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. Hosted on Acast. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. 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 Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. In September 2011 the Ruff family, with the help of a congressional aide, sought the help of Joe Velling, an investigator for the Social Security Administration (SSA). 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. 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 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. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. 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. [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 July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. 2021 Wondery LLC. 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. Velling, a seasoned government sleuth, has been stumped in figuring out the true name and background of this Jane Doe, who took on aliases with spy-like sophistication. 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. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. 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. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Ruff had a first cousin named Cassidy on her list of matches; however, the name was very common and the cousin was not responsive. Every day, stories unfold that have no resolution. 2010 42- , . 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 . | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. NY Daily News Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. 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. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. 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.. For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. Then, in September 2016, investigators believed they solved the case. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. 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. 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. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. 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. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number - a. Who was she? Be the first to contribute! True Crime. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. Shortly after marrying Ruff, Jane Doe tried repeatedly to conceive a child of her own with much difficulty, according to Velling. 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. 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. In 2016, she was identified as. 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. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. [3], On Christmas Eve 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. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. Yes! Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. 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. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. It was under this new assumed name that sheeventually moved to the Dallas area, where she met andmarried Blake Ruff. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. The grieving husbandrecognized the box. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. Find a Grave Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. She was never too keen to go into further detail. 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. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. With little to no clues about who shemight actually be, the woman once known as Lori Erica Ruffwas registered in the federal governments database of missing and unidentified persons as a Jane Doe. 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. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". 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. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. 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. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. The family tried everything to find her but she changed her name and location regularly, making it difficult for Kimberlys family to find her. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. 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. They married and had a daughter together. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. One of these had notes written and a collection of phone numbers and names. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. 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. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. The only person in attendance was the preacher. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. 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. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. Blake admitted knowledge of the box. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. The other was for Blake. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. 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. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. 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.' Photo Credit: Alchetron. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. 1,529 likes. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Yes! 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. 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. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . 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. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. ", "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.