A West Virginia man recently admitted to murdering a 10-year-old girl and her mother in a cold case in 2000, and died the same day their bodies were discovered.
Larry Webb, who was in his 80s, died Monday at Fayette County’s Mount Olive Correctional Facility, just six hours before the bodies of his victims, Susan and Natasha “Alex” Carter, were discovered. The two victims have not been seen since August 8, 2000, when Susan was 41 years old and Natasha was 10.
At the time of the Carters’ disappearance, Susan was in a custody battle with Natasha’s father and reportedly told him she would never let him see his daughter again. Authorities said the two were living at Webb’s home at the time.
The case remained unsolved for more than 20 years, and the FBI reopened the investigation in 2021. Authorities ultimately executed search warrants at Webb’s homes in 2022 and 2023. He was indicted in November, arrested earlier this month, and was being held without bail at MOCC.
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Victims Susan Carter (left) and Natasha “Alex” Carter (right) were shot and killed by Larry Webb in 2000. (FBI)
At a news conference Tuesday, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield said Webb was dealing with financial problems when he shot and killed the Carters.
“The reason he shot Susan Carter was because he returned to the house to find the cash gone,” Hatfield said. “He started reviewing his finances and became suspicious that Susan Carter had spent too much money.”
“They got into an argument about it and he shot her.”
Hatfield said Webb killed his mother before shooting Natasha “to avoid discovery of Susan Carter’s murder.” The suspect told investigators that he hid the victim’s body.
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West Virginia State Police helped solve cold cases. (Google Maps)
“After he killed both people, he stored them in the basement of his home, where he cried himself to sleep that night. He then spent the next two nights digging shallow graves in the woods on his property.” The prosecutor explained.
“He did tell investigators that he buried Susan and Alex Carter together in the same grave, and that he buried them with their clothes on, which is consistent with what we have discovered in the past 24 hours. , a thorough investigation was conducted.”
On Tuesday, West Virginia State Police officials said the confession was made during the first week of April. West Virginia State Police Lt. R.A. Muddy said Webb was on his deathbed and was “trying to come to Jesus at that point.”
Larry Webb, a man in his 80s, died at Mount Olive Correctional Facility in West Virginia. (Google Maps)
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Natasha’s father, Rick Rafferty, spoke at a press conference and thanked authorities for their hard work.
“It’s a bit of a sad day, but it’s also a happy day because I get to take my baby home,” he said from the stage.
