Westley Thaddeus Barksdale, known affectionately to family and friends as “Thadd,” was a 31-year-old African-American man whose life ended tragically in a double homicide in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 4, 2016. Barksdale and his longtime best friend, Diamond Webb, were discovered murdered on the city's north side, their bodies concealed in separate locations near North 21st Street and West Atkinson Avenue.
The disturbing circumstances surrounding their deaths devastated two families and left investigators searching for answers about who had killed the men and why.
The investigation began on Saturday morning, June 4, when Milwaukee police received a 911 call reporting that a body had been discovered inside a garbage cart in an alley near the 4100 block of North 21st Street. Responding officers subsequently discovered a second body concealed inside the trunk of a nearby vehicle. Later accounts identified Barksdale as the victim found in the trunk of an abandoned rental car, while Webb was discovered inside the garbage container. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. The discovery immediately raised troubling questions about the circumstances of the killings and why the victims' bodies had been left in such a manner.
On June 6, 2016, Milwaukee police publicly identified the victims, confirming that they had been close friends. Barksdale and Webb had known each other since childhood and shared a bond so strong that relatives described them as brothers, despite having no biological relationship. They were rarely apart, and those who knew them struggled to understand how two men who had spent so much of their lives together could meet such a violent end. Both had families and children who were left grieving their sudden deaths.
Barksdale's father, Frank McGowan, expressed overwhelming grief and disbelief over the brutality of the crime. He described the emotional devastation that had overtaken the family, explaining that they were struggling to sleep or eat following the discovery. The manner in which the bodies had been discarded was particularly painful, representing what he viewed as a profound disregard for human life. McGowan pleaded for anyone with information to come forward and assist Milwaukee police in identifying those responsible.
Barksdale's sister, Tamika Moore, also spoke publicly about her family's suffering. She described the victims as loving individuals who had not deserved such a terrible fate. Moore emphasized that both families were hurting and desperately needed someone who knew what had happened to share that information with investigators. Her appeal reflected the anguish of relatives who were forced to confront not only the deaths of their loved ones but also the possibility that someone in the community knew the identity of the killers and remained silent.
One of Barksdale's brothers, Danelle Wyms, returned to the area where the bodies had been discovered on June 6. Wyms recalled seeing his brother just two days before the discovery. During that final encounter, Barksdale had checked on him, encouraged him to stay out of trouble, and reminded him to be safe. The conversation ended with an expression of love, words that would take on heartbreaking significance after his death. For Wyms, visiting the scene was an attempt to confront the reality of losing someone who had recently been looking out for his well-being.
The two families gathered for a vigil near North 4th Street and West Vienna Avenue shortly after the murders. Friends, relatives, and community members came together to remember Barksdale and Webb while calling for justice. The families ultimately arranged for the two best friends to be buried beside each other at Graceland Cemetery in Milwaukee, preserving in death the closeness they had shared throughout their lives.
As detectives investigated, several important questions remained unanswered. Authorities had not publicly established where the shootings originally occurred, what events preceded the violence, or whether the victims had been deliberately targeted because of a personal dispute or another motive. Although the discovery of their bodies indicated that someone had attempted to conceal or dispose of them, the available public information did not establish who had transported the victims or whether more than one perpetrator was involved. Police continued searching for suspects, but no arrests were announced during the initial investigation.
Two years later, on June 4, 2018, relatives gathered again to commemorate the anniversary of the murders. By then, the investigation had produced no publicly reported arrests. Diamond Webb's sister, Velvet Webb, described the emotional burden of knowing that the people responsible were potentially continuing their lives while the victims' families were left without answers. She expressed particular anguish over the manner in which the bodies had been discarded. According to her account, the family had been told that Webb's injuries occurred inside a vehicle before his body was placed in the garbage cart. However, the precise sequence of events surrounding the shootings and disposal of the bodies had not been publicly established by investigators.
The family acknowledged that there had been investigative leads but said none had produced a resolution. Relatives continued urging witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the killings to contact authorities. Their appeals were motivated not only by a desire for arrests but also by the need to understand the circumstances that had taken two loved ones from their families so suddenly.
On June 4, 2019, the third anniversary of the killings, family and friends once again gathered at Graceland Cemetery. Standing near the graves of Barksdale and Webb, relatives reflected on the friendship that had connected the men throughout their lives and the grief that continued after their deaths. Velvet Webb remained hopeful that someone would eventually provide the information necessary to solve the case. Despite the passage of three years, authorities had not announced an arrest, and the families continued waiting for accountability.
The publicly available reporting reviewed for this case does not identify a confirmed suspect or establish that anyone has been criminally charged, tried, or convicted in connection with the murders. The last located case-specific anniversary reporting, published in June 2019, described the double homicide as unsolved. No subsequent verