Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. [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]. The other was for Blake. Lori Erica Ruff Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. 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. 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. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. 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. Everyone in Dallas has an accent and she did not. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. [2], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. After following numerous leads he was stumped, and sought the help of the general public to identify her through an article published June 22, 2013, in The Seattle Times. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. 2021 Wondery LLC. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be undernourished and that Lori would often ramble incoherently to herself while pacing back and forth outside. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. 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. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Hosted on Acast. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. 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. Synopsis The family members identified the picture of the mystery woman as Kimberly Mclean. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. 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. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . 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. 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. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home 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. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. [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. Who Was Lori Ruff: DNA Evidence Sheds Light on Texas Mystery Woman 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, True Crime. Market data provided by Factset. However, according to records, Becky Sue Turner asphyxiated in a house fire when she was just 2 years old. Lori Erica Ruff. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. However, it was written on hotel stationery from Bangkok, Thailand. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. Although she left notes for her husband and her daughter, they didn't provide any clues. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. 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. Anyone with credible tips on this case is urged to email this reporter at cristina.corbin@foxnews.com. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. 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. 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 his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. Or, Becky Sue Turner? Want more real-life mysteries? 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. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Be the first to contribute! She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. 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. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. And when he asked her to marry him in 2004, she said yes, but insisted on no announcement in the newspaper, and wanted a wedding where only the minister was present. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. 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. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. The Mystery of Identity Thief Lori Erica Ruff - Mental Floss Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Yes! Blake did learn that Lori was born somewhere in Arizona. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. One of these had notes written and a collection of phone numbers and names. Shewas an accomplished identity thief. 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.' Image: Social Security Administration. [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. 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. 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. 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. 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. But Lori tragically died by suicide just before Christmas in 2010. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. All rights reserved. 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. The only person in attendance was the preacher. 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. Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. Nothing. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. Legal Statement. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Join her as she shows you just how southern fried the justice system can be in the Deep South. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. 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. When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." 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. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. Photo Credit: Alchetron. The response? Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. 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. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. For several years, nobody suspected anything. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. 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.

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