Woman indicted in ‘inhuman, brutal’ DeKalb County murder of missing woman

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A woman accused of kidnapping and forcing a missing woman off a cliff over two years ago was indicted in April by a DeKalb County Grand Jury.

44-year-old Loretta Carr is charged with capital murder (kidnapping) in connection to the death of Mary Isbell. Carr’s daughter, Jessie Eden Kelly, was also charged with capital murder for Isbell’s death.

The indictment states Carr intentionally caused Isbell’s death by forcing her off a cliff into Little River Canyon after she had kidnapped her.

Isbell had been reported missing to the Hartselle Police Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) by her ex-husband. She was last seen in November of 2021. Isbell reportedly had family in Hartselle but was last known to live in DeKalb County.

On June 28, 2023, DCSO said remains were found at the Little River Canyon National Park by a search team. The Alabama Department of Forensic Science’s Huntsville Laboratory identified the remains found at the canyon as Mary Elizabeth Isbell.

DCSO Chief Investigator Nick Brown said that one of the women cooperated and helped lead authorities to Isbell’s remains.

Carr was arrested on June 25, 2023. Kelly was in custody in Pennsylvania

The capital murder charges stem from multiple other laws broken during the incident including kidnapping, according to officials.

Investigators also said they found physical evidence at Isbell’s home, leading to the arrests of Carr and Kelly. According to a criminal complaint filed on June 26, Carr is accused of kidnapping Mary Isbell in October 2021.

Brown described what the women did to Isbell as “inhuman and brutal.”

Court records show that Carr has an arraignment hearing set for May 8, while Kelly has a status conference set for June 6. The state is seeking the death penalty against Carr.

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