Second Woman Pleads Guilty in Little River Canyon Cliff Death Case
Fort Payne-A second woman has pleaded guilty in connection with the 2021 death of Mary Elizabeth Isbell, who authorities say was kidnapped and pushed off a cliff at Little River Canyon National Park in DeKalb County.
Court records show Loretta Kay Carr entered guilty pleas Thursday to charges of murder and kidnapping. Carr had originally been charged with capital murder, and prosecutors previously said they intended to seek the death penalty if the case went to trial, which had been scheduled for March 30, 2026. Her sentencing has not yet been filed.
Carr and her daughter, Jessie Eden Kelly, were both accused in Isbell’s death. Kelly pleaded guilty in August 2025 to a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement, Kelly agreed to assist prosecutors and testify truthfully in the case against her mother. Kelly had initially been charged with capital murder and had sought youthful offender status because she was 20 at the time of the crime, but that request was denied.
According to investigators, Isbell was last seen in November 2021 and was later reported missing by her ex-husband to the Hartselle Police Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Although Isbell lived in DeKalb County, she had family in Hartselle.
On June 28, 2023, authorities located human remains at Little River Canyon National Park. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences later identified the remains as Isbell. DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Chief Investigator Nick Brown said one of the suspects cooperated with investigators and helped lead authorities to the remains.
Investigators also reported finding physical evidence at Isbell’s home that led to the arrests of Carr and Kelly. Carr was arrested June 25, 2023, and indicted in May 2024. A criminal complaint alleges Carr kidnapped Isbell in October 2021 and intentionally caused her death by forcing her off a cliff into the canyon.
Carr now awaits sentencing following her guilty plea.
https://weisradio.com/2023/07/31/second-suspect-arrested-in-little-river-canyon-murder-case/
https://weisradio.com/2023/07/25/update-on-case-of-loretta-kay-carr/
https://weisradio.com/2023/06/28/fort-payne-woman-charged-with-capital-murder-kidnapping/
