In a shocking turn of events, a special grand jury has indicted a West Virginia man on a murder charge in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a 10-year-old girl over 20 years ago. Authorities have identified the accused as Larry Webb, and the victim as Natasha “Alex” Carter. According to Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield, Carter and her mother, Susan Carter, have not been seen since August 8, 2000.
The disappearance occurred during a turbulent time, as Susan Carter was involved in a heated custody battle with Natasha’s father. In fact, she had reportedly told him that he would never see his daughter again. An old FBI flyer had suggested that the pair might have left the state. According to news outlets, Carter and her daughter were residing in Webb’s house at the time of their disappearance.
Last December, the FBI Pittsburgh office made a renewed effort to solve the decades-old case by announcing a reward of $10,000 for information. More recently, this reward has been increased to $20,000.
In 2022 and 2023, the police carried out search warrants at Webb’s residence, leading to the discovery of additional evidence related to the investigation. Webb, who is in his 80s and suffers from dementia, claimed he had no recollection of what happened to Natasha and when he last saw her.
During these searches, Webb’s caretaker, Terry Lilly, alleged that the police seized various items, including a bullet, flooring tile, and DNA evidence. However, these claims have not yet been confirmed by officials.
While Susan Carter’s disappearance is still being investigated and she is presumed dead, Hatfield clarified that the wealth of evidence points to the death of Natasha ‘Alex’ Carter. Efforts are currently underway to arrest Webb, who is currently in a “quasi-medical housing situation.”
The availability of legal representation for Webb remains unclear, as there is no attorney of record listed for him, and the public defender’s office has declined to comment.
