Reginald Kray: Life, Death, and Mysteries

Reginald Kray’s name still echoes through London’s East End, a shorthand for the glamour and violence of 1960s gangland. But behind the headlines of the Kray twins’ reign lies a tangle of personal tragedy, unanswered questions, and enduring mysteries. This article separates the confirmed facts from the speculation, exploring Reggie’s life, his troubled marriage, and the strange fate of his brother Ronnie’s missing brain.

Born: 24 October 1933 ·
Died: 1 October 2000 ·
Known for: Organised crime in East London ·
Twin brother: Ronnie Kray

A summary of key biographical facts about Reggie Kray is provided below.

What happened to Reginald Kray?

Early life and rise in crime

Reginald Kray was born on 24 October 1933 in Haggerston, East London, to Violet Lee and Charles Kray (London Museum). He and his twin Ronnie, the youngest of four children, grew up in Bethnal Green and soon became involved in petty crime. By the 1950s they were running protection rackets and nightclubs, building a feared reputation. Reggie served a short prison sentence in the late 1950s for assault (London Museum).

While in prison, Reggie was reportedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, according to a London Museum summary (London Museum). The diagnosis, if accurate, adds a layer of complexity to his later violence.

Imprisonment and later years

In 1969, Reggie was convicted of the murder of Jack McVitie and sentenced to life imprisonment (London Museum). He spent the next 31 years behind bars, mostly at HMP Long Lartin. During his sentence, he reportedly made multiple attempts to end his own life (The Sun (tabloid reporting)). He was released on compassionate grounds in August 2000 after being diagnosed with bladder cancer, and died on 1 October 2000 at age 66 (London Museum).

The pattern: Reggie’s criminal career was bookended by two violent acts—the McVitie murder and his own death—but the decades in between are a blank of institutional confinement and declining health.

Did Reggie Kray have a baby?

Relationship with Frances Kray

Reggie married Frances Shea in 1965 after a whirlwind courtship. The marriage was reportedly troubled from the start (London Museum). Frances, who suffered from severe depression and an eating disorder, died by suicide on 2 June 1967 at age 23 (Hackney Society).

Children and family legacy

Reggie and Frances had no children together. Reggie later married Roberta Jones in 1997 while still in prison, but again had no offspring (London Museum). The Kray family name does not continue through Reggie. The only known child of the Kray twins is Gary Kray, Ronnie’s son, who was born in 1964 but has largely stayed out of the public eye (Findmypast).

“Reggie was a man of contradictions—he could be charming and violent in the same breath.”

Fred Dinenage, journalist who interviewed the Krays (Craig Beck biography)

The implication: the absence of direct descendants means the Krays’ story ends with the twins, making their legacy purely historical—and open to myth-making.

What happened to Reggie Kray after Frances died?

Grief and mental decline

Frances’s suicide in 1967 devastated Reggie. According to later reporting, he became more withdrawn and volatile, with his mental health deteriorating (The Sun). The London Museum notes that “Reggie’s first marriage was troubled from the start” (London Museum).

Subsequent relationships

After Frances’s death, Reggie had a series of short relationships, but he did not marry again until 1997, when he wed Roberta Jones in a prison ceremony. The marriage lasted until his death in 2000 (London Museum).

Murder of Jack McVitie

In October 1967, just months after Frances’s death, Reggie murdered Jack McVitie in a fit of rage. He was arrested in 1968 and convicted in 1969 (London Museum). The National Archives also record a prosecution for stolen bonds that was not proceeded with because of the murder conviction (The National Archives Discovery Service (UK government records)).

The pattern: each stage of Reggie’s life after Frances’s death was a downward spiral—more violence, more prison, and finally, a lonely death in a hospital bed.

What illness did Reggie Kray have?

Mental health

Reggie was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia while in prison in the 1950s, according to the London Museum (London Museum). Later reports suggest he also suffered from depression and made multiple suicide attempts (The Sun). However, the reliability of these claims is limited by the sources.

Physical ailments

In his later years, Reggie was treated for a heart condition and ultimately developed bladder cancer, which led to his compassionate release. He died from a heart attack on 1 October 2000 (Craig Beck).

The catch: while his physical death is well-documented, his mental health remains a grey area—conflicting diagnoses and few independent records mean we may never know the full picture.

Why was Ronnie Kray buried without a brain?

Ronnie’s autopsy and brain removal

Ronnie Kray died in 1995 from a heart attack while still in Broadmoor Hospital. During the autopsy, his brain was removed and retained for research purposes, as standard practice in certain cases (Wikipedia).

Controversy and conspiracy

Years later, it emerged that the brain had gone missing. Reports suggested it was either lost, disposed of improperly, or sold to a private collector (Wikipedia). The mystery has never been resolved, and Ronnie’s body was buried without it.

The implication: the missing brain adds a surreal footnote to the Kray story, symbolising how even the twins’ physical remains are subject to the same chaos that defined their lives.

Timeline

• 24 October 1933: Reginald Kray born in Haggerston, East London (London Museum)
• 1965: Marries Frances Shea (London Museum)
• 2 June 1967: Frances Kray dies by suicide (Hackney Society)
• October 1967: Reggie murders Jack McVitie (London Museum)
• 1969: Convicted of murder, sentenced to life (London Museum)
• 1995: Ronnie Kray dies; brain removed and later missing (Wikipedia)
• 1997: Reggie marries Roberta Jones in prison (London Museum)
• August 2000: Released on compassionate grounds (London Museum)
• 1 October 2000: Reginald Kray dies of a heart attack (Craig Beck)

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Birth and death dates: 24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000 (London Museum)
• Conviction for murder of Jack McVitie in 1969 (London Museum)
• Marriage to Frances Shea (1965–1967) and Roberta Jones (1997–2000) (London Museum)
• Frances Shea’s suicide on 2 June 1967 (Hackney Society)

What’s unclear

• Whether Reggie truly loved Frances or was abusive (London Museum)
• What happened to Ronnie Kray’s brain after removal (Wikipedia)
• Who inherited the Krays’ assets (Craig Beck)
• The extent of Reggie’s mental illness (The Sun)
• Ronnie Kray’s brain was removed during autopsy (Wikipedia)
• Reggie Kray had no children (Findmypast)

“I was a fool to think I could change him. The violence was always there.”

Reported words attributed to Reggie Kray in a prison letter, cited in The Sun

For the public, the Kray story is a cautionary tale about the cost of notoriety. For historians, the unanswered questions—especially about the missing brain and the true nature of Reggie’s relationship with Frances—ensure that the legend will never be fully settled.

Frequently asked questions