TX - 'Lori Ruff', Longview, WhtFem UP9863, *General Discussion and Theories* #2

[spring/summer1988]

Thanks, Spring/Summer. I think it is good that you speak well of her character. I always felt that because she got in no trouble in her assumed identity, and because she was not in any criminal databases, she was probably getting a fresh start in some way rather than fleeing justice. I also said that the best hope for finding her identity was if someone recognized the earliest known picture, the Idaho license. This may be what has happened.
Moderators, would it be OK for him to post a picture of her? If he has a previously unpublished photo of her, I'd like to see the resemblance. NONE of the other women suggested as FLEK really look like her to me.

I don't plan on posting any of the pictures, at least not now.

I joined this forum to try to give an opinion of her that was from someone that actually knew her. I hope that her child never sees some of the things posted on the internet about her Mother.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

Spring/Summer, thank you for posting. My condolences for the grief you are experiencing. I hope that you can move past this quickly. I also hope that you understand that any speculation on here has only been in an effort to find her. It was not meant to be harmful or disrespectful to the person whom we are trying to help identify. When people are not reported missing, sometimes speculation is the only thing that helps us to move on to search other places. It is only a tool to give us ideas where to look. I am glad that you posted here to clarify WHO SHE IS no matter what her name is/was. Your kindness will one day give her daughter solece. I hope that once Agent Velling has completed his investigation, you will share more wonderful things about your friend, a little girl's mother.

My sympathies to you. God's speed.

 

[spring/summer1988]

I don't plan on posting any of the pictures, at least not now.

I joined this forum to try to give an opinion of her that was from someone that actually knew her. I hope that her child never sees some of the things posted on the internet about her Mother.

If Spring/Summer dated her in 1988, that was the same year she obtained her new identity. Spring/Summer, was there any indication she had these types of activities going on. Forgive me for being skeptical, but we have had lots of trolls mess with us regarding this case.

I don't feel the need to prove that I am not a "troll" by posting her photographs or other items on this forum.

If a member of her family contacts me, I WILL provide all of the photographs to them, because I feel that the photographs are as much theirs as they are mine.

Ultimately Mr. Ruff will receive my contact info, if he hasn't already.

 

[SideKick]

Thank you for coming here with this information. Praying this is it! The answers for her little girl.
Bless you!

 

[evafiore]

I emailed Mr. Velling about the Cleveland lead, he responded a few days ago and stated that he would look into it.

 

[SideKick]

For quick glance convenience.

 

[Linda9681]

Thanks evafiore! I am not giving up on the Ohio lead.
The spring/summer post is interesting but if this person has no other info to share its silly to just " be on hold" until they decide they want to share.
I get that this person wants to vouch for FLEKS character. I have always said she was not a bad person just because she stole an identity of a deceased person.
However, from what he/she says they only knew her for 3 months... So just wondering how much there really is to share.

<modsnip>

Either way until this person decides to share please everyone keep looking!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trixandhoney]

Spring/summer1988, I have a couple of questions that I hope you will feel comfortable answering:
1. Why did you and LEK break up?
2. How is it that your wife knew her, too?
3. Did LEK live by herself, or with her mother?

 

[SassyBenton]

Thank you spring/summer 1988 for sharing your info. I think we need to appreciate what he has shared with us and not push him too hard for anything else. This is obviously a painful experience for him and we should respect that.

 

[mjak]

It is so good to see positive developments happening in this case. I hope that if Lori Kennedy Ruff is Spring/Summer 1988's friend it brings the Ruff family
especially Lori's daughter comfort and joy to be able to hear the words of someone who can share kind and enlightening information about their love one. That said I agree with Linda 9681, that until an identity has been proven we should keep searching. As those of us who have been around the missing/ sleuthing arena know how many many times we get leeds that come with this is it excitement and seen them not pan out. My biggest red flag with the newest information is if Ms. Ruff was simply building a new future, starting with a new ID and not running from something why did she never share her background with her husband? Mental Illness to a degree where she was disassociated from her former ID Is one explanation. Her suicide would be consistent with this. However, I think most of us would tend to think when a wife keeps something like this from the person she married it is usually to protect herself, protect him or protect both of them. Thus, the picture Spring/Summer paints does not fit nicely with what we know of Lori Erica Ruff and the rest of her life as presented to us. No matter who she was , she seems to have touched many of us and I am only sorry that she could not have been the recipient of so much care and support when she was alive. May she rest in peace.

