TX - 'Lori Ruff', Longview, WhtFem UP9863, *General Discussion and Theories* #3

[HerStory]

Lmao you guys. Maybe.
He just came home for lunch.

 

[HerStory]

Do you REALLY want to know?

They are things from his deceased father. <3 But an interesting snapshot in time, nonetheless.

1) an old excercise scribbler from the 2nd grade (1940s?) with lots of songs handwritten in French.
2) a hardcover book in French.
3) a small pocket notebook, full of love song clippings in ENGLISH! Some are even handwritten. How romantic is that??? <3
4) and!!!!!! to be continued

 

[HerStory]

How ironic is this part?
My partner's dad travelled EXTENSIVELY in the 50s and 60s, and this is what was in the lockbox. Remind you of anything???

 

[sloane7777]

wow, Ok seriously , sit me in a room with a lockbox and see how quickly I have that thing open 15 mos ......I would be bat S%# crazy by now

 

[Owutatangledweb]

My only smiles today. Thank you!

:loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::loveyou::

BTW, NOBODY but NOBODY gets into MY lockbox.

 

[Laughing]

bat S%# crazy

Sloane, dear, the technical term is "guano-psychotic."


and, yeah, step AWAY from the lockbox!

:seeya:

 

[sloane7777]

Sloane, dear, the technical term is "guano-psychotic."


and, yeah, step AWAY from the lockbox!

:seeya:

BAHAHAHAHA you are so right !!!!!!! I would lose it ....good lord I'm so glad she opened that
box , I was shaking like a Chihuahua!!!!!!:happydance:

 

[LaLaw2000]

A couple of weeks ago I messaged the Unsolved Mysteries facebook page requesting they cover this case. They just wrote me back and told me they are not producing any shows right now but they are interested in featuring her case on their official website. I know it’s not the national TV coverage we have been hoping for but it is a start!

I believe the Ruff's would put the brakes on that, IMO. The show would have to make references to the family and I just don't think they would agree. It has been my opinion for a while now that the family knows who she is and is absolutely not going to discuss it with anyone. Not even SS! No way do I believe the family would just drop wanting to know who FLEK was but feels it would bring unwanted attention to them if disclosed.

MOO

 

[Weyden]

I'm sure you're right, LaLaw. It seems pretty certain to me that the family knows her identity now. I suppose they don't owe anyone answers but for those who follow the situation so closely and have really developed soft spot for this troubled woman, it's a frustrating but understandable reality that they may never choose to confirm who she was.

 

[Chuz Life]

I believe the Ruff's would put the brakes on that, IMO. The show would have to make references to the family and I just don't think they would agree. It has been my opinion for a while now that the family knows who she is and is absolutely not going to discuss it with anyone. Not even SS! No way do I believe the family would just drop wanting to know who FLEK was but feels it would bring unwanted attention to them if disclosed.

MOO

I'm sure you're right, LaLaw. It seems pretty certain to me that the family knows her identity now. I suppose they don't owe anyone answers but for those who follow the situation so closely and have really developed soft spot for this troubled woman, it's a frustrating but understandable reality that they may never choose to confirm who she was.

If the family knows, then the government knows too, and we should be able to get answers via the "freedom of information act."

 

[llywrch]

I believe the Ruff's would put the brakes on that, IMO. The show would have to make references to the family and I just don't think they would agree. It has been my opinion for a while now that the family knows who she is and is absolutely not going to discuss it with anyone. Not even SS! No way do I believe the family would just drop wanting to know who FLEK was but feels it would bring unwanted attention to them if disclosed.

MOO

It may be that the family is interested in knowing what LEK's real/birth name was, but not badly enough to want the attention.

