And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. ", "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. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. 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. 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. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. One was for her daughter. She was eventually identified as a native. But this could have simply been a number picked for convenience purposes only. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. The other was for Blake. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. [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. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. 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. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. 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. All rights reserved. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. McLean requested the birth certificate in Bakersfield, California, Becky Sue Turner's birthplace. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. She enrolled at Dallas County Community College in the fall of 1990 and eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a business administration degree in 1997. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. (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.) Ordinary people who do unthinkable thingsThe Minds of Madness is a True Crime Podcast that examines the most disturbing criminal minds and the impact violent crimes have on survivors of homicide. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Or at least they should. 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. "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. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. 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. Legal Statement. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. 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. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. 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. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. [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. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. 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. All rights reserved. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. For several years, nobody suspected anything. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. He noticed the car and called the police. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. Also found in the lockbox was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. Synopsis I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. 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. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. She received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. 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 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. 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. He filed for divorce a short time later. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. 1,529 likes. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. 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 . Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. 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. 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.' Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. It's a big Universe full of wonders. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Blake did learn that Lori was born somewhere in Arizona. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. [2], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. [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. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. Or, Becky Sue Turner? A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. It's clear that even at this time, Lori knew what she was doingBecky had been born in one state and died in another, making it far less likely that the fraudulent use of her identity would be discovered. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. 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. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. 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. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Within the next two years, she . Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Market data provided by Factset. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. 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. 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. She then received a Texas driver license in 1989, and the next year qualified for a GED[2] then enrolled in Dallas County Community College. 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. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. 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. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. 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. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. 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. 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. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. On Monday though, Lori. 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. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out.
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