Police announce discovery of remains of missing mother, 37, from Hartselle, Alabama, who vanished in 2021

Remains of Mary Elizabeth Isbell Wright have been found by police in Little Rock National Park, Alabama

Isbell Wright reported missing in Jan 2022, with court documents claiming she was killed on October 18, 2021 

Authorities Sunday arrested Loretta Carr, 43, on suspicion of kidnapping and killing Wright, before apprehending her daughter

Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly, 21, similarly was arrested Friday on suspicion of murdering Mary Elizabeth Isbell Wright

Kelly is in custody in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to Missouri on federal charges related to capital murder. 

Two years after her disappearance sparked a search for the mother-of-one, police Friday confirmed that they have found the remains of Mary Elizabeth Isbell Wright, [photos]. A mother and daughter have been charged with her murder

Police confirmed that they have found the remains of a mother who went missing in 2021 –  and have arrested a second woman in connection with her murder.
DeKalb County Sheriff’s office confirmed that they found the remains of the missing mother, who went by Beth, on Wednesday at Little Rock National Park just outside Fort Payne. After testing, the remains were positively identified belonging to Isbell.
Mary Elizabeth Isbell Wright, 37, also known as Beth, was reported missing in late 2021 by her family after she vanished from her home in Hartselle, Alabama.
Her disappearance sparked a two-year-long hunt and spanned two police forces before cops charged Loretta Carr, 43, with capital murder and the kidnapping of Isbell Wright.
Police added that they had arrested Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly, 21,  on suspicion of murdering Beth.

Mary Elizabeth Isbell Wright, aka ‘Beth’, 37, [photo] was reported missing in January 2022 by her family after she vanished from her home in Hartselle, Alabama. Police said she was killed three months earlier, in October 2021 

Court documents state that Loretta Kay Carr killed Mary Elizabeth Isbell by pushing her off a cliff in October 2021.
Carr is charged with capital murder and kidnapping, as the alleged incident occurred during an abduction or attempted abduction.
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office in a press release said Jessie Kelly is in custody in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to Missouri on federal charges. She has been charged with capital murder.

Carr, is being held without bond in DeKalb County Jail, and a judge has ordered a preliminary hearing for August 21.
Since Beth was first declared a missing person in early 2022, her family has maintained that she was last seen in November 2021, a month after the supposed murder took place. Police have yet to clear up the discrepancy in reports.
Lawyers for Carr say that there is ‘no evidence’ that she killed Beth, and there is no obvious link between the two women.
She has been charged with capital murder and kidnapping, which could result in the death penalty of life in prison. 

Loretta Carr, 43, [photo], was arrested Sunday and charged with capital murder and kidnapping. She faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted. Police have also had arrested Carr’s daughter, Jessie Kelly, 21, on suspicion of murdering Isbell Wright

The law in Alabama means that the defendant planned and possessed premeditation to commit murder.
In a statement  DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said: ‘We would like to thank the Pennsylvania State Police Corry Barracks, Huntsville Search Dog Unit, State of Alabama Aviation Unit, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Fischer Rescue Squad and all the volunteers who helped during this investigation for all their hard work and dedication.
‘Each individual played an important role in bringing Beth home and holding those responsible for this horrific crime accountable. 
‘We would ask that you pray for Beth’s family and give them privacy as they navigate through this difficult time.’
Her teenage son has since posted a heartbreaking tribute to his mother, sharing a link to Carr’s arrest, writing: ‘Love you forever, like you for always, as long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be’

Beth’s ex-husband, Steven Isbell, was the first person to reach out publicly, posting on social media, seeking help to locate the mother of his son. Her son just posted a tribute to his mom,: ‘Love you forever, like you for always, as long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be’

Hartselle police detectives searched the home where Isbell Wright was staying on December 27, 2021, and carried out a search of the property.
Physical evidence was recovered from the home and entered into a national database, but no match was found at the time. It is unclear what the evidence was.
On June 20, this year, DeKalb County Investigators received information about Isbell Wright’s disappearance and arrested two women in connection with her murder.
Officers discovered remains on June 28, with forensics confirming they belonged to Beth on June 30 – what would have been her 39th birthday.
On December 27, 2021, Beth’s ex-husband, Steven Isbell, posting on social media asking for help looking for the mother of his son: ‘I actually hate to put this out here on social media but Facebook covers a wide area. [her son] hasn’t heard from his mom since September 6th on his birthday and he’s really worried about her because she always at least calls him on the holidays.
‘I’ve talked to her family and no one has heard from her. So we thought about doing a missing person report.’
Relatives officially reported her missing in January 2022 to the Hartselle Police Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
A Facebook group seeking information about her disappearance was set up in April 2022.
Her teenage son has since posted a heartbreaking tribute to his mother, sharing a link to Carr’s arrest, writing: ‘Love you forever, like you for always, as long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be.’

Isbell Wright had been living with her boyfriend James Allen Wright [right], in DeKalb County when she vanished from their home in Hartselle

Isbell Wright had been living with her boyfriend James Allen Wright, in DeKalb County when she vanished from their home in Hartselle.
She had previously been suspected of theft before her disappearance from Wrights property, though it is unclear what she is alleged to have taken.
Wright was arrested by the sheriff’s office in September 2021 for an undisclosed crime and was released to a rehab facility in Florida in November 2021.
While he was in jail, the sheriff’s office said, Isbell was ‘living where she could in DeKalb County.
‘I think she got mixed up with some wrong people,’ her mother, Debbie Wood, told the local news channel last year.

When last seen Isbell Wright was driving her black jeep with Alabama tags

Cops previously said Isbell Wright was last seen on Nov 23, 2021, when she visited her mother in her hometown of Hartselle, but court docs said she killed on Oct 18. That discrepancy is yet to be cleared 

She described Beth’s relationship as ‘new but troubled,’ saying they were always getting into fights. 
Authorities have previously said Isbell was last seen on November 23, 2021 when she visited her mother in her hometown of Hartselle, and was spotted again the next day across the street from her son’s school.
But according to the criminal complaint filed Monday, Beth was killed one month prior to her reported appearance at her mother’s house.
Speaking of her pain while her daughter was still reported missing, Wood said: ‘Part of me wants to believe she’s still here, the other part says ‘Get ready for a funeral if we can find her remains.’