Lori Ruff Identified as Kimberly McLean of PA

[nerosleuth]

I’m glad that she has been identified. I’m also glad that her daughter is not in any kind of danger and that she will know her mother’s real identity.

I will say that it was a good thing that the funeral home collected the DNA. It was her saved DNA that later made it possible for a positive identification be made thru a DNA match.

The important thing to remember is that during the time when Kimberly was BST, LEK, and LER, she never had been arrested, booked, and fingerprinted. That’s why her fingerprints never showed up in any criminal fingerprint databases.

There is one thing of interest that I want to point out. Look at Jeung in her scribbled notes. Now drop the ng and you have Jeu.

And when I googled Jeu, I found out that Jeu is a French word. Jeu means game in French. And my dictionary at home also says it means diversion.

I’m left wondering if the notes were intended to be a game or a diversion so that her real identity wouldn’t ever be found out by anyone.

 

[llywrch]

I'm hoping that when this story is picked up by the Dallas, East Texas, & Philly papers they add further details on Kimberly/LEK's early life. I am confident there is more to her story.

We might need to wait until the weekend, but I expect news stories will be written.

FWIW, a Google search led me to the latest reddit thread on the case. At least one person has commented along the lines:

Yeah I'm betting theres a lot more to the story than they are letting on. But we will probably never know

 

[HerStory]

OMG I have been away for nearly two weeks as my mother's health failed. She passed yesterday and I have been a wreck. I thought of coming here tonight for a distraction. THANK YOU!!!! Wow.

 

[Eloise]

I'm going to say this about her leaving home:
I left home at 16 myself. To everyone who knew my family, including other family members, we looked picture perfect. We were not. Thirty plus years later, I've been back to that town once, and it was for my mother's funeral. She wasn't even in the ground before I was gone again. I still talk to a couple of close family members, but most of the rest didn't want to hear what I had to say. I feel where Kimberly/Lori was coming from. Many times the little frame house with the cute shutters and picket fence is a house of horrors. I'm glad she finally found her peace.

*All statements are that of my own opinion unless otherwise specified. *

I completely empathize with this.

I hope you're doing well now. :loveyou:

 

[SavetheQueen]

I completely empathize with this.

I hope you're doing well now. :loveyou:

It's been a long 48 years. But, thank you. And you, also. ❤

*All statements are that of my own opinion unless otherwise specified. *

 

[LadyL]

what the what the? I was just reading her threads a couple of days ago ... so unexpected!

 

[SavetheQueen]

OMG I have been away for nearly two weeks as my mother's health failed. She passed yesterday and I have been a wreck. I thought of coming here tonight for a distraction. THANK YOU!!!! Wow.

Our condolences, Hun.

*All statements are that of my own opinion unless otherwise specified. *

 

[Beezneez]

Just getting home from work & am blown away! I am so relieved to know the identity & have some backstory, but like many have already voiced I have my own thoughts on what would make a young woman burn bridges with her mother, sister and entire life. I hope she finally has peace. I am glad to hear that her mother was able to get some closure as well, and the potential for extended family for Lori/Kimberley's child is promising.
I hope the Ruff family is dogged about getting to know all of them in a close, supervised environment before that child spends any real time with them.
Finally, I am thinking about all the potential missing young women who caught our eye because of Lori. The Cynthia Perry's of the world- who are still missing without anyone seeming to look. Since we all have some free investigative time on our hands, let's see what else we can turn up!

 

[BigCityAccountant]

OMG I have been away for nearly two weeks as my mother's health failed. She passed yesterday and I have been a wreck. I thought of coming here tonight for a distraction. THANK YOU!!!! Wow.

Oh My Gosh HerStory~~~so sorry to hear. My prayers to you and your family during this trying time. God Bless. :rose::rose:

 

[KLCD620]

Wow, I thought she's out smart everyone long before advance technology exists and never get identified. But it was genealogy expert and DNA solved this mystery woman. I'm glad it's closure for the Ruff, Cassidy, McLean families and Kimberly's only child that deserved to know her name. It's sad to find out that Kim did it in extremely ways due to unhappy with her stepdad, new life, start over in new school, house rules and so forth. I'm stepfather myself and have stepdaughter that wanted no part of me. I worried that she might be estranged from me in the future if her bio family sides are gone before me.

 

[ilovepierre]

Wow!
I never thought this case was going to be resolved.
We finally have a name! Amazing!
Now...what happened in those two years before she became BST?
And also...that note page still holds some answers, I think.

 

[T4Tide]

I'm finding a link that appears it might be a relative of her mother (age 78) with the maiden name of Kennedy. Lived in PA and then moved to NC. Anyone else find this connection? If she chose the name Kennedy, I wonder if this connection was significant to her?

ETA: I don't want to include any more info to protect the privacy of the innocently related.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[Roselvr]

The Seattle Times in 2013 published a real-life mystery story about Lori Ruff, who died in 2010, leaving a husband and child in Texas. Years earlier, she had stolen another person’s identity. Who was she really? Finally, we have an answer.

By Maureen O'Hagan
Originally published September 21, 2016 at 12:30 pm Updated September 21, 2016 at 5:37 pm

Special to The Seattle TimesIn opposite corners of the country, two families were on flip sides of the same tragic mystery. One, in Texas, had lost a wife to suicide in 2010, then learned that she was not who she claimed. So who was she? All their digging turned up nothing.

The other, in Pennsylvania, had lost a family member, too, back in 1986. The young woman had fled abruptly, leaving no clue. Where was she? They spent 30 years hoping she was alive and safe.

Earlier this year, a former Social Security Administration (SSA) investigator, Joe Velling, became convinced the dead woman, known as Lori Ruff, and the Pennsylvania woman were one and the same.

cont. at the link

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...rplexing-mystery-of-identity-thief-lori-ruff/

That's. On cell se subscRibing

 

[ArtsyOwl]

OMG I have been away for nearly two weeks as my mother's health failed. She passed yesterday and I have been a wreck. I thought of coming here tonight for a distraction. THANK YOU!!!! Wow.

I am so sorry for your loss. My sincere condolences x

 

[ArtsyOwl]

I know I have said this elsewhere but I may as well repeat myself lol!!! :blushing:

I am again delighted that Lori has been finally id-ed as Kimberly, especially for her daughter.
At the same time, it is pretty sad because she was totally alone for all of those years without any support from her immediate family nor her in laws.

I am now wondering whether this sort of thing happens more often than we realise, and that a lot of those that are missing and are presumed dead by LE, are actually
living under a fake ID.

 

[cvaldez1975]

My God this poor woman. His really explains why she became unhinged as her marriage failed. Her parents divorce was a deep hurt.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I'm sorry

That is another scenario, if I'm right in what you're insinuating.

I'm going to say this about her leaving home:
I left home at 16 myself. To everyone who knew my family, including other family members, we looked picture perfect. We were not. Thirty plus years later, I've been back to that town once, and it was for my mother's funeral. She wasn't even in the ground before I was gone again. I still talk to a couple of close family members, but most of the rest didn't want to hear what I had to say. I feel where Kimberly/Lori was coming from. Many times the little frame house with the cute shutters and picket fence is a house of horrors. I'm glad she finally found her peace.

*All statements are that of my own opinion unless otherwise specified. *

 

[iteach3rdgrade]

Amazing! I've only been reading since summer and this story intrigued me. I hope one day we may know more about the notes.

Time to find another mystery to follow.

 

[grayley]

After this case, I am holding onto Occam's razor like grim death.

 

[ArtsyOwl]

Same here!