Shortly following the questionable death of her third husband, Kathryn Kelly was arrested and charged with armed robbery. However, she was released on a technicality, and the charges were later dropped.
As reported by Crime Museum, Kathryn eventually teamed up with George "Machine Gun Kelly" Barnes. In addition to inviting him to join her thriving bootlegging business, Kathryn bought her new husband a machine gun and gave him the nickname he would maintain for the rest of his days.
Inspired by a successful kidnapping — which made the Barker-Karpis gang $100,000 — Kathryn and George began plotting a kidnapping of their own.
Crime Museum reports the Kellys held Charles F. Urschel on a farm owned by Kathryn's parents. However, after the ransom was paid and Urschel was released, Kathryn and George fled. When authorities descended on the farm, Kathryn's parents were arrested and charged in connection with the oil tycoon's kidnapping. However, Kathryn and George were not captured until two months later.
Machine Gun Kelly died in prison in 1954. Kathryn was released from prison in 1958 after her mother convinced authorities that the FBI intimidated her daughter's attorney. According to reports, Kathryn and George did not have any contact following their arrests.
Following her release from prison, Kathryn moved to Oklahoma, where she lived under the name Lera Cleo Kelly. She died in 1985 at the age of 81.
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