TX - 'Lori Ruff', Longview, WhtFem UP9863, *General Discussion and Theories* #5

[Gardener1850]

One thing that I can't figure out about Deborah's story is her location history and whether she was the type of person to run away or not. She was allegedly raised by her grandmother in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey (more likely PA because her grandmother's family was mostly there--her stepmother and half siblings grew up in NJ). In 1978 her Grandmother moved from New York to Florida--this is according to her obituary. No evidence of Deborah living in New York but she would have been 16 then. In 1979, at age 17, Deborah was in Guernsey County, Ohio getting married to a 19 year old. There is address history for her living in Senecaville, OH (which is in Guernsey County) under her maiden name. I kept digging into all her extended family hoping to find a great uncle or cousin who lived in Ohio around that time to explain why she was there as a teenager, but I can't find any. It's as if she ran away in 1979 to get married in Ohio. Then I can't find a record of her divorce and family never mentions the marriage at all when she went missing. She shows up in address records again in Florida in 1988. When she went missing she was working two jobs and one of them she had only held for a few months, though her employer said she was a very dependable employee.

Here are all the google news links I could find about her disappearance (some of the details reported by news are different from her missing pages):
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-02-24/news/0020140115_1_daytona-beach-omeara-kerney
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=mNMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6016,2777021&hl=en
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=mNMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2171,4437607&hl=en
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=K9MEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1239,5176619&hl=en
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1901&dat=19880813&id=w4wfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UdMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1728,9080752&hl=en

 

[Everyday Grace]

I have a queations... Are autopsy reports available to the public? And do you know if namus has autospy reports and photos...of loris case.

Yes, autopsy reports in Texas fall under the Open Records Act.

Autopsy report in custody of justice of the peace is available for inspection under section 27.004 of the Government Code JC-0542

https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opin/opinions.php?headingID=81

That link provides an additional link to a Texas Attorney General's written opinion on an inquiry submitted to that office. Said opinions are non-binding, but the AG's office is the first arbiter of disputes that can arise from open records requests.

As the opinion letter states, one of the things that could possibly exclude an autopsy report would be an ongoing criminal investigation related somehow to the death or to the individual.

I can't see how that potential exclusion would apply here or any other potential for an exclusion regarding FLEK's autopsy report.

Here are some links that are helpful for making an open records request in Texas:

http://foift.org/resources/texas-public-information-act/

http://comptroller.texas.gov/pia.php

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm

Autopsy reports are maintained by a Justice of the Peace.

There are four JP Precincts in Gregg County. A first step would be to determine which precinct had jurisdiction over her death.

http://www.co.gregg.tx.us/all-departments#I

Precincts 1 and 2 include Longview.

3 & 4 include Gladewater and Kilgore.

 

[Gardener1850]

Not necessarily at a dead end at all. Half siblings by the father would give you a "possible". Forensic genealogy could find mitochondrial relatives of the mother. NAMUS does none of that. Even if there is no match to FLEK, and because of the circumstances I would not expect one, it could achieve the positive step of having Deborah's DNA in the system.
If the half siblings are actively looking for Deborah they need to see the 1988 Idaho pic of FLEK. They could be invited to participate in this forum.

Thanks! I don't think the half-siblings are actively searching at all. A family member has her as dead in 1988 on an Ancestry family tree. The news articles I posted above quote her grandmother as being pretty sure she was murdered. The police did not initially suspect fowl play because they thought the cats knocked over the lamp in her apartment. They went back to look closer at her apartment and claimed they found evidence pointing to fowl play then, but the police did not release that evidence. The grandmother told the press that Deborah's bedsheet and pillows were missing and that she believed she was carried out that way. We can probably assume that the additional evidence was drops of blood and two teeth--that info is on some missing websites but not in any news articles I found. But the info about the teeth is different on different sites. Some sites report that teeth were found at the bottom of stairs; some report they were found in her bedroom. Perhaps someone got the info on teeth from a police report or a family member added that info to a missing persons website? Blood and teeth does point to fowl play but I can't find a reliable source for that info yet and the discrepancies in the teeth story being different on different websites is bothering me.

