Authorities in southern West Virginia made a chilling discovery at a local home, unearthing remains believed to be of a woman and her daughter who vanished almost 24 years ago. The grim find coincided with the death of the suspected killer, who reportedly confessed to the murders on his deathbed due to financial troubles, officials revealed at a press conference.
The missing pair, Susan Carter and Natasha "Alex" Carter, were last seen on August 8, 2000. State police and FBI agents located the remains on Monday at the residence of the late suspect, Larry Webb, as detailed by West Virginia State Police Capt. Robert Maddy.
Webb, aged in his 80s, experienced a medical emergency at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex on Monday, where he was detained without bail following his recent arrest in connection with the girl's death. Tragically, Webb passed away at a hospital six hours before the remains were unearthed, according to the statement.
At the time they went missing, Susan Carter, 41, was in a contentious custody battle with Natasha's father and had told him he would never see his 10-year-old daughter again, according to an FBI flyer
In December 2021, the FBI Pittsburgh office announced a renewed push and reward in an effort to find answers in the decades-old case. The $10,000 reward was increased to $20,000 in September 2023.
Police executed search warrants at Webb's home in 2022 and 2023 and authorities said they recovered additional evidence in the investigation.
During one of those searches, Webb told news outlets he did not know what happened to the girl and did not know when he last saw her.
"I don't remember," Webb said. "I have dementia. I can't say exactly."
Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield told WVNS-TV that Webb allegedly had noticed his finances were out of order and that a violent domestic situation ensued.
Officials said he shot Susan Carter because he had money go missing, and thought she had spent a lot of money, CBS affiliate WOWK-TV reported. Authorities said Webb shot and killed her daughter "to avoid detection for having killed Susan Carter."
Webb was indicted last October on a murder charge in the girl's disappearance and held at a medical facility, according to WVVA-TV. He was then arrested on April 12 after being medically cleared for incarceration, Hatfield said.