Consider the latest, most likely theories. She may be a refugee from a cult, such as one of the polygamous LDS fringe groups. Or she may be the run-away daughter of a failed stockbroker. Or a woman with mental issues who came from an otherwise unremarkable background. There's really nothing in any of those theories that suggest there is a problem lurking out there that might endanger them, & the truth about her might just be worse than not knowing. She arrived in Dallas in the summer of 1988, lived her life there for over a decade with varying degrees of success, then married Blake. That might be all they are willing to make an effort to know about her.

While LEK's daughter will likely be curious about who her mother really was, the rest of the family has likely accepted that she was a person with no past. Having re-read & pondered their account of LEK, it's clear they have formulated their own image of who she was. And remember, her last acts were not exactly endearing.

At this point, the only reason anyone wants to know the facts her pre-1988 life is because of the intrigue of the mystery, that we can't believe someone could so effectively erase all connections to her past. And at this point, although LEK has been dead not more than 5 years, the evidence may be too sparse & stale to ever solve her mystery.

 

[Beezneez]

If the family knows, then the government knows too, and we should be able to get answers via the "freedom of information act."

I don't neccisarily think the government would know. Members of the family, particularly Blake, are easy to find on social media. If someone contacted them directly they may not be inclined to share this information. Especially if he turned out to be a victim running away from trouble. If I were the mother in law I would put the wellbeing of my granddaughter ahead of any obligation to share useless information. Lori is dead, she cannot be prosecuted & it's clear that the Ruffs have moved on.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

If the family knows, then the government knows too, and we should be able to get answers via the "freedom of information act."

It is possible that the family knows but the government does not. Presuming that a donor egg was not used, FLEK's mitochondrial DNA exists in her daughter. Relatives could easily be found using familial DNA. Tests are available from a number of companies.

 

[PickAName]

Hello WebSleuths. I am a first time poster but have lurked here on and off for probably two years. Like all of you, this case has me so intrigued. First, let me say that I did read spring/summer1988&#8217;s posts on a previous thread. I am inclined to give him/her the benefit of the doubt and believe what he/she wrote. At least with a grain of salt.

But I've been thinking about this case and would like to throw something out there. Please know that these are all my own opinions and I could be way off base here.

I have not seen a MP photo of anyone that I think resembles or could be LEK. I don&#8217;t think she was ever reported as being missing. I think she did all this on her own or with the help of one other person she trusted who is probably not around anymore. I think she was pretty smart. Albeit with mental issues that surfaced at some point.

So here goes, I was going over the pictured evidence and I got this idea when I saw the letter of recommendation from Thailand. What if LEK was a military brat? (I&#8217;m thinking the Air Force specifically due to her certificate for the powered parachute flight.) If this has been brought up before and dismissed, I&#8217;m sorry to bring it up again. But please humor me. My husband had an uncle that was a lifelong Marine. He had a wife and 2 kids. He was pretty high up there in the ranks but I know he was a tough personality who joined the military at a very young age (he lied about his age). He was pretty stubborn and headstrong. He was stationed all over the world. Thailand was one of the places. Anyhow, his 2 kids had it good and bad. Constantly picking up and going, never really having a place to call home and making and breaking friendships. They don&#8217;t have any close friends to this day (they are now in their 50&#8217;s). They got used to their dad leaving for an assignment and would have no idea when he&#8217;d return or where he was when he got back. He was ordered not to tell his family. I read a Wikipedia entry on military brats and perhaps it could explain some of LEK&#8217;s personality. One thing I noted was they hated to be asked where they were from. Most felt the appropriate answer was &#8220;nowhere and everywhere.&#8221; This reminded me of LEK's reaction to the Ruff family inquiries.

If we believe s/s1988&#8217;s account, LEK claimed to be from northern California. There are military bases there (air force). In fact, there are air force bases pretty close to most of the areas she&#8217;s associated with. These would include Tacoma, WA (where BST died), Boise, ID (her first ID card), Boulder City, NV (po box), even Scottsdale, AZ where her obit said she was from. Heck, there&#8217;s even bases in the UK and Germany where her passport application indicated she was travelling to.

