Married to the 'red kettle robber'

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

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George is believed to be responsible for five recent kettle robberies in Pinellas County.

More information is surfacing about Lee George, the "red kettle robbery" suspect who drowned in a stolen car Monday in a creek off the Hillsborough River in Tampa.

George, 41, of Clearwater has an extensive criminal record that dates back to 1984. He was married in 1986 to a woman who says he abused her and her son.

"I heard about the kettle robberies and I believe it's possible he could do something like that," said the former Mrs. Cathy George, who didn't want her new name identified for safety reasons.

The woman said the marriage only lasted a year, but many painful years followed.

"He ruined our lives, my son's life, my life, and my family's life," she said. "I still have emotional scars as far as what happened to my child."

The marriage only lasted a year.

George's ex-wife said she had a son shortly before their marriage, but named him after Lee George because he planned to raise the boy. However, he was later convicted of abusing the child. That ended the marriage, but George's family got custody of Lee George Jr.

A custody battle that lasted more than 10 years ensued. George's ex-wife never got custody back, and Lee George Jr. died at age 17 in a car accident.

"They filed motions to keep my child from me," she said. "They actually stopped me from seeing my son for three years before he passed on."

George's ex-wife is now writing a book about her custody ordeal.

"The book I'm working on now is called Legal Abduction," she said.

George's ex-wife never got custody of her son back after her divorce.

Despite their problems, she said she didn't wish her ex-husband dead.

"I don't like to see anybody pass," she said. "I believe in God and I believe in karma. Unfortunately what you do to people in this world, eventually things come back on you."

George's ex-wife isn't sure when she'll finish her book, but says his death adds to the latest chapter.