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. She died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas, on Christmas Eve 2010. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. 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. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. She was never too keen to go into further detail. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. 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. Criminology: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts After several miscarriages, the couple finally had a daughter in 2008. 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. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. El Sorprendente Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental - YouTube 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). Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. It was under this new assumed name that sheeventually moved to the Dallas area, where she met andmarried Blake Ruff. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. Everyone in Dallas has an accent and she did not. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Investigators wondered if she had been a KGB agent, or if she had been in the military and gone AWOL. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. 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. Any time she got around the family, they would ask her questions and it was uncomfortable for her. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. Be the first to contribute! After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. [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. Yes! Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. Strange life of identity thief Lori Ruff, aka Kimberly McLean ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? 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 . 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. Find a Grave All of that work by the investigators traced several links back in the history of Lori Ruff's false identities, but they still didn't know who she really was. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. 1,529 likes. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. 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. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . In 1989, her new identity was completed with a Texas drivers license. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. [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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. 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. Within the next two years, she . Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. 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. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Lori Erica Ruff (Podcast Episode 2021) - Plot Summary - IMDb [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Lori Erica Ruff Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. 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 [3], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. 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." Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. Ruff's true origins remained a mystery until 2016, when her identity was confirmed using a combination of public records and direct-to-consumer autosomal SNP analysis of her husband's and daughter's DNA, leading back to the McLeanCassidy family on Philadelphia's Main Line. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Lori Erica Ruff - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. But Blake was in love. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? The Generation Why Podcast: Lori Erica Ruff on Apple Podcasts 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.. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. Photo Credit: Alchetron. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. 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. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. 2021 Wondery LLC. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. 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. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. 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. 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. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. He noticed the car and called the police. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. 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. 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. Yes! It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. It was signed by a man called Roger Steinbeck. 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. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. Image: Social Security Administration. 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. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 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. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. The other was for Blake. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. Synopsis They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. 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. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. True Crime. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. [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. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. 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 - YouTube Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. 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. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. 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. Who was she? Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. Last spring, we brought you 8 Mysterious People Without a Past, a list of individuals who seemed to have had much of their early existence wiped from history. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. 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. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. 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. Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. 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. 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. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. Lori didnt take this at all well. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. 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. 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. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. 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. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In 2016, she was identified as. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. 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. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. Then, in September 2016, investigators believed they solved the case. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. It must have been for some horrific reasoneither she was running away from a crime or an abusive family or relationship., She wanted a complete break from her past, said Velling. 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. 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. 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. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified - Facebook In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. 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. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. 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. 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. True identity of Lori Ruff revealed six years after she committed However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. 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. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. In the box, which she told her husband never to touch, were all the documents exposing her elaborate ruse the paperwork showing the name change and the application for a Social Security number, among other receipts. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. He filed for divorce a short time later. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. [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]. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. Pic credit: Family pic. But who she really was is still a mystery. Legal Statement. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. The house belonged . About: Lori Erica Ruff - dbpedia.org His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Little Beckywas just two years old when she diedin a house fire outside of Seattle, Washington in 1971. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. Marriage is a sacred act between two people that care deeply for one another. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. These secrets Lori Ruff had kept from even her husband, Blake Ruff, and his family. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. 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. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. Lori Erica Ruff - Top podcast episodes Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. Becky was born in one state and died in another, making it much less likely that a fraudulent use of her identity would be noticed. 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. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. 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. "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.