2023 Minute Media - 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. 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 . Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. 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. 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. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. 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. 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. Yes! ", "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. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. 2021 Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. 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. A Net Inceptions project. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. 2021 Wondery LLC. The other was for Blake. [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. There was a successful application for a new social security number. All rights reserved. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. Real Life is Horror. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. [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. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. 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. In 1989, her new identity was completed with a Texas drivers license. Blake, who was close with his parents, couldn't take it anymore. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. All rights reserved. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. 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. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Within the next two years, she . Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. 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. 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. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. 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. Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. Lori Erica Ruff. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. 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. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. Hosted on Acast. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. It was signed by a man called Roger Steinbeck. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. 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. Such things have happened in other cases, and are often traumatic events. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Little Beckywas just two years old when she diedin a house fire outside of Seattle, Washington in 1971. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. As Blake began the daunting task of sorting through his wife's possessions, he knew that he would have to deal with one thing that Lori had always told him he was to never touch. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. 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. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. 2010 42- , . Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. Who was she? 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. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. 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. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. The response? I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. 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. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. or redistributed. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Nancy said it was like that all afternoon she asked questions, and Lori provided evasive answers. 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. 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. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. How had their marriage fallen apart? She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 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. 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. Anyone with credible tips on this case is urged to email this reporter at [email protected]. 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. Image: Social Security Administration. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. And she was aggressive about it, Velling said. The house belonged . She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. 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. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. 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. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. 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. [9][6], After Lori's funeral, some of the Ruffs drove to Leonard to see if they could find out more about her in her house. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. Or at least they should. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her famil. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Who was she? Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. 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. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. Using a DNA analysis from Ruffs daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruffs identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose daughter had disappeared in 1986, when she was 17. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. 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. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. One of these had notes written and a collection of phone numbers and names. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. Then, in September 2016, investigators believed they solved the case. 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. The woman used the birth certificate to obtain a valid Idaho identification card under the name Becky Sue Turner, issued on June 16, 1988, and bearing the photo of Jane Doe. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. Over time the pair grew closer and eventually, they eloped to Dallas. On Monday though, Lori. Photo Credit: Alchetron. Shewas an accomplished identity thief. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. 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. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. 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. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. 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. 1,529 likes. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. 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. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. 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.. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. 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. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruffs background began after the paper ran a story on her in 2013. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. 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. 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. 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. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. 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. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. 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. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). 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. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. They then discovered the lock box in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. [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. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. Pic credit: Family pic. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. 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. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. 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. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. 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 . After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Nothing. However, Perkins has no memory of the woman, and there were no matches for the woman in fingerprint and facial recognition databases. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. The family members identified the picture of the mystery woman as Kimberly Mclean. 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. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? 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. McLean also asked them not to come after her. Jane Doe had a simple narrative and stuck to it: She was the only child of a failed stockbroker and his wife, who both died. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. Before she took her own life with a shotgun, Lori placed a pair of letters inside the car. 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. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. 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. 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. [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. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. The house was in total shambles.