The grieving husbandrecognized the box. 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. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. Among the various documents was a certificate indicating that Lori Kennedy had changed her name from Becky Sue Turner. Legal Statement. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 2021 Wondery LLC. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. 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. She also received breast implants during this time. Nothing. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. Within the next two years, she . 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. Her student loan applications listed three references, one of whom was a former classmate she had briefly dated. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. 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. "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. 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. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. [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. 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. The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. [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. The Bat Bombs of WWII: Presidentially Approved, Totally Anna Anderson: Imposter of Duchess Anastasia, End of the World Predictions that Never Happened. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010), was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. Market data provided by Factset. [1] She then traveled to Idaho, where she obtained a state ID card on June 16 using the girl's birth certificate.[2]. He found a birth certificate for one person that wasn't her. 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. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968-December 24, 2010), was an identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. A Net Inceptions project. Unfortunately, it looks like Lori took all of her secrets to the grave. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. 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. 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. Interesting history topics are just a click away. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. This was very sophisticated, Velling said. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. To her husband, she was Lori Kennedy. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. 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 . ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: 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. or redistributed. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. The only person in attendance was the preacher. [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. All rights reserved. [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. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Police also found a curious letter within the safe. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. Lori met her future husband, Blake, in 2003. His wifewas not who she claimed to be. 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. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. McLean requested the birth certificate in Bakersfield, California, Becky Sue Turner's birthplace. 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 . Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. This led investigators to believe that Ruff was older than she claimed, although the difference turned out to be less than a year. The writings on the paper found in the lock box included the scribblings "North Hollywood police," "402 months," and "Ben Perkins." 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. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. About a month afterward, the certificate was used to obtain legal identification in Idaho. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. After her death, Lori's husband found a lockbox with papers inside that shed light on his wife's past. She was much older than that, he said. Marriage is a sacred act between two people that care deeply for one another. Lori Erica Ruff, a Texan who committed suicide in 2010 and left behind a series of puzzling documents hinting that she wasnt who her family thought she was, has now been identified. 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Ruffs apparent identity theft pulled in former Social Security Administration investigator Joe Velling, who hoped that publicity from the Times piece would urge amateur sleuths to provide some leads. True Crime. A friend of the family verified that Becky Sue Turner had died in a house fire at the age of 2. 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. [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. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. 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. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. [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. You can help support the show at patreon.com/criminology, Learn more about your ad choices. 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. Dismayed by having to move and attend a new school, she told Deanne shed be leaving for good. Lori left behind two suicide notes, one of which was addressed to her husband and the other to her young daughter. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. 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. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. It did. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. They believed she fled because she did not like her mothers new husband. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. McLean also asked them not to come after her. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. Or at least they should. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. As far as the police officers could tell, Lori never traveled abroad before 1990, as there is no passport with that name. [6], On December 24, 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Four years filled with miscarriages and disappointments passed. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. Also found in the lock box was a paper with several seemingly random scribblings.[6]. 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. It was either she or his family, and he chose his family, Velling said. [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. In life, Lori hadwarnedhimto stay away from it. In 2016, she was identified as. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. She was sending unhinged, threatening emails to the Ruffs; she and her daughter were losing weight; she even possibly tried to break into the Ruffs' home. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . 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. Or, maybe she was none of them. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. When contacted, however, Perkins stated that he had never heard of Becky Sue Turner or Lori Kennedy. Find a Grave RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. Sources In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. Fitzpatrick found matching DNA records using saliva samples of Blake and Loris daughter. 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. 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. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. [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. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. Host Charlie brings in appropriate historic and cultural context to look beyond what happened and consider why it happened. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. 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. 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. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. 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.
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