GEORGE “MACHINE GUN” KELLY

By Lauren Head

BACKGROUND

Born in 1895 in Memphis, Tennessee

Wealthy family, uneventful childhood

Studied agriculture at Mississippi State University

Always in trouble with the faculty and spent most of his time working off demerits.

Considered a poor student with his highest grade (a C plus)

BACKGROUND CONT.

Married Geneva Ramsey at age 19• Divorced soon after• According to her, divorced because he was “running bad

company.”• Had two sons together

Was a bootlegger throughout his teens

Also known for kidnapping and armed robbery

Married Kathryn Thorne who was a bad influence on him

BACKGROUND CONT.

She bought him a machine gun and pressured him to practice

Many believe Kathryn created George “Machine Gun” Kelly

CRIME HISTORY

He was in trouble with the law from his teenage years and on

First jail time in 1927 for bootlegging• Only for a few months in New Mexico• A few years later, arrested again for bootlegging in

Kansas• Spent time with bank robbers

CRIME HISTORY

He is believed to have helped two of them out of jail

• After his release, he met up with them and robbed banks together

Kathryn and Kelly plotted the kidnapping of an oil tycoon and business man, Charles F. Urschel.

• They kidnapped him and held him at a ranch for $200,000 ransom

GUILTY

Urschel remembered many things while being kidnapped which helped the FBI with their investigation

Kathryn and Kelly state hopped in order to stay ahead of law officials

The FBI used the bills that payed the ransom to find Kelly

• These bills had traceable serial records which the FBI used to trace Kelly

GUILTY

Kathryn and Kelly continued to state hop but then ended up staying at a friends house in Memphis

Memphis police, along with FBI agents, found them at the house and made a violent forced entry

Hung over, Kelly told the police, “G-men, please don’t shoot!”

GUILTYThe couple was flown to Oklahoma where they stood trial and were both sentenced life in prison

Enough proof was provided from catching the whole “Kelly Gang”

After being difficult with jail officials, he was transferred to Alcatraz

His life was uneventful in Alcatraz and he regretted his criminal actions

He died of a heart attack on his 59th birthday

THEORY

The theory that best explains his deviant behavior is a mixture of two theories. I think that George Kelly’s deviance can be descirbed through the Differential-Assosiation theory. I think this because he didn’t become a very big criminal until he married Kathryn. She turned him into the criminal that he became and he was always around her so he had no other choice. When he was in jail without her, he regretted his actions and realized they were bad. He wasn’t truly a criminal without her.

THEORY CONT.

I also think that George Kelly’s deviance can be described through the anomie theory. I think this because he wasn’t making ends meet and he resulted to bootlegging for money for his family. He also conformed to his wife’s actions. Another example of why his deviance is the anomie theory is the fact that they kidnapped someone and held him ransom for $200,000. This is a great example of innovation and although his wife mostly thought of it, he helped execute this crime.

OPINION QUESTION

I think that Machine Gun Kelly should have had a chance to be rehabilitated. He basically did this himself when he was in Alcatraz. He was considered a “model” inmate because he took a job as an altar boy at a chapel and also worked in the laundry. If he had the chance, he definitely would have taken the choice of rehabilitation and I believe he deserves it because it would have changed him for the better. Fellow inmates said that he wrote apologies to Urshel because he felt really bad about what he did. There is good in everyone and he should have gotten another chance to show this.