TX - 'Lori Ruff', Longview, WhtFem UP9863, *General Discussion and Theories* #1

[Magnum P.E.]

Its funny you should mention that FLEK maybe have come from another country - her face sure looks familiar from the l mid to late 1980s early 1990s I have wondered if she was connected to a Polytech or university in the lower north island in New Zealand? I want to say nursing student but that is just a guess and I doubt that we could get hold of class lists of nursing students for those students. By the way shadowdancer I think you should migrate to New Zealand lol.

Was there something like a yearbook? This might be available in a library in the area, could be available on interlibrary loan.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I think its very possible that FLEK wasn't American. I am from the UK and I am considering emigrating. I am thinking New Zealand or Canada. Australia is too hot and I was told not to bother with the USA as it is more difficult to get permanent residence and/or citizenship.

It got me thinking about FLEK. After all, somebody wanting to avoid deportation in their future life, just needs to do what FLEK did, and then hello you magically become an American citizen.

In wondering why FLEK went to the lengths she did, I thought about that possibility also. It would certainly fit the known facts. And the pending divorce would have opened up a large can of worms.Since no discernible accent was reported, she must have lived in the US/ Canada for a long time, if not her whole life.

If you are looking for places to live, check out Tobermory, Ontario if you like picturesque small towns.

 

[kdgdid]

Thanks KDGDID. I didn't really want to delve into a discussion about Native/Metis/Aboriginal.
Missing Aboriginal women is a complex topic and not one I want to get into.My main point is that FLEK was never listed as being Aboriginal or having brown eyes. So in this context, complexion, hair, eye colour, height, etc. are important.

This is a fascinating case. She just appeared one day out of no where and does seem seem to have left any foot prints from where she came from.

 

[MLO]

I can't speak to whether the attack on Broome is as well know by Australians, but it is not as well know as another Japanese air raid on Australia. The Bombing of Darwin occurred on Feb 19, 1942. It is often described as the "Australian Pearl Harbor"

Not only was the Darwin Attack probably more well known (it resulted in 235 deaths as opposed to 88 for Broome) but it occurred just 1 month earlier. FLEK could have easily chosen this date as her father's DOB as it still fits nicely into her timeline.

I'm still catching up, but I'd have to say no, it's not as well known. To be honest, I had no idea. I did all of my schooling in Western Australia and did history all through high school but had never heard about it. I read a lot of war history books but still hadn't come across that information!

The bombing of Darwin is more well known but I only vaguely remember hearing about it before I moved here.

I'm in my early 30's and most of our history was based around Australian settlement and both world wars but more from a UK and US perspective. Maybe it was mentioned, but I don't remember and I've never heard anyone speak of it or mention on TV etc. FLEK is older than I am so it may have been covered more back then.

 

[MLO]

I think its very possible that FLEK wasn't American. I am from the UK and I am considering emigrating. I am thinking New Zealand or Canada. Australia is too hot and I was told not to bother with the USA as it is more difficult to get permanent residence and/or citizenship.

It got me thinking about FLEK. After all, somebody wanting to avoid deportation in their future life, just needs to do what FLEK did, and then hello you magically become an American citizen.

New Zealand has earth quakes. Too scary for me. If you moved to Australia, at least you'd feel right at home here! Almost everyone I know here is from the UK.

The no accent thing I've always found strange, but it is possible she is like me and picks up the accent of whoever she is talking to. When my husbands spends long periods at home I sound like the Queen. When he goes away and we live near family I sound like I'm from East Enders. When he's away and we've in a different state I become an Aussie again. My Kiwi GP thought I was a Kiwi for years, so did my South African GP.

My MIL always thought it was strange that I didn't sound like an Aussie but I pick up hers when I'm with her so to her I have no accent.

 

[Havok]

I'm still catching up, but I'd have to say no, it's not as well known. To be honest, I had no idea. I did all of my schooling in Western Australia and did history all through high school but had never heard about it. I read a lot of war history books but still hadn't come across that information!

The bombing of Darwin is more well known but I only vaguely remember hearing about it before I moved here.

I'm in my early 30's and most of our history was based around Australian settlement and both world wars but more from a UK and US perspective. Maybe it was mentioned, but I don't remember and I've never heard anyone speak of it or mention on TV etc. FLEK is older than I am so it may have been covered more back then.

Thanks for the insight MLO. Not sure if it means anything, but in reading about the attack on Broome, many of the casualties were Dutch civilians who were trapped on ships in the harbor at the time. Maybe she has some Dutch in her background and that's why she chose that over Darwin.

I go back and forth on whether I think FLEK was from another country. I had the same thought about the accent you mentioned in your later post. Actually, it's not so much the accent, but the colloquial things she would have picked up. Those are harder to repress in everyday conversation.

Part of me thinks she picked these days because she came from some type of military family. My Great Uncle was in WW2 and he called all Japanese people sneaky and hated them until the day he died. I never understood that type of blind racism, but I think it was common back then. I mean the government put Japanese-Americans into internment camps, so this type of thinking was clearly widespread.

It's pure speculation, but my theory is that someone in FLEK's family was greatly affected by WW2. Maybe a grandparent was lost at a young age and that affected FLEK's parent(s). She was raised with that bitterness. When it came time to make up BST parent's birthdays, she couldn't use her own parents real birthdays, so she picked days she'd be able to remember that still allowed her to keep some type of link to her past.

 

[Redwood146]

Was there something like a yearbook? This might be available in a library in the area, could be available on interlibrary loan.

.