Could this exposure to travel be the reason she liked Cuban food and tea parties? Was she comfortable traveling the western US because she was just used to that way of life? Was her dad an over-disciplinarian (at least in the eyes of a teenager) and she resented him for it? Did her mom and dad get divorced and mom was in TX like s/s1998 indicated and LEK knew her mom&#8217;s health was failing and didn&#8217;t care to have anything to do with her father? Did her father re-marry and start having a new family? Did the extensive military travel cause her to not even know if she had relatives? I&#8217;ve got millions of questions, lol.

Is that why she decided to just get a new identity and start life fresh? No sordid past, no criminal history. She looked so happy in her Idaho ID. Kind of like starting fresh. Only she probably didn&#8217;t realize all that would be required to fake a past. Maybe she didn&#8217;t realize some people would ask. I&#8217;m sure it took more work than she realized and just concentrated on moving ahead. Getting a GED, when she probably already had a HS diploma, and then getting her college degree. All this of course, after she got BST&#8217;s birth certificate, changing her name and getting a SSN.

Blake was no doubt the perfect guy for her. Didn&#8217;t ask a lot of questions and was probably also introverted (like s/s1988 indicated of LEK) and, well, just "different." I guess she didn&#8217;t count on the rest of his family being nosy bodies (at least I&#8217;m sure that&#8217;s how she thought of them). I don&#8217;t know why she married him knowing what they were like, but if she did not have much of a family example to go by maybe she thought she could take him away from them. Plus, it seemed like she really wanted a baby. Add IVF treatments into the picture and perhaps that brought about post partum depression. Just add that to her other issues, both physical and mental. Maybe that led to her breakdown.

Anyhow, thank you if you&#8217;ve read this far! I know, I&#8217;ve got so many other thoughts on LEK but I&#8217;d be writing a book, lol. Please let me know what you think about this idea.

 

[Linda9681]

I also agree with some connection to military. This was one of my very first theories....


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[llywrch]

I was going over the pictured evidence and I got this idea when I saw the letter of recommendation from Thailand. What if LEK was a military brat? (I’m thinking the Air Force specifically due to her certificate for the powered parachute flight.) If this has been brought up before and dismissed, I’m sorry to bring it up again. But please humor me. My husband had an uncle that was a lifelong Marine. He had a wife and 2 kids. He was pretty high up there in the ranks but I know he was a tough personality who joined the military at a very young age (he lied about his age). He was pretty stubborn and headstrong. He was stationed all over the world. Thailand was one of the places. Anyhow, his 2 kids had it good and bad. Constantly picking up and going, never really having a place to call home and making and breaking friendships. They don’t have any close friends to this day (they are now in their 50’s). They got used to their dad leaving for an assignment and would have no idea when he’d return or where he was when he got back. He was ordered not to tell his family. I read a Wikipedia entry on military brats and perhaps it could explain some of LEK’s personality. One thing I noted was they hated to be asked where they were from. Most felt the appropriate answer was “nowhere and everywhere.” This reminded me of LEK's reaction to the Ruff family inquiries.

If we believe s/s1988’s account, LEK claimed to be from northern California. There are military bases there (air force). In fact, there are air force bases pretty close to most of the areas she’s associated with. These would include Tacoma, WA (where BST died), Boise, ID (her first ID card), Boulder City, NV (po box), even Scottsdale, AZ where her obit said she was from. Heck, there’s even bases in the UK and Germany where her passport application indicated she was travelling to.

Could this exposure to travel be the reason she liked Cuban food and tea parties? Was she comfortable traveling the western US because she was just used to that way of life? Was her dad an over-disciplinarian (at least in the eyes of a teenager) and she resented him for it? Did her mom and dad get divorced and mom was in TX like s/s1998 indicated and LEK knew her mom’s health was failing and didn’t care to have anything to do with her father? Did her father re-marry and start having a new family? Did the extensive military travel cause her to not even know if she had relatives? I’ve got millions of questions, lol.

