I feel for LEK, but I think it's important to note that she is not a "hero" per se. She fabricated and stole identities and lied completely to her husband. He never knew her real name. It is an acutely selfish way to live your life--regardless of what her circumstances were before the ID change.
I've been thinking about this all night. It's a gem of truth to hold on to! FLEK committed a crime, regardless of her motives for doing so. The ends do not justify the means, especially for a seemingly religious person. And this is certainly no way to build a marriage!
There's been some speculation about her mental health, whether she had a problem before her name change or not,or even if a mental health problem may have led to the name change. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the majority of her problems cropped up after the name change.
She seems to have done everything by the book. She changed her handwriting. She probably changed her favorite hobbies, foods, etc. as well. Living alone and denying your basic self on a daily basis, all the while not having any meaningful friendships or relationships must have taken their toll. There's a reason most criminals on the run eventually turn themselves in. I'm amazed she made it as long as she did. (22 years, at least!) From that standpoint alone, it's no wonder she shot herself. (My wife has also speculated that she may have committed suicide in such a dramatic was to overcompensate for faking her own death earlier in life.)
If she was indeed a serious Christian, she would have eventually run across the idea that, had she committed a serious crime, that she should turn herself in and throw herself on the mercy of the court. Most clergy, had she confided in them, would not have pressured her to do so, but would have at the least encouraged her to prayerfully consider it. This makes me wonder if she buried her old self so deep that it was bound to cause trouble in the end. Confession truly is good for the soul.
I can't help but wonder what her life would have looked like had she come clean. Where would she be today if she found a man/family she could confide in. Who knows? If that family were the Ruff's, they might have even taken up her cause with zeal!
It has been said that all neurosis is really an attempt to evade legitimate suffering. FLEK's life may easily prove the point.
At any rate, the more I roll all this over, the ST article, the evidence presented, countless posts on the internet; the more skeptical I become that any of the evidence is helpful in determining FLEK's true identity. I think it's going to come down to someone recognizing her. Hopefully that will bring some closure to all parties involved.