Another archived article:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-02-24/news/0020140115_1_daytona-beach-omeara-kerney

 

[awillis0513]

I got the FOIA response today. I just have to pay the fee and they'll send it.

Thanks!


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[Gardener1850]

I got the FOIA response today. I just have to pay the fee and they'll send it.

Thanks!

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Awillis you rock!:tyou::yourock:

How much is the fee? How can we help?

 

[Linda9681]

Yes I can contribute to the fee


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[awillis0513]

Awillis you rock!:tyou::yourock:

How much is the fee? How can we help?

No, no--I am more than happy to take care of it. It's $88, which isn't bad at all. I'm still waiting on the Texas FOIA results.


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[awillis0513]

No, no--I am more than happy to take care of it. It's $88, which isn't bad at all. I'm still waiting on the Texas FOIA results.


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Also, everyone does an amazing job looking into possible leads. This forum has been great.


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[Gardener1850]

No, no--I am more than happy to take care of it. It's $88, which isn't bad at all. I'm still waiting on the Texas FOIA results.


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Wow, you are amazing! :loveyou:
Hope we get some good info.

 

[milkymama]

Mona Lincoln is now listed as ruled out on Namus.

 

[Gardener1850]

Mona Lincoln is now listed as ruled out on Namus.

Wow, that was quite fast! Thank you to whomever submitted her. Even though we didn't find a match, I feel we are making progress. Having a confirmed rule out means others won't waste time and resources looking into her again as a FLEK match.

 

[Gardener1850]

Thanks! I don't think the half-siblings are actively searching at all. A family member has her as dead in 1988 on an Ancestry family tree. The news articles I posted above quote her grandmother as being pretty sure she was murdered. The police did not initially suspect fowl play because they thought the cats knocked over the lamp in her apartment. They went back to look closer at her apartment and claimed they found evidence pointing to fowl play then, but the police did not release that evidence. The grandmother told the press that Deborah's bedsheet and pillows were missing and that she believed she was carried out that way. We can probably assume that the additional evidence was drops of blood and two teeth--that info is on some missing websites but not in any news articles I found. But the info about the teeth is different on different sites. Some sites report that teeth were found at the bottom of stairs; some report they were found in her bedroom. Perhaps someone got the info on teeth from a police report or a family member added that info to a missing persons website? Blood and teeth does point to fowl play but I can't find a reliable source for that info yet and the discrepancies in the teeth story being different on different websites is bothering me.

I may have spoken too soon about her half siblings not searching for Deborah. A newspaper did an interview with her stepmother in 2009 and here is a quote:

Arlene Hohenshilt -- who married Deborah's father when the girl was an infant -- said details are sketchy now. Her daughter called shortly after her father died, and not long before her own disappearance.

"She's been gone for so many years. My kids miss her terribly," Hohenshilt sobbed. "I dream about her every now and then, and she tells me, 'I'm OK, Mom.' "

From this link: http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/ar/t8854.htm

Arlene died in 2010 and Deborah was listed as her deceased daughter in her obituary: http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/trenton/obituary.aspx?n=arlene-ann-hohenshilt&pid=141378126

So the siblings probably mostly think of her as dead. I don't know if we should contact them or not. I feel so sad for this family who has had so much loss.

 

[llywrch]

Ditto what Gardener said jamielaurens - also, I don't think anyone has ever gone and looked at local phone books from around the time of FLEK arriving in Dallas to see if there are any listings under either of her names that bring up an address that we don't yet know about. (Correct me if I'm wrong, people).

Checking the local phone books for 1988-2004 would be another big help. When I had more time for investigating, I did determine that the Dallas Public Library has complete runs of the local phone books for that time, so that is where I would go. The only problem might be that single women will not list their number under their full name (e.g., "L.E. Kennedy"), &/or their address -- but we won't know that's the case unless someone looks.

And thanks in advance for anything you can share with us!

 

[llywrch]

No, no--I am more than happy to take care of it. It's $88, which isn't bad at all. I'm still waiting on the Texas FOIA results.

Wow, that's more than I would be willing to pay. So much thanks from me for your contribution!