I can't remember having seen this suggested anywhere, so if anything you've come up with a new idea. Which is harder than it appears at this stage. Well done!

BTW, the base up near Tacoma is called "Fort Lewis". And an idle teenager might spend her spare time off-base exploring the area, & discover Becky Sue Turner's grave...

Plusses for your theory is her neutral accent, her detachment from other people, & a possible explanation for her lack of a past. One possible negative is that as a military dependent I'd expect her existence should be on file somewhere. Joe Velling of the SSA ran her prints & photos thru every database he could & failed to find her that way. (Or maybe minors weren't fingerprinted in the 1970s & 80s.) Anyone know the answer to that?

If we could get some fresh information about her personality -- better from her earlier years, but anything new would help -- it could confirm this theory. Or lead us to new ones.

 

[Linda9681]

I presented this as a theory I think last year around this time? There is an AFB there in WA also( McCord). Now they do finger print children of military members for their ID cards, but not sure how long rhymes have done that. I was Air Force and that is why I connected that, but nobody ran with it so I dropped it.


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[PickAName]

Ilywrch, I've been so intrigued about this case ever since I read about it in 2013. I saw it in the Seattle Times article online. It really was the Thailand letter of recommendation that made me think military brat. She or a parent could have gotten some letterhead from the hotel if they stayed there as a guest and it was just saved as a memory. I've done that with hotel letterhead. I used to do work in a printing office back in the late 80's and I know cut and paste could be used to doctor the letterhead, get rid of phone, fax or telex (!! I'm really dating myself with the telex there!).

Then I thought of my husbands uncle and his kids. The constant travel, moving around like it was nothing, no strong connections to anyone or anywhere. And when I read she had a neutral accent, it got me wondering about a military kid being a consideration.

I do not know if they fingerprint(ed) the children of the military personnel. Maybe they do now as security is so different in this day and age. But would they in the 70's or 80's? I hope someone knows.

Yeah, I thought of a bored kid just wondering around and acquainting themselves with the new city they're in. All that alone time can plant some ideas in a person's mind.

And the only reason I thought of the air force was due to the parachute certificate, but who knows. That could just be my overactive imagination there, lol.

In a way I feel like "you go Lori, whoever you were. You really fooled them all." And the other part of me really, really, really wants to know the who and why of LEK!

 

[PickAName]

I presented this as a theory I think last year around this time? There is an AFB there in WA also( McCord). Now they do finger print children of military members for their ID cards, but not sure how long rhymes have done that. I was Air Force and that is why I connected that, but nobody ran with it so I dropped it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So they fingerprint now, but you're not sure if they did it then? I kind of assume that she was born in the mid 60's, perhaps later 60's, but I do go with the theory that she was older than that Idaho ID. Perhaps in the 60's and 70's it just wasn't something done with the children of military personnel?

I don't know why anyone didn't think to investigate the military connection further. To me it sort of puts together a lot of pieces to the puzzle but of course doesn't complete it.

I didn't think I had seen anything about the military being brought up. Granted, I have not read every single entry of every post on LEK! I figure I am crazy enough as it is trying to find the identity of a person I have never met and have no connection to, lol.

 

[Beezneez]

Hello WebSleuths. I am a first time poster but have lurked here on and off for probably two years. Like all of you, this case has me so intrigued. First, let me say that I did read spring/summer1988&#8217;s posts on a previous thread. I am inclined to give him/her the benefit of the doubt and believe what he/she wrote. At least with a grain of salt.

But I've been thinking about this case and would like to throw something out there. Please know that these are all my own opinions and I could be way off base here.

I have not seen a MP photo of anyone that I think resembles or could be LEK. I don&#8217;t think she was ever reported as being missing. I think she did all this on her own or with the help of one other person she trusted who is probably not around anymore. I think she was pretty smart. Albeit with mental issues that surfaced at some point.

