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Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. She was above average height at 5feet 10inches (1.78m) tall, and weighed 160 pounds (73kg). When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." All rights reserved. [1] After two years, Fitzpatrick finally identified Ruff when she discovered a third cousin match who was related to the Cassidys. There were two other pieces of paper. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff, was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. Find a Grave Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. Lori refused to allow anyone else to babysit her child. Photo Credit: Alchetron. Ruff described her as being incredibly secretive, particularly regarding her past. Yes! [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. She received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. 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. Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. "Criminology" Lori Erica Ruff (Podcast Episode 2021) - IMDb Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. 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. 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. But it wasn't until Lori ended her life on Christmas Eve that the Ruffs would get answers. [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]. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. 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. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Investigation Discovery's ' Where Murder Lies: The Girl in the Lockbox' chronicles the story behind Lori Ruff's past. 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. Although questions about the case remain, Lori Ruff's name has now been removed from the federal government's database for missing and unidentified persons. [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. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. In the days following her death, hebegan the grim task of sortingthrough his wifespossessions. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. 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. Or, maybe she was none of them. Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. Then, in September 2016, the case of Lori Erica Ruff was finally solved: her real name wasKimberly McLean. 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. 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. Related: The Strange Case of the Isdal Woman. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. And she may have even attempted to break into the family's home, according to the Seattle Times. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. There was a successful application for a new social security number. When Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff took her own life on Christmas Eve, 2010 in Longview, Texas, she took with her all of the secrets of her true identity. Lori Erica Ruff: The Perplexing Mystery of the Woman - The Lineup It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. After four years of attempts, miscarriages, and disappointments, the couple had a daughter. The two moved to Leonard, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas and roughly 125 miles from Ruffs parents in Longview. For several years, nobody suspected anything. 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. A Net Inceptions project. Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. The other had dates and the letters D and M on it. Market data provided by Factset. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Her father-in-law discovered her body inside Blakes car. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In 2010, he moved back in with his parents and filed for divorce. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Such things have happened in other cases, and are often traumatic events. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. They then discovered the lockbox in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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 also began sending harassing emails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody exchange, and stole a set of house keys from them. She didnt even allow the publication of the announcement of their nuptials in the local newspaper either. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. 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. 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. "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. 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 harassment was so severe that the Ruffs filed a cease and desist order just before Lori's death. A week later, she obtained a Social Security number, removing traces of her true identity. Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. Lori Erica Ruff Kept Her Past Locked Up in a Secret Safe Blake Ruff thought he had found someone special. [1] He flew to Pennsylvania to meet the potential family. One of television's most popular true-crime series adapted for your ears. Where is Lori Ruff's Daughter Now? - The Cinemaholic Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. [3], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Within the next two years, she . It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. Investigators wondered if she had been a KGB agent, or if she had been in the military and gone AWOL. 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. After they married, Lori and Blake moved across the state from his parents, and they tried to have a child almost immediately. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. Lori Erica Ruff Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org [2] The writings on the paper found in the lockbox included the scribblings "North Hollywood police", "402 months", and "Ben Perkins", who turned out to be an attorney. 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. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. or redistributed. In a matter of months, Lori completely deteriorated. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. She parked her car, left it running, and shot herself. But this could have simply been a number picked for convenience purposes only. Blake Ruff married the woman he had known asLori in2004. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Crimelines walks you through true crime events, pairing captivating tales with clear storytelling. There was a birth and death certificate in the box. After marrying, the couple moved away from the senior Ruffs, who lived in eastern Texas, settling in Leonard, Texas, in the southwestern region. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas 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. She refused to let other people hold the child and was overly protective, even for a first-time mother. After earning a GED and a college degree, she married into a wealthy East Texas family and gave birth to a daughter. Other commentators noted that Ruff briefly attended UT Arlington and may have become familiar with the film prior to changing her identity. 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 had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson guide you through the most interesting true crime stories. 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. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. She was never too keen to go into further detail. When problems became too difficult for him to continue, Blake finally accepted that their marriage wasnt working and subsequently moved out of the home they shared.