Lori Ruff Identified as Kimberly McLean of PA

[awillis0513]

Was it you who was thinking of doing either a documentary or writing an article about this case? (Can't remember which sorry). If so, I'd be so interested to see it when you're done.

I am! I have been considering a formal project more since it was solved. I feel like there are some themes around Kimberly/Lori's life that deal with identity and family that would be great if explored. I also feel like there's loads more to the story.


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[Magnum P.E.]

My final question is, did anyone ever establish whether Spring/summer1988 was legit or a troll?

 

[tarheelslim]

My final question is, did anyone ever establish whether Spring/summer1988 was legit or a troll?

I doubt we will ever know (unless he tells his story someday) but it sounds as if those who PM'ed with him believed that he was telling the truth. Which means that she probably did lie to him too.

 

[Magnum P.E.]

I doubt we will ever know (unless he tells his story someday) but it sounds as if those who PM'ed with him believed that he was telling the truth. Which means that she probably did lie to him too.

I am the one who asked (nicely) to see some of the pictures he said he had, he then got quite defensive and did not post again. To me it was indicative of a troll. I guess you are right, we probably will never know.
The whole case says a lot about US. I always say, apply Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is the most likely one. She was not a LeBaron, escaped cult member, escaped criminal, or spy. I felt all along that those explanations were ridiculous. And we seem to see a resemblance to nearly anyone if we want to.

 

[Kathleen Johnson]

What makes me curious, is how come no one from her high school/hometown has come out of the woodworks? Concerned neighbors? I could understand in 2017, living in an apartment complex in a big city, there being a veil of anonymity...but Kimberly lived in a small town, in the 80s...kids played outside, and went to the arcade on nearly a daily basis.

 

[tarheelslim]

What makes me curious, is how come no one from her high school/hometown has come out of the woodworks? Concerned neighbors? I could understand in 2017, living in an apartment complex in a big city, there being a veil of anonymity...but Kimberly lived in a small town, in the 80s...kids played outside, and went to the arcade on nearly a daily basis.

What would they say? Almost any kid that I hung out with in my neighborhood in the 80s all I could say was "yep I remember that kid" or "no I don't remember that kid".... doesn't seem like there's any story there to report.

I would think if there are any stories of interest it would be from her adult years, but it seems like she has always been a private person (at least since she left her family) so it's very possible that there is still (almost) nothing there (other than her well-documented downward spiral at the end of her life).

But her story never took on much interest nationally, so I don't think there's much demand out there for follow-ups anyway.

 

[ClaireNC]

Wow! I've taken a break from WS the past year and just now came in to check on some old cases that I followed. This is the first place I checked and just was that she has been identified. I had no idea! So glad that this has been resolved and hope that all families can move on to healing.

Did we ever have Kim McLean on any of our lists of potential matches? Or was she never reported missing?

 

[Sherwood Park]

Wow! I've taken a break from WS the past year and just now came in to check on some old cases that I followed. This is the first place I checked and just was that she has been identified. I had no idea! So glad that this has been resolved and hope that all families can move on to healing.

Did we ever have Kim McLean on any of our lists of potential matches? Or was she never reported missing?

WOW! I'm glad you finally found out ClairNC. You were certainly a major part of the core group of people on here who were trying to find out her identity.
Kim McLean wasn't on the different list of potential matches that people posted here on WS.
She had not been reported missing by her family.

 

[jinger]

I had NO idea this case had been solved. Great work! I think in the future more and more cases are going to be solved this way.

 

[mohagan]

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 Times

In 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

‘My God, that’s Kimberly!’: Scientist solves perplexing mystery of identity thief Lori Ruff

Hi Websleuths, I wanted to let you all know that I've written an ebook on the Lori Ruff/Kim McLean case called The Woman in the Strongbox. And Websleuths are featured!

amazon.com/missing

It's a fast read but covers a lot of ground, as I traced her history from Pennsylvania to Texas. I think it answers a lot of questions. I know you all were very interested in this case, and your interest kept the story in the public mind for years.
Since the case is closed, I'm sure you've all moved onto other more pressing cases, but if you want more of the story, you can find it in the link.
The book is free for Amazon Prime members. You can read it on a Kindle or on a computer or phone using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Thanks for your interest. You're doing great work here.
Maureen

 

[sunnynz]

Hi Websleuths, I wanted to let you all know that I've written an ebook on the Lori Ruff/Kim McLean case called The Woman in the Strongbox. And Websleuths are featured!

amazon.com/missing

It's a fast read but covers a lot of ground, as I traced her history from Pennsylvania to Texas. I think it answers a lot of questions. I know you all were very interested in this case, and your interest kept the story in the public mind for years.
Since the case is closed, I'm sure you've all moved onto other more pressing cases, but if you want more of the story, you can find it in the link.
The book is free for Amazon Prime members. You can read it on a Kindle or on a computer or phone using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Thanks for your interest. You're doing great work here.
Maureen

Wow fantastic! So you managed to trace the missing years between Pennsylvania and where she first bought the birth certificate in CA? So interested to read about that.

 

[Vedder]

Can't wait to read it!

 

[Midge Montana]

Hi Websleuths, I wanted to let you all know that I've written an ebook on the Lori Ruff/Kim McLean case called The Woman in the Strongbox. And Websleuths are featured!

amazon.com/missing

It's a fast read but covers a lot of ground, as I traced her history from Pennsylvania to Texas. I think it answers a lot of questions. I know you all were very interested in this case, and your interest kept the story in the public mind for years.
Since the case is closed, I'm sure you've all moved onto other more pressing cases, but if you want more of the story, you can find it in the link.
The book is free for Amazon Prime members. You can read it on a Kindle or on a computer or phone using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Thanks for your interest. You're doing great work here.
Maureen

Thanks!!!~ I've grabbed it for my Kindle. I appreciate you letting us know.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

Thank you For sharing Maureen. Well-written. I'm so glad that the two families can move on now.

 

[sunnynz]

Hi Websleuths, I wanted to let you all know that I've written an ebook on the Lori Ruff/Kim McLean case called The Woman in the Strongbox. And Websleuths are featured!

amazon.com/missing

It's a fast read but covers a lot of ground, as I traced her history from Pennsylvania to Texas. I think it answers a lot of questions. I know you all were very interested in this case, and your interest kept the story in the public mind for years.
Since the case is closed, I'm sure you've all moved onto other more pressing cases, but if you want more of the story, you can find it in the link.
The book is free for Amazon Prime members. You can read it on a Kindle or on a computer or phone using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Thanks for your interest. You're doing great work here.
Maureen

I just downloaded and read it - great summary of the case and included some details that I didn't know before despite being truly obsessed with the case for several years. Such a sad set of circumstances for all parties.

 

[jslk]

Thank you Maureen! I am looking forward to reading it.

 

[mommylicious]

Hi Websleuths, I wanted to let you all know that I've written an ebook on the Lori Ruff/Kim McLean case called The Woman in the Strongbox. And Websleuths are featured!

amazon.com/missing

It's a fast read but covers a lot of ground, as I traced her history from Pennsylvania to Texas. I think it answers a lot of questions. I know you all were very interested in this case, and your interest kept the story in the public mind for years.
Since the case is closed, I'm sure you've all moved onto other more pressing cases, but if you want more of the story, you can find it in the link.
The book is free for Amazon Prime members. You can read it on a Kindle or on a computer or phone using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
Thanks for your interest. You're doing great work here.
Maureen

Thank you for sharing! After all the time following the threads, it's nice to have things laid out so neatly.

 

[Mel 1303]

Hi Maureen, I downloaded on Audible and listened while driving this morning. Thank you for putting it all together. Poor Lori, I always felt bad for her, but now I feel worse. I don't think we will ever know why Lori decided to leave Kimberley behind, but I do think someone in her family knows. I cant get past the mother going to visit an old neighbour, someone who Kimberley knew, a year after she left- asks the neighbour if she had seen Kim, but refuses to leave contact info behind. Why??? Why would you not leave a phone number with someone who would recognise Kim if she saw her? If she didn't want any further contact, why go and visit in the first place? Something else must be going on there.

Blake Ruff comes across as someone who doesn't really think for himself- yet he left the family home and filed for divorce. Either Blake has a lot more going for him than has been suggested (by his family, interestingly), or he was under influence from others to leave Lori. I felt so sad when he was described in the book as saying that had he known his wife was going to kill herself, that he would have gone back. His brother in law went to the house and rifled through Lori's stuff- trying to find her secrets, but kept the info from Blake for a long time afterwards. There is a lot of manipulation going on here. It is not like Blake is of low intelligence- he has two degrees and a job.

I hope Blake and little J are in a good place these days, and that Lori is at peace.

 

[StarrChance]

Enjoyed reading the book too, thankyou Maureen. The extra pieces of information seem to fill in the puzzle of her life. One was her first (bio fathers) struggles, seems to suggest there was some mental health issues early on which affected her. One very interesting part was about the money left to her, I think 99% of people would have claimed, easy to do through a lawyer, (as they say where’s there a will there’s a relative!) I can’t help wondering now that she had a extreme paranoia, will never know though. I believe the book will be a good resource for her daughter in the future, it would have been torturous to never know who your mother really was.

 

[mohagan]

Hi Maureen, I downloaded on Audible and listened while driving this morning. Thank you for putting it all together. Poor Lori, I always felt bad for her, but now I feel worse. I don't think we will ever know why Lori decided to leave Kimberley behind, but I do think someone in her family knows. I cant get past the mother going to visit an old neighbour, someone who Kimberley knew, a year after she left- asks the neighbour if she had seen Kim, but refuses to leave contact info behind. Why??? Why would you not leave a phone number with someone who would recognise Kim if she saw her? If she didn't want any further contact, why go and visit in the first place? Something else must be going on there.

Blake Ruff comes across as someone who doesn't really think for himself- yet he left the family home and filed for divorce. Either Blake has a lot more going for him than has been suggested (by his family, interestingly), or he was under influence from others to leave Lori. I felt so sad when he was described in the book as saying that had he known his wife was going to kill herself, that he would have gone back. His brother in law went to the house and rifled through Lori's stuff- trying to find her secrets, but kept the info from Blake for a long time afterwards. There is a lot of manipulation going on here. It is not like Blake is of low intelligence- he has two degrees and a job.

I hope Blake and little J are in a good place these days, and that Lori is at peace.

Thanks for reading--or, rather, listening--to the book. It is indeed a sad story, but I hope it answers some lingering questions.
I haven't yet listened to the audio version. I'm curious what the reader's voice sounds like.