A double murder from 2000 was solved after the killer made a deathbed confession, with the bodies of his victims found just hours after he died.
West Virginia woman Susan Carter, 41 at the time of her death, and her 10-year-old daughter Natasha, also known as 'Alex', were last seen on August 8 2000 and had been missing ever since then.
However, according to WSAZ their bodies were finally found almost 24 years later as remains believed to belong to the mother and daughter were discovered in the backyard of Larry Webb on Monday (22 April).
The following day West Virginia State Police held a press conference where they said that Webb, the lead suspect in the death and disappearance of Susan and Natasha, had made a deathbed confession which led to the discovery.
Webb had made the confession earlier this month and died on 22 April just a few hours before investigators found the bodies he said had been buried on his property.
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Officials said that a search warrant for Webb's home had been obtained 18 months ago, finding a bullet embedded in the wall of Natasha Carter's bedroom.
Analysis of blood on the bullet confirmed that it belonged to the girl, who was 10 years old at the time of her death, and the 82-year-old Webb was indicted for murder in October 2023.
He was taken into custody earlier this month and police said that with their evidence they were able to extract a confession from Webb.
Officials said Webb confessed to murdering the mother and daughter, saying he had shot Susan Carter in an argument over money inside the house which he believed she had spent.
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Webb told investigators he 'knew he had ruined his life forever' and that he believed he'd have to murder Susan's 10-year-old child to avoid being caught.
The murderer confessed to wrapping the bodies in bed linen and hiding them in his basement while he dug them graves in a wooded area at the back of his property.
Webb, who had made his confession during the first week of April and had been imprisoned at Mount Olive Correctional Complex, 'suffered a medical episode'.
He was pronounced dead at Montgomery General Hospital' on 22 April.
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Police said that the bodies discovered matched the descriptions provided by the murderer and were later confirmed to be the bodies of Susan and Natasha Carter.
Joe Harker