. Also found in the lockbox was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruffs background began after the paper ran a story on her in 2013. Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. 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. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. 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. 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. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. "True identity of Lori Ruff revealed six years after she committed suicide", "After 30 Years, Lori Ruff's True Identity Finally Revealed", "5 Creepy-As-Hell Stories Of Real People With No Identity", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. 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. 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. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. 2010 42- , . The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. 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. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Or at least they should. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. 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. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. She was sending unhinged, threatening emails to the Ruffs; she and her daughter were losing weight; she even possibly tried to break into the Ruffs' home. "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. 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. [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]. 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. 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. NY Daily News Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. The nature of these scribblings led some followers of the case to believe that Ruff was trying to avoid prison time, due to the references to police, a possible jail-term length, and the name of Ben Perkins, a Los Angeles attorney. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? 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. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. Blake admitted knowledge of the box. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her famil. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She was eventually identified as a native. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. 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. 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. 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. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. In 2003 McLean met Jon Blakely "Blake" Ruff, the son of a socially prominent family in East Texas,[8][6] in a Bible study class. 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. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. 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.. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. 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. 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 [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. Late in 2015, Velling received a call from a former nuclear physicist and forensic genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick, who had been following the case online. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. She was never too keen to go into further detail. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [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. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. 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. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. 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. 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. Synopsis The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . Be the first to contribute! [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Within the next two years, she . Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. 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. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. 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. Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Whilethe file on Lori Erica Ruff may be closed, her bizarre case continues to fascinate, and will forever raise thechillingquestion: Just how well do you know those closest to you? But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. There was a successful application for a new social security number. 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. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. 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. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. She was much older than that, he said. There were two other pieces of paper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Legal Statement. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Nothing. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. 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. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. Ruff's earliest known activity dates back to May 1988, when she requested the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who was killed, along with two of her siblings, in a house fire in Fife, Washington in 1971. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. ", "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. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. Market data provided by Factset. 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. 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. 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. A Net Inceptions project. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. 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. All rights reserved. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. [6] 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 enlisted the services of a so-called identity broker.[6]. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. She also began sending harassing emails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody exchange, and stole a set of house keys from them. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. 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. When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. 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. ", "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. 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.
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