So here goes, I was going over the pictured evidence and I got this idea when I saw the letter of recommendation from Thailand. What if LEK was a military brat? (I&#8217;m thinking the Air Force specifically due to her certificate for the powered parachute flight.) If this has been brought up before and dismissed, I&#8217;m sorry to bring it up again. But please humor me. My husband had an uncle that was a lifelong Marine. He had a wife and 2 kids. He was pretty high up there in the ranks but I know he was a tough personality who joined the military at a very young age (he lied about his age). He was pretty stubborn and headstrong. He was stationed all over the world. Thailand was one of the places. Anyhow, his 2 kids had it good and bad. Constantly picking up and going, never really having a place to call home and making and breaking friendships. They don&#8217;t have any close friends to this day (they are now in their 50&#8217;s). They got used to their dad leaving for an assignment and would have no idea when he&#8217;d return or where he was when he got back. He was ordered not to tell his family. I read a Wikipedia entry on military brats and perhaps it could explain some of LEK&#8217;s personality. One thing I noted was they hated to be asked where they were from. Most felt the appropriate answer was &#8220;nowhere and everywhere.&#8221; This reminded me of LEK's reaction to the Ruff family inquiries.

If we believe s/s1988&#8217;s account, LEK claimed to be from northern California. There are military bases there (air force). In fact, there are air force bases pretty close to most of the areas she&#8217;s associated with. These would include Tacoma, WA (where BST died), Boise, ID (her first ID card), Boulder City, NV (po box), even Scottsdale, AZ where her obit said she was from. Heck, there&#8217;s even bases in the UK and Germany where her passport application indicated she was travelling to.

Could this exposure to travel be the reason she liked Cuban food and tea parties? Was she comfortable traveling the western US because she was just used to that way of life? Was her dad an over-disciplinarian (at least in the eyes of a teenager) and she resented him for it? Did her mom and dad get divorced and mom was in TX like s/s1998 indicated and LEK knew her mom&#8217;s health was failing and didn&#8217;t care to have anything to do with her father? Did her father re-marry and start having a new family? Did the extensive military travel cause her to not even know if she had relatives? I&#8217;ve got millions of questions, lol.

Is that why she decided to just get a new identity and start life fresh? No sordid past, no criminal history. She looked so happy in her Idaho ID. Kind of like starting fresh. Only she probably didn&#8217;t realize all that would be required to fake a past. Maybe she didn&#8217;t realize some people would ask. I&#8217;m sure it took more work than she realized and just concentrated on moving ahead. Getting a GED, when she probably already had a HS diploma, and then getting her college degree. All this of course, after she got BST&#8217;s birth certificate, changing her name and getting a SSN.

Blake was no doubt the perfect guy for her. Didn&#8217;t ask a lot of questions and was probably also introverted (like s/s1988 indicated of LEK) and, well, just "different." I guess she didn&#8217;t count on the rest of his family being nosy bodies (at least I&#8217;m sure that&#8217;s how she thought of them). I don&#8217;t know why she married him knowing what they were like, but if she did not have much of a family example to go by maybe she thought she could take him away from them. Plus, it seemed like she really wanted a baby. Add IVF treatments into the picture and perhaps that brought about post partum depression. Just add that to her other issues, both physical and mental. Maybe that led to her breakdown.

Anyhow, thank you if you&#8217;ve read this far! I know, I&#8217;ve got so many other thoughts on LEK but I&#8217;d be writing a book, lol. Please let me know what you think about this idea.

That actually sounds halfway reasonable, considering the circumstances. All theories about her running away from something terrible don't quite fit since no one seems to be looking for her. But a history full of half developed roots with people who wouldn't even think to keep in touch makes sense. It would be interesting to send her Idaho ID photo to retired military who were in charge at these bases. I don't have the time or the an idea how to do that, but it would be worth checking!