Little Beckywas just two years old when she diedin a house fire outside of Seattle, Washington in 1971. 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. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. They then discovered the lock box in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. She died by suicide in the driveway of her former in-laws' home in Longview, Texas, on Christmas Eve 2010. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. He revealed that Lori considered it to be a personal item that must never be opened. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. 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. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. 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. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. They tried several times to have a child, but had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. Loris husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. 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. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. But who she really was is still a mystery. He noticed the car and called the police. 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. According to the Seattle Times , a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruff's background began after the paper ran . On Monday though, Lori. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. Yes! 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 . Then, in September 2016, the case of Lori Erica Ruff was finally solved: her real name wasKimberly McLean. [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. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. It did. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. 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. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. [6] The Ruffs opened and read the letter, but it contained only "ramblings from a clearly disturbed person" and no details about Lori's past. 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. 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. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. NY Daily News The family tried everything to find her but she changed her name and location regularly, making it difficult for Kimberlys family to find her. 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. 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. 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. 1,529 likes. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The house was in total shambles. [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. 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. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. However, according to records, Becky Sue Turner asphyxiated in a house fire when she was just 2 years old. Any time she got around the family, they would ask her questions and it was uncomfortable for her. [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]. 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 Ruff was a secretive person. 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. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. [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. 2010 42- , . 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. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our eeriest cases delivered straight to your inbox. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. 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. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. Interesting history topics are just a click away. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. 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. She was much older than that, he said. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. 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. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. 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. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. But this could have simply been a number picked for convenience purposes only. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. 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. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. Then, in September 2016, investigators believed they solved the case. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. [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. See acast.com/privacy for more information. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. 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 Fife, Washington, in 1988, and then changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. However, over time he began to get the impression that he was the only one trying to make their marriage work. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. 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. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. 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 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. Find a Grave She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. 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. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. 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. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. 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. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. Everyone in Dallas has an accent and she did not. 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." 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 . She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. 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. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. 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. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. 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. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. "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. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. Yes! [3], Ruff was incredibly overprotective of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her, which angered her husband's family. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. 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. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. 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. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. 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. [3], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. They married and had a daughter together. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. 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. 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. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. 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. 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. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. Nancy said it was like that all afternoon she asked questions, and Lori provided evasive answers. That created a lot of heartburn for the family.. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. 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 Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. "My God, thats Kimberly! The family member confirmed Ruff was actually Kimberly McLean, daughter of Deanne Cassidy and James McLean, who had run away from home in Pennsylvania at the age of 18. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. Pic credit: Family pic. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. 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 had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. 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. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. 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. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? Lori Erica Ruff. 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. Who was she? There was a birth and death certificate in the box. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. They looked for signs of gambling addiction and sex trafficking. 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. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? She had brown hair and hazel eyes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. [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. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases.

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