Remains thought to be those of a lady and her daughter who had not been seen in almost 24 years were discovered in a southern West Virginia residence on the same day the girl’s alleged killer died in prison, state police said. The suspect confessed on his deathbed to shooting and killing Susan and Natasha “Alex” Carter, who had been missing for more than two decades, due to financial problems, investigators said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Susan Carter and her daughter have not been seen since August 8, 2000. State police and the FBI discovered what they thought to be their remains Monday at suspect Larry Webb’s residence, according to West Virginia State Police Capt. Robert Maddy in a statement.
Webb, who was in his eighties, had a medical episode on Monday at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex, where he was being held without bond after being arrested earlier this month in connection with the girl’s death. Webb was pronounced dead at a hospital six hours before his remains were recovered, according to the statement.
According to an FBI flier from the time they went missing, Susan Carter, 41, was in a heated custody battle with Natasha’s father and had informed him that he would never see his 10-year-old daughter again. Carter and her kid were presumably living in Webb’s home when they went missing, according to news reports.
In December 2021, the FBI Pittsburgh office launched a renewed campaign and reward to solve the decades-old case. The $10,000 incentive was raised to $20,000 in September 2023.
Police obtained search warrants at Webb’s home in 2022 and 2023, and police stated that they discovered new evidence in the investigation.
During one of the searches, Webb told news reporters that he had no idea what had happened to the youngster or when he had last seen her.
“I don’t remember,” Webb replied. “I’ve got dementia. “I can’t say exactly.”
Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield told WVNS-TV that Webb allegedly found his finances were out of order, resulting in a violent domestic situation.
Officials said he shot Susan Carter because he had money go missing and believed she had spent it all, according to CBS station WOWK-TV. According to authorities, Webb shot and killed her daughter “to avoid detection for having killed Susan Carter.”
According to WVVA-TV, Webb was indicted for murder in the girl’s disappearance last October and is being kept in a medical facility. He was detained on April 12 after being medically cleared for jail, according to Hatfield.