(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.) And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. 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. Hosted on Acast. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Using DNA analysis from Ruff's daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruff's identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose teenage daughter had disappeared in 1986, per Mental Floss. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Be the first to contribute! Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. 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. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. [8] Other papers included the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner and a judge's ruling granting a name change to Lori Erica Kennedy. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? 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] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. 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. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs were planning to file a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. Who was she? Or, Becky Sue Turner? Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. All rights reserved. But who she really was is still a mystery. Lori didnt take this at all well. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. 2010 42- , . [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. 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. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. or redistributed. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. The mystery surrounding Jane Does identity begins in May 1988, when the unknown woman requested the Bakersfield, Calif., birth certificate of a 2-year-old girl, Becky Sue Turner, who died in a 1971 house fire in Fife, Wash., Velling said. "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. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. 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. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. [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]. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. 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. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. 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. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. She was never too keen to go into further detail. He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. 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. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. Additionally, she displayed many asocial behaviors, such as leaving social gatherings to take naps. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. The woman told doctors in 2005 that she was 35 a claim Velling doubts. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. 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 a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. According to Deannes brother, Tom, Kimberly grew irate after her mother and father separated in the 1980s. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. By the time she married Jon Blakely Blake Ruff, of Longview, Texas, in January 2004, her phony identification was as solid as her real past was distant. The nature of these scribblings has led some 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 an attorney. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. Image: http://reallifeishorror.blogspot.co.uk/. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. All rights reserved. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. Real Life is Horror. 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. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? 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. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. He noticed the car and called the police. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. 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. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Shewas an accomplished identity thief. 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. There were two other pieces of paper. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. 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. 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. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. Anyone with credible tips on this case is urged to email this reporter at cristina.corbin@foxnews.com. Yes! Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. Why had Lori begun behaving so erratically? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. 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. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter.
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