lori erica ruff documentary

[8] She would also obsessively track the Ruffs' family history and try to find out their family recipes, but she still refused to talk about her own past. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. All rights reserved. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas.After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. 2021 Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. Lori Erica Ruff - Top podcast episodes 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. She was much older than that, he said. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. 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. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. 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. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins." [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. 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. 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. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. It was signed by a man called Roger Steinbeck. We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. 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. So, it was granted without question. 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. [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. 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, 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. [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]. Any time she got around the family, they would ask her questions and it was uncomfortable for her. For example, Lori would often ramble to the minister on a variety of topics; mainly her perceived flaws, problems, and the failure of her marriage. The only person in attendance was the preacher. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. 2010 42- , . 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. 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. Join Jim Clemente (former FBI profiler), Laura Richards (criminal behavioral analyst, former New Scotland Yard) and Lisa Zambetti (Casting director for CBS' Criminal Minds) as they profile behavior from real criminal cases. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. He revealed that Lori considered it to be a personal item that must never be opened. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. All rights reserved. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. 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. And, with the child, Lori's behavior became even more erratic. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. The house belonged . In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? 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. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. And, why had she changed her identity and hid her past from those closest to her? Trophy Wife: Dirigido por Christian Sesma. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. After several miscarriages, the couple finally had a daughter in 2008. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. 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. 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. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. Nothing. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. 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. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. 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. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. She created a false identity for the sole purpose of getting lost in America, Velling told FoxNews.com. 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. 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. 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. On Monday though, Lori. 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 . For several years, nobody suspected anything. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit 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. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. 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. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? 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. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Various identification cards of Lori Ruff (AKA: Kimberly McLean) retrieved from the Social Security Administration. 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. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. All rights reserved. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. Investigators then began to search of hertrue identitya process that would take six years to complete. 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. 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. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. There were two other pieces of paper. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. 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. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. But Blake was in love. Who was she? Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. 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. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. [2], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. When given the chance for an extravagant and lavish wedding day to remember, Lori declined the offer. They tried several times to have a child, but she had trouble conceiving and suffered multiple miscarriages. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. 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. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her famil. At the time, a request of this nature was hardly unusual. 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. Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. 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 was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). Where is Lori Ruff's Daughter Now? - The Cinemaholic Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. 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 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 received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. Most of these discoveries came from talking to those that she had worked with previously. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. Lori Erica Ruff Criminology podcast It's a big Universe full of wonders. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. 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. The news of Kimberlys death saddened her mother deeply. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. 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. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. 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. Lori Erica Ruff The Generation Why Podcast. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. How had their marriage fallen apart? She was never too keen to go into further detail. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. Interesting history topics are just a click away. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Yes! After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. 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 Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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 . Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. However, according to records, Becky Sue Turner asphyxiated in a house fire when she was just 2 years old. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. 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. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. 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. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. Lori Erica Kennedy / Lori Ruff - Identified. Review our. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we take true crime very seriously. All rights reserved. After obtaining the driver's license, Ruff went before a judge in Dallas on July 5 1988 and legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy; a week later she obtained a social security number, effectively erasing her past. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. 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." As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. [2] She would also obsessively track the Ruffs' family history and try to find out their family recipes, but still refused to talk about her past. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. Ordinary people who do unthinkable thingsThe Minds of Madness is a True Crime Podcast that examines the most disturbing criminal minds and the impact violent crimes have on survivors of homicide. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. "Criminology" Lori Erica Ruff (Podcast Episode 2021) - IMDb Marriage is a sacred act between two people that care deeply for one another. 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. 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. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. 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. The Strange Life and Death of Lori Erica Ruff She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little The grieving husbandrecognized the box. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. The response? He describes her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. 2021 Wondery LLC. 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. On Christmas Eve 2010, the body of 42-year-old Lori Erica Ruff was found in a car parked outside the Ruff family home in Longview, Texas.