DEKALB COUNTY, AL – A 46-year-old woman convicted of the kidnapping and murder of a 37-year-old woman back in 2021, who reportedly was romantically entangled with the woman’s significant other, learned her fate in court earlier in February when she was sentenced for the brutal slaying that almost went undetected.
On February 5th, Loretta Carr was handed down a life sentence plus 20 years after she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping in the October 2021 killing of Mary Isbell, who was dropped off a cliff after being abducted from her home by Carr and Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly.
Carr’s daughter was sentenced to 40 years in prison back in August 2025 for her role in the murder and abduction.
According to a press release from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office regarding the case, Carr and Kelly arrived at the Isbell’s home on October 18th, 2021, to confront her regarding an alleged relationship she had with Carr’s significant other.
Forensic evidence later revealed a physical altercation occurred at the home, leading to the mother and daughter forcing Isbell into their vehicle and driving over to Wolf Creek Overlook at Little River Canyon.
Carr reportedly tied a rope to her body and a barrier at the overlook, which hosts steep cliffs that plunge approximately 400 feet, forcing Isbell to climb over the barrier before forcing her off the side of cliff.
Isbell’s body would remain undiscovered until June of 2023 after authorities received a tip from a “credible” source which changed the scope of the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide, with Carr and Kelly being arrested two days after Isbell’s remains were found.
DeKalb County District Attorney Summer Summerford issued a statement in light of Carr’s sentencing, calling the entire debacle a “senseless act” that upended the victim’s family.
“This is an example of a senseless act destroying a family. A mother is left without a daughter, sisters are left without their sibling, and a son is left without his mother,” D.A. Summerford stated.
“This family has been through so much, but they have walked with us and law enforcement throughout this process and have been so responsive and helpful. Please continue to pray for this family as they continue to figure out how to go through life without their loved one.”
On February 5th, Loretta Carr was handed down a life sentence plus 20 years after she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping in the October 2021 killing of Mary Isbell, who was dropped off a cliff after being abducted from her home by Carr and Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly.
Carr’s daughter was sentenced to 40 years in prison back in August 2025 for her role in the murder and abduction.
According to a press release from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office regarding the case, Carr and Kelly arrived at the Isbell’s home on October 18th, 2021, to confront her regarding an alleged relationship she had with Carr’s significant other.
Forensic evidence later revealed a physical altercation occurred at the home, leading to the mother and daughter forcing Isbell into their vehicle and driving over to Wolf Creek Overlook at Little River Canyon.
Carr reportedly tied a rope to her body and a barrier at the overlook, which hosts steep cliffs that plunge approximately 400 feet, forcing Isbell to climb over the barrier before forcing her off the side of cliff.
Isbell’s body would remain undiscovered until June of 2023 after authorities received a tip from a “credible” source which changed the scope of the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide, with Carr and Kelly being arrested two days after Isbell’s remains were found.
DeKalb County District Attorney Summer Summerford issued a statement in light of Carr’s sentencing, calling the entire debacle a “senseless act” that upended the victim’s family.
“This is an example of a senseless act destroying a family. A mother is left without a daughter, sisters are left without their sibling, and a son is left without his mother,” D.A. Summerford stated.
“This family has been through so much, but they have walked with us and law enforcement throughout this process and have been so responsive and helpful. Please continue to pray for this family as they continue to figure out how to go through life without their loved one.”
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