During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. Eager to meet her, the family invited her to lunch. 2021 Wondery LLC. When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." 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. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? Henceforth, Lori would be known as Lori Erica Ruff. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Lori Erica Ruff - identity SOLVED? We now need to revise that list to seven, since one of those mysteries has now been solved. Perhaps because of these miscarriages, Lori was ultra-protective of her daughter. 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. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. Early on Christmas Eve, Lori drove over to the Ruff house. 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. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Join us for a good mix of lesser known cases as well as our take on what we call the "Big Timers". I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. ", "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. The other was for Blake. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. 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. Photo Credit: Alchetron. She arrived at this identity by way of a girl named Becky Sue Turner. Legal Statement. 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. 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. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. How had their marriage fallen apart? Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. 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. Whomever she was, the woman Blake knew as Lori Ruff was not who she claimed to be. For several years, nobody suspected anything. The harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. (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.) In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. [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. She must now fight to clear her name and figure out who betrayed her husband. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. Pic credit: Family pic. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. The house was in total shambles. [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]. They married and had a daughter together. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. The trail leading backwards was in the forbidden lockbox. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. The woman received breast implants in 1991 and claimed to have suffered from bulimia in 1990. 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. 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. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. 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. 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. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. The only person in attendance was the preacher. 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. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. "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. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. Real Life is Horror. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Also found in the lockbox was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings. Anyone with credible tips on this case is urged to email this reporter at cristina.corbin@foxnews.com. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruffs background began after the paper ran a story on her in 2013. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. 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. When he returned to his parents, he filed for a divorce. Find a Grave She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. 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. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. [4] She also said her father was a failed stockbroker. 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. She was overly protective, and she refused to let other people hold their daughter. 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. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. He filed for divorce a short time later. 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. 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. [8], In the months between the separation and Lori's suicide, she behaved very erratically. 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. Now, as he opened it, he understood why it was forbidden territory. [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. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. 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. 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 family tried everything to find her but she changed her name and location regularly, making it difficult for Kimberlys family to find her. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. The pair set up a home together and tried to start a family. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. The Ruff family declined to comment on the story, which was first reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday. Related: Lady of the Dunes: Was the Unidentified Cape Cod Murder Victim an Extra in Jaws? Given some of the comments she made or suggested, she didnt appear to realize why the marriage ended. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. [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]. 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. NY Daily News DNA taken from the body might also help crack the case. 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). The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. After the birth of their daughter, Lori's behavior became increasingly strange. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. After her death, her husband and his family found the evidence of her falsified identity in a lock box in her closet. The only person in attendance at their wedding ceremony, held in a church outside Dallas, was the officiating preacher. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. 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. 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. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. Many of these sessions tended to feature increasingly strange behavior on her part. 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. 1,529 likes. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. 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. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. 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. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Blake did learn that Lori was born somewhere in Arizona. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. 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. According to the man, whom Velling did not name, Jane Doe had more problems than he could deal with.. She also took a birth date of July 18, 1969. Hersuicide cameafter Blake had filed fordivorce and moved back in with his parents. 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. By changing her name, she created a clean identity a person with no past.. And why didn't she see any other option but to end her own life? They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. 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. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. A Net Inceptions project. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself.

Immaculate Conception Cemetery Lawrence, Ma, Wyoming Behavioral Institute: Hospital Of Horror, Articles L