Nope yearbooks are not regularly done at this level of study. High school yes they are. New Zealand's privacy laws are quite different to the USA laws. I could not just turn up to the local high schools and ask for the yearbooks from 1985-1990. It is a pity I do not know any local journalists who would interested in running a piece in the local newspaper.

 

[Redwood146]

New Zealand has earth quakes. Too scary for me. If you moved to Australia, at least you'd feel right at home here! Almost everyone I know here is from the UK.

The no accent thing I've always found strange, but it is possible she is like me and picks up the accent of whoever she is talking to. When my husbands spends long periods at home I sound like the Queen. When he goes away and we live near family I sound like I'm from East Enders. When he's away and we've in a different state I become an Aussie again. My Kiwi GP thought I was a Kiwi for years, so did my South African GP.

My MIL always thought it was strange that I didn't sound like an Aussie but I pick up hers when I'm with her so to her I have no accent.

off topic: but in Australia there are snakes and creepy crawlies (that bite) often in your back garden!! You would feel really at home in New Zealand

 

[Magnum P.E.]

.

Nope yearbooks are not regularly done at this level of study. High school yes they are. New Zealand's privacy laws are quite different to the USA laws. I could not just turn up to the local high schools and ask for the yearbooks from 1985-1990. It is a pity I do not know any local journalists who would interested in running a piece in the local newspaper.

Too bad about the lack of yearbooks.
You could send a short letter summarizing the case to a reporter, and also say that some believe she might be from NZ. If it grabs the interest of the editor, they might run the story. They are always looking for a good story, and that we certainly have here.
The earliest pic of FLEK might stir some memories.

 

[Redwood146]

Too bad about the lack of yearbooks.
You could send a short letter summarizing the case to a reporter, and also say that some believe she might be from NZ. If it grabs the interest of the editor, they might run the story. They are always looking for a good story, and that we certainly have here.
The earliest pic of FLEK might stir some memories.

I have had a thought, I believe the current editor would probably be far more interested in running the story if a email arrived from a overseas email address with a summary of the case. I think that would give the story some more interest and more likely to get published and more importantly other papers may pick up the story. I am happy to supply privately the email address of the local paper.

 

[HerStory]

Well folks....I am 'out' on this case now and will just wait and see like the rest of the world to find out who this mystery woman is. I, along with countless others, have dedicated countless hours to helping solve who she is...without any sort of feedback from those who made a plea for the public's assistance.

Take care everyone!

 

[Linda9681]

HerSTory I understand. I myself emailed Velling twice and he never bothered to respond. Annoying.

 

[Froglady]

Well folks....I am 'out' on this case now and will just wait and see like the rest of the world to find out who this mystery woman is. I, along with countless others, have dedicated countless hours to helping solve who she is...without any sort of feedback from those who made a plea for the public's assistance.

Take care everyone!

I still have times where I do hours of online checking. Can't believe it still a hasn't been figured out yet.

 

[Froglady]

I'm from australia and I'm pretty sure the story was aired here when it was a hot topic. She has a face that seems like you know her. I don't think she is from here though. JMO. I've still had a good look at the missing persons here and forums. Found nothing .. :/

 

[marse]

A picture of Becky Sue Turner's father. Anyone else see some similarities??....

 

[shadowdancer]

This probably sounds insane, hell it probably IS insane, but is it possible that she really was Becky Sue Turner? I know, it doesn't seem possible, but that resemblance is crazy!!

 

[Sherwood Park]

Over the past several months there have been a lot of people who think FLEK resembles so-and-so.
I'm thinking that this is because, as someone above has stated, she has a familiar looking face. She looks like a lot of people and has very common features (except her height and the size of her hands which has already been talked about at length).

I even saw this obituary picture http://www.horsleyfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1415084&fh_id=11837

and well, it looks like FLEK, but I know it isn't her because this lady is has departed. My point is that a lot of people look like FLEK and we can't really rely on "looks".

I'm sad that the Ruff family wasn't more active in joining WS in FLEK's identity search. There are people on here with some excellent abilities to connect dots and find information. I can't blame them, I'm sure the identity issue has been heartbreaking and frustrating for them.

In the Fall 2013 I gave up the idea that she would be identified anytime soon. I think it's still possible for her to be identified, but only with serious and active searching that never ceases, even if it takes 25 years and most importantly the Ruff family cooperation in providing more helpful details to searchers.

I wish their family all the best and I pray that the identity of FLEK will be discovered and that a sense of peace will cover the Ruff family.

 

[marse]

This probably sounds insane, hell it probably IS insane, but is it possible that she really was Becky Sue Turner? I know, it doesn't seem possible, but that resemblance is crazy!!

I don't think it's insane to consider in light of the resemblance.

The part that intrigues me is how uncommon her behaviour appears to be, assuming the identity of a deceased child. I don't want to delve too deep into the psychological differences between man and woman but this sort of use of another, particularly a child, is not something a woman would do with ease; unless some sort of connection already existed.

It might be important to note, three children died in that Fife, Washington fire. Four children were in the house.

.

 

[SideKick]

A picture of Becky Sue Turner's father. Anyone else see some similarities??....

Well well ... I do see it.
Tho, what would the real BSue want to hide? A fake death by whom?
Makes my head swirl, but his nostrils and her nostrils are close.... As is the entire area from the top lip up to the nose.
To compare with other family members would be great, but I think that is against TOS rules.
That would have to be confirmed....
BS's sister is on FB.... Don't post here but a sneek peek for comparison would help.

 

[Equinista]

I hope that one day when her daughter grows up that she wants to solve the mystery of who her mother was...I know if I were her I don't think I could stop/live my life til I solved the mystery.