It was under this new assumed name that sheeventually moved to the Dallas area, where she met andmarried Blake Ruff. 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 much older than that, he said. How had their marriage fallen apart? When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. 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 Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. Real Life is Horror. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. A Net Inceptions project. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. 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 Also found in the lockbox was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. 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. Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. NY Daily News The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. 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. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. 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. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. [4] She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986,[5] because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. 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. 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. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. 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. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. 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. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. Who was she? 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. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. 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. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. 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. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. Such things have happened in other cases, and are often traumatic events. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. All rights reserved. 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. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. 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. ", "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. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. 1,529 likes. 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. 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. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. 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 . In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. But Lori tragically died by suicide just before Christmas in 2010. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. She died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas, on Christmas Eve 2010. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. Lori Erica Ruff. All rights reserved. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . 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. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. All rights reserved. Loris behavior was highly erratic in the timebetween theseparationand her death; she sent threatening emails to Blake and his family, and might have even attempted a break-in at Blakes parents home. Want more real-life mysteries? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [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]. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. Yes! 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. 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. Colleen Fitzpatrick, a former nuclear physicist who created[citation needed] the field of forensic genealogy, learned of Lori Ruff in 2013 and began work on the case. "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. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. In the days that followed, Blake tried to make sense of how things had gone so wrong. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. Photo Credit: Alchetron. 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. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Yes! 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. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. 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. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. Interesting history topics are just a click away. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. 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. ", "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. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. 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. ", "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. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. 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. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. 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. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. It's a big Universe full of wonders. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. 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. [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. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. 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 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.' At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. One was for her daughter. Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. 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. They then discovered the lock box in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Many of these sessions tended to feature increasingly strange behavior on her part. Over time the pair grew closer and eventually, they eloped to Dallas. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. 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? Or, Becky Sue Turner? [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. Review our. However, according to records, Becky Sue Turner asphyxiated in a house fire when she was just 2 years old. The woman received breast implants in 1991 and claimed to have suffered from bulimia in 1990. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. There was a successful application for a new social security number. When problems became too difficult for him to continue, Blake finally accepted that their marriage wasnt working and subsequently moved out of the home they shared. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. Legal Statement. 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. Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. or redistributed. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. 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. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins." He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. 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. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. He filed for divorce a short time later. Then, in September 2016, the case of Lori Erica Ruff was finally solved: her real name wasKimberly McLean. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. 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. 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. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's 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. 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. [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA.