BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)– For the family members of the victims of the four cold case murder indictments, Tuesday’s announcement is one step closer to the answers they so desperately want.

Since August 2000, Rick Lafferty has waited for an answer after his daughter, Natasha “Alex” Carter and her mother went missing amidst a heated custody battle between the two.

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield announced a major break in the case

“The first indictment was an indictment for first-degree murder on Larry Webb for the August 2000 murder of Natasha Alex Carter,” said Hatfield.

The announcement comes after decades of Lafferty continuing to fight for his daughter, even after the case went very cold

“I just couldn’t get anyone except Agent King to listen to me, you know,” said Lafferty. “And now, you know, it’s bittersweet. The entire thing, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder.”

Following the indictment, Lafferty has one more mission he wants to complete in addition to a final conviction of the alleged killer.

“I could bring her home,” said Lafferty, holding back tears. “You know, I know that she’s not alive, but I could bring her home. At least have a headstone or someplace I can visit her.”

Lafferty says he hopes his perseverance in seeking justice for his daughter sends a message to other parents with missing children.

“Just never give up,” he commented. “You know, you may not get to get them back or get the result that you want, but we hope for justice, and I hope Alex knows that I love her.”

Hatfield said these indictments were all part of a project that he had been working on throughout his term