Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. Lori Erica Ruff Suicide Is 3 Years Later Still A Mystery In Texas Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? McLean also asked them not to come after her. Pic credit: Family pic. And she was aggressive about it, Velling said. 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. [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. Watch 48 Hours Saturday 10/9c on CBS and Paramount+ and hear all new episodes every Sunday. [6] The Ruffs opened and read the letter, but it contained only "ramblings from a clearly disturbed person" and no details about Lori's past. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. They looked for signs of gambling addiction and sex trafficking. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. Interesting history topics are just a click away. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. Lori Erica Ruff was a secretive person. Was she Lori Erica Ruff? Lori Ruffs handwritten notes. [1] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in-vitro fertilization in 2008. She then moved to Idaho and procured a drivers license using the deceased girls birth certificate. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The request was made in Bakersfield, California. 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. Blake and Lori married in 2004the only witness to their marriage was the priest. Lori's behavior caused immense tensions between Lori and the Ruffs, even keeping the new grandparents from visiting their granddaughter. Within a few months of Blake moving out, Lori had completely deteriorated. All rights reserved. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. The family members identified the picture of the mystery woman as Kimberly Mclean. Although Blakes family was suspicious of Lori from the beginning, Blake himself was very much in love. [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. In the days following her death, he began the grim task of sorting . 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. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. 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. Buried deep in the back of Lori's closet, Blake pulled out a sealed lockbox. It was in 2010 when events finally took their toll on her. Lori and Blake tried to have a child almost immediately after they were married, but found themselves experiencing fertility issues. Knowing the identity of the third cousin led her to Ruff's identity. 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. (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 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Days later, she applied for and received a Social Security number a move that effectively erased her past. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. By the time Blake Ruff's wife died, he realized he didn't know her at all. 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 Ruff Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. The other was for Blake. Lori Erica Ruff (2021 Podcast Episode) Plot Showing all 0 items Jump to: Summaries It looks like we don't have any Plot Summaries for this title yet. Blake had enough with her inability to get along with his family. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. 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. 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. [1] Despite the questions Blake's family had about Lori, the couple married in January 2004. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. ", "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. [7] She then traveled to Idaho, where she used the document to obtain a state ID card on June 16.[8]. A neighbor recalled that she and her daughter appeared to be very thin and that Lori would often ramble incoherently about her problems. It took hard work on the part of investigators and some unique forensic genealogy for the truth to come out. Lori Erica Ruff Criminology podcast Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. [9][6], After Lori's funeral, some of the Ruffs drove to Leonard to see if they could find out more about her in her house. Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. She became distressed due to her parents divorce. Becky was born in one state and died in another, making it much less likely that a fraudulent use of her identity would be noticed. Velling traveled to the city and approached a member of the Cassidy family, who saw Loris drivers license photo. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. It did. Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. 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. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. For several years, nobody suspected anything. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. 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. Erica Kelley is a native Tennessean exploring historical and contemporary true crime in the South. This has led investigators to believe that Ruff was much older than she claimed to be. 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 response? As far as the authorities were concerned, once Blake called them in, she was an identity thief now given the name "Jane Doe.". Authorities believe she initially traveled to the home with the intent of harming the family.[6]. 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. 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. Lori Erica Ruff and Her Various Identities - Historic Mysteries Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was Many of these sessions tended to feature increasingly strange behavior on her part. Con Erica Peeples, Tiffany Black, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chris Sakyi. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. By the time she married Jon Blakely Blake Ruff, of Longview, Texas, in January 2004, her phony identification was as solid as her real past was distant. Yes! It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. They then discovered the lock box in a closet, pried it open with a screwdriver, and discovered the documentation of Ruff's past. It's clear that even at this time, Lori knew what she was doingBecky had been born in one state and died in another, making it far less likely that the fraudulent use of her identity would be discovered. Whilethe file on Lori Erica Ruff may be closed, her bizarre case continues to fascinate, and will forever raise thechillingquestion: Just how well do you know those closest to you? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. A Net Inceptions project. Want more real-life mysteries? Synopsis Numerous theories regarding her identity can be found on various internet websites. El Caso de Lori Erica Ruff -Documental Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HypnosMorfeoPaginaoficial/?fref=ts Sigueme en Twitter: https://twitter.com/hypnosmo. The house belonged . [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. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. 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. Sometime later, Blake's father left the house to pick up the paper. But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. 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. Others, including a private detective, tasked with finding out more about her, consider that an incident in her past concerned her sufficiently to create an entirely new identity.
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