 

[trixandhoney]

Many of us have spent hours and hours (and hours) trying to figure out who LEK was, so it's hard to be patient.
If spring/summer has the right person, has photos of her, knows where she lived before she was officially LEK, knows her mother's name, and knows LEK by another name, then that is huge and I imagine this case will be solved rather quickly. Of course I understand wanting the family to be aware first but I hope spring/summer can also understand why we are eager to know more.

 

[mjak]

I hear you! I was born curious and I always want to know everything about these cases when they get
solved.. The truth is although I feel entitled to all the information I am not entitled to any of it. It is so hard
to accept I must respect other peoples wishes to share or not to share. I have to remind myself over and over I am
here because I can&#8217;t stand the thought of anyone alone in death or a family missing a love one forever. I am here to help
And have to remind myself over and over if disclosing information that will feed my curiosity is going to hurt those I set
out to help then I need not know.

 

[ClaireNC]

Not right now.

Please understand that I am still having a hard time with her death.

I do know a little more about her personal life than I am letting on, but I feel like I am violating her as well as her family.

I DO NOT know anything about her identity change, but I possibly have an idea on why she did it.

I feel 100% that she didn't do it to harm anyone, and I also feel 100% that she didn't do it to hide after she committed a crime. I am thinking she felt like she needed a fresh start to move on in her adult life.

Thank you, Spring/Summer for joining and sharing your story. I have always felt that her identity change was not malicious - to hide a crime or do harm to anyone, but more that she was hiding from something or someone.

I find it interesting that you met her in March/April 1988. That is just the time that she was going through the process of changing her name. From the timeline found here: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?215578-Timeline-and-Media-Thread-*NO-DISCUSSION*

May 20, 1988 - Jane Doe gets a copy of Becky Sue&#8217;s birth certificate from Kern County, Calif.
June 16, 1988 - Jane Doe obtains an Idaho ID card with her picture and Becky Sue&#8217;s name. She now has government ID &#8220;proving&#8221; she&#8217;s Becky Sue. (Idaho ID using Becky Sue Turner's name)
July 5, 1988 - She gets her name legally changed in a Dallas court from Becky Sue to Lori Erica Kennedy. (Document showing name legally changed to Lori Erica Kennedy) Clerk's certificate: http://oi39.tinypic.com/2wg94z9.jpg
July 12, 1988 - Applies for and receives a Social Security number as Lori Kennedy (Lori Kennedy's Soc. Sec. number application)
July 13, 1988 - Obtains a Texas ID card
April 18, 1989 - Obtains Texas driver&#8217;s license, stating she is 19 years old

Do you remember if she went on a trip to Idaho in June of 1988? She would have needed to be in Idaho in person to get that ID card made at that time. Did the girl you remember ever act like she had something mysterious going on? Since you knew her at the exact time she was making the "transition" to Lori Kennedy, I would assume that she would be distracted at times or act like she had something on her mind.

 

[evafiore]

Thank you, Spring/Summer for joining and sharing your story. I have always felt that her identity change was not malicious - to hide a crime or do harm to anyone. I hope that turns out to be true.

I find it interesting that you met her in March/April 1988. That is just the time that she was going through the process of changing her name. From the timeline found here: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?215578-Timeline-and-Media-Thread-*NO-DISCUSSION*



Do you remember if she went on a trip to Idaho in June of 1988? She would have needed to be in Idaho in person to get that ID card made at that time. Did the girl you remember ever act like she had something mysterious going on? Since you knew her at the exact time she was making the "transition" to Lori Kennedy, I would assume that she would be distracted at times or act like she had something on her mind.

IMO, seems a bit implausible that she started planning to abandon her old identity while her mother was alive. Seems more like something someone would do if they didn't have anyone left in their life.

It's an interesting story you've shared, Spring/Summer. Hoping for this to be LEK for some closure, but must admit my expectations are low (I haven't seen anything convincing to support the lead, unfortunately). I'm going to keep on searching

 

[DJmultiplecats]

It sounds like she didn't have a car...the trip to Idaho would have required a bus trip. It also sounds like she didn't have a lot of money. Are we certain that she needed to be in person to pick up the Idaho ID?

 

[SassyBenton]

I&#8217;m trying not to speculate too much here but I&#8217;m wondering if A) perhaps she was already in the process of planning her new identity when she went down to be with her ailing mother or B) LEK had an abusive father when she was young, her parents eventually separated and her mother was the only family member she was close to. When she realized she mother was very ill and not going to make it, she saw an opportunity to start a completely new life, one where her abusive father could never locate her again. Perhaps when her mother passed away she received an inheritance and was able to afford an identity broker at that point. He said she was from Northern California, I wonder if she was from Bakersfield (more the middle of CA than northern, but still a possibility) and that&#8217;s how she knew about Becky Sue Turner, as she was also originally from Bakersfield. Just my ponderings.

 

[evafiore]

I&#8217;m trying not to speculate too much here but I&#8217;m wondering if A) perhaps she was already in the process of planning her new identity when she went down to be with her ailing mother or B) LEK had an abusive father when she was young, her parents eventually separated and her mother was the only family member she was close to. When she realized she mother was very ill and not going to make it, she saw an opportunity to start a completely new life, one where her abusive father could never locate her again. Perhaps when her mother passed away she received an inheritance and was able to afford an identity broker at that point. He said she was from Northern California, I wonder if she was from Bakersfield (more the middle of CA than northern, but still a possibility) and that&#8217;s how she knew about Becky Sue Turner, as she was also originally from Bakersfield. Just my ponderings.

The investigator guessed that her choice of Becky Sue was the work of an identity broker. This was in the works early spring 1988. According to Spring/Summer's story, his/her friend's mom was still alive then.

I'd probably find the story more convincing if the dates were a bit earlier, and without the mom character

 

[DJmultiplecats]

I’m trying not to speculate too much here but I’m wondering if A) perhaps she was already in the process of planning her new identity when she went down to be with her ailing mother or B) LEK had an abusive father when she was young, her parents eventually separated and her mother was the only family member she was close to. When she realized she mother was very ill and not going to make it, she saw an opportunity to start a completely new life, one where her abusive father could never locate her again. Perhaps when her mother passed away she received an inheritance and was able to afford an identity broker at that point. He said she was from Northern California, I wonder if she was from Bakersfield (more the middle of CA than northern, but still a possibility) and that’s how she knew about Becky Sue Turner, as she was also originally from Bakersfield. Just my ponderings.

This sounds about right to me, though I think she was going ahead with the identity change regardless of whether or not her mother was still alive. Perhaps the spring/summer trip to Irving to stay with her mom was to get access to (or destroy) old information: birth certificates, etc. I think she just didn't want to be "her" any more, if she was someone to whom bad things had happened. I can see going to extraordinary lengths to be free of an identity that she associated with pain. I'm also not sure an identity broker was involved; she may have learned about how to conceal her identity from a book or something.

 

[sloane7777]

I hope this pans out, it sounds good to me at this point , I feel like she came from a pod! Spring /Summer please keep us in your thoughts , I think we have all grown very attached to her as well, we need a bit of closure too

 

[ClaireNC]

It sounds like she didn't have a car...the trip to Idaho would have required a bus trip. It also sounds like she didn't have a lot of money. Are we certain that she needed to be in person to pick up the Idaho ID?

I seem to remember that Velling established that the ID was real. If that was the case, she would have needed to go in person to get the ID made. (Remember this was pre-internet and digital cameras were not common.) On the other hand, the ID could have been a total fake that somebody made for her. We don't know that she didn't have a car or access to a car. She could have also rented one.