Ala. woman charged with murder for allegedly kidnapping, pushing missing woman off a cliff

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. (TCD) -- A 44-year-old woman was indicted on a murder charge last week for allegedly kidnapping and pushing a 38-year-old woman off a cliff, killing her.

WHNT-TV reports Heather Carr is being charged with capital murder (kidnapping) in connection with the death of Mary Elizabeth "Beth" Isbell. The state will reportedly pursue the death penalty against Carr. A grand jury also returned an indictment against Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly, on the same charges.

Isbell’s ex-husband reported her missing to the Hartselle Police Department on Dec. 27, 2021. Police learned she was living in DeKalb County, so they began working with the sheriff’s to search for her. Detectives searched her home and found physical evidence that they submitted to a national database for identification but could not find a match.

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Chief Detective Nick Brown told WAAY-TV there were "signs of a struggle" inside Isbell’s home.

On June 20, 2023, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received "credible" information about Isbell’s disappearance and followed up on the lead. The tip led to the Carr and Kelly’s arrests. Kelly was in custody in Pennsylvania waiting for extradition to Missouri on other felony charges.

Eight days later, investigators discovered Isbell’s body at Little River Canyon National Park. Her remains were positively identified on June 30, 2023, on what would have been her 39th birthday.

WAAY reports investigators determined Carr and Kelly allegedly pushed Isbell off a cliff after kidnapping her.

Brown said Isbell, Carr, and Kelly were "all acquaintances, mainly through a boyfriend," though it was not clear whose boyfriend specifically.

He added, "They all do come back to one specific person."

Brown said, "It’s very inhuman, brutal what these ladies did to Mary."

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