In the summer of 2014, a 53-year-old woman named Danette Webb was found deceased in her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Concerns arose on June 27, 2014, when Webb, a dedicated volunteer at Noonday Ministries, failed to show up for her work. This uncharacteristic absence prompted her coworkers to check on her well-being. Upon their arrival at her residence, a grim discovery was made, and law enforcement was immediately notified.
Investigators arriving at the scene found Webb's body
inside her home. The circumstances of her death were immediately deemed suspicious, launching a homicide investigation into the matter. For years, the case remained cold, with detectives pursuing various leads that ultimately led to dead ends. The lack of a clear suspect or motive left the community unsettled and Webb's loved ones without answers. The investigation spanned nearly a decade, with authorities continuously working to piece together the events that led to her untimely death.
A significant breakthrough in the long-unsolved case finally came in December of 2023. Cold case detectives identified a new lead that pointed them toward a former coworker of Webb's from Noonday Ministries. This individual, identified as 59-year-old Lance Beaton, became a person of interest. Following an interview with Beaton conducted by an APD detective and an FBI agent, investigators executed a search warrant to obtain his DNA. The sample was found to be a match to DNA evidence collected from the crime scene back in 2014. With this crucial piece of evidence, an arrest warrant was secured, and Lance Beaton was taken into custody. He has since been charged with an open count of murder in connection with the death of Danette Webb.
