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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. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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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.