Mum and daughter pushed love rival off cliff

Mary Isbell vanished and it would take a shock confession before anyone discovered her fate

- GAIL SHORTLAND

When Mary Elizabeth Isbell disappeared, her loved ones were left with unanswered questions, and her teenage son was left without a mum. Mary, 38, was last seen in late 2021. Her ex-husband reported her missing on 27 December when she didn’t call over the festive period to speak to their son.

Mary's mother, Debbie Wood, was very concerned. While Mary was a devoted mum and ran her own home remodelling business, she had also got herself involved in a “bad” crowd and had started dating a new man, but they were constantly arguing. “I think she got mixed up with the wrong people,” Debbie told the local press, as she begged for information about her missing daughter.

Mary's boyfriend had been arrested in September 2021 and had been released into a rehab facility two months later. That had essentially left Mary homeless and she had been moving around, staying with different friends in the Alabama area. At her last known location, there were “signs of a struggle,” and Mary hadn't contacted anyone. There were some reports that she had been seen near her mum's house and at her son‘s school, but nothing was confirmed.

The police started to investigate. Flyers bearing her photo were pinned to noticeboards and shared on social media, while volunteers drove through rural backroads and checked wooded areas, clinging to the hope that she might be found alive.

PREPARED FOR THE WORST

A Facebook group was set up that continued to appeal for information. Mary's mum said publicly, “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.’”