An elderly West Virginia man who was the suspect in a cold case double murder died in police custody on Monday just hours before the bodies of his alleged victims were found.
The two dead had been missing since the year 2000, when they were living with Larry Webb — who died while awaiting trial in a Fayette County, West Virginia, Monday morning, WVVA reported.
Webb was indicted for the murder of 10-year-old Natasha “Alex” Carter last October in Raleigh County, but he remained free until earlier this month, according to WVNS-TV.
The child and her mother, Susan Carter, were last seen in August 2000 when they moved in with Webb at his home near the community of Beckley, the outlet reported.
Cold case investigators found DNA evidence last year that was compelling enough that Webb — who was then in his eighties — was charged with murder.
But while prosecutors felt their case was strong enough to try Webb for the old murder of Alex Carter, police never located her remains or those of her mother.
That all changed Monday afternoon when investigators found both bodies at Webb’s home.
BREAKING: WVSP confirm the suspected remains of Susan Carter and her daughter Natasha “Alex” Carter were found after the suspect’s yard was excavated on April 22. In another twist — the suspect, Larry Webb, died at Mt. Olive just hours before the discovery was made. pic.twitter.com/GB3zqkzhtN
— Leslie Rubin (@LeslieRubinWCHS) April 23, 2024
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But Webb will not face a trial as WVVA reported he was pronounced dead at 10:30 Monday morning at an area hospital of a reported medical episode.
Police did not release any additional information about Webb’s medical episode.
WVNS–TV reported when Webb was arrested less than two weeks ago, a previous caretaker had said he suffered from dementia.
At that time, there were questions about how Webb would be tried and, if convicted, where he would serve a sentence if his mental state were diminished.
Those questions were answered when he died at Montgomery General Hospital before his alleged victims could find late justice.
The bodies of the missing Carter girls were located through a joint effort between West Virginia local and state authorities and federal agents.
FBI agents and personnel with the U.S. Marshals Service were part of the excavation effort to find the missing victims.
According to CBS News, the search for justice for the Carters was renewed in 2021 when police upped an old reward from $10,000 to $20,000 for information on the case.
It is unclear if that reward yielded any tips, but Webb was eventually identified as a suspect and arrested.
An old FBI flyer for the pair did not mention Webb but rather focused on a “contentious” custody battle the older Carter had been involved in with her daughter’s father.
It was believed at the time that the Carters went missing that Susan Carter might have disappeared with her daughter.