 

[sunnynz]

No, no--I am more than happy to take care of it. It's $88, which isn't bad at all. I'm still waiting on the Texas FOIA results.


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Thank you so much!

 

[dvo]

Speaking of freedom of information reports... is anyone still focusing on the extended H clan as incited by the mention of FH in the previous document release? I haven't heard any mention of them on here in ages, and that has been by far the most legit lead that's ever come up...

 

[Gardener1850]

Speaking of freedom of information reports... is anyone still focusing on the extended H clan as incited by the mention of FH in the previous document release? I haven't heard any mention of them on here in ages, and that has been by far the most legit lead that's ever come up...

I gave up looking them up. Other than the weird record of a GS AKA FH living in Texas, I haven't found much to connect his family to FLEK. All his daughters were found on social media/accounted for. So I kind of lost interest in them. His wife is still alive and I have wondered if perhaps she wrote the comment that says "I hope you have found peace" on findagrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=113578500
I hope LE interviewed her...Time is ticking away.

 

[BigCityAccountant]

I gave up looking them up. Other than the weird record of a GS AKA FH living in Texas, I haven't found much to connect his family to FLEK. All his daughters were found on social media/accounted for. So I kind of lost interest in them. His wife is still alive and I have wondered if perhaps she wrote the comment that says "I hope you have found peace" on findagrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=113578500
I hope LE interviewed her...Time is ticking away.

Did anyone notice there is a new posting on FLEK's find a grave. Thanks for the link Gardener...The link is from someone named "donttellmewhatlovecando" added June 27, 2016.

 

[Gardener1850]

Did anyone notice there is a new posting on FLEK's find a grave. Thanks for the link Gardener...The link is from someone named "donttellmewhatlovecando" added June 27, 2016.

Yep, I noticed....and....I might have sleuthed that person in July sometime soon after it was posted. :blushing: No connection found--possibly just someone like us that follows strange deaths. She had posted a memorial on another unusual death case as well completely unrelated to her location or to FLEK's case.

 

[OBrunhilde!]

Speaking of freedom of information reports... is anyone still focusing on the extended H clan as incited by the mention of FH in the previous document release? I haven't heard any mention of them on here in ages, and that has been by far the most legit lead that's ever come up...

I haven't given up, but I had to slow way down due to summer/family obligations.

I hope this isn't too much info, if so, moderators, please help me. I tried hard to keep it to a minimum.

I was pointed in the direction of someone who is a friend of the Hwdr clan. Her initials are WB. Her first name is the same as one of the Hwdr fam, as in the 60s pop tune by The Association, "everyone knows it's ____" ������ Last name is a common English surname-- a male servant is called a ___ ? Not valet WB has 3 sisters (initials are for the names they use on FB):
CM--the oldest sister. She resembles LEK, and has hands like hers too. She has always lived in Texas. She is in her 40s.
DMB-- next oldest. Does not resemble LEK. She went to HS in one of the HWDR-related towns in E WA, and still lives close to there. She is 10 years older than WB.
TJ-- (same name as TT's eldest surviving daughter, TJ, but spelled differently) she is from TX, but now lives in E WA in the same town as as DMB. Along with WB, she was in foster care in UT with an LDS family.
WB-- she lives in E WA in the same town as the Hwdr fam. She knows them. She is LDS.
Some or all are half sisters, who didn't consistently live together whilst growing up. Their mother's name is CBM-- born in 1957. She resembles LEK. CBM is from TX originally, but was living and died (in 2012) in an E WA town, that is a HWDR fam town too. I couldn't get a good look at her hands as they were not visible in pictures, but CBM's mother had hands like LEK. CBM had her first daughter, CM, young-- 18 if I recall correctly. Here's where things get interesting-- one of CBM's daughters mentioned in a post about adoption that they were missing a sister. So there is a 4th child somewhere. Granted, CBM would have had to be very young to have given birth to LEK and given her up for adoption, but if LEK is actually on the younger end of the age range, it is possible.

I have been reticent about contacting the sisters because I am not sure if anyone has been working this lead already? Don't want to bug them any more than is necessary. Also, I am not really able to organize and take notes right now, so If anyone else is interested in scouring online sources, that would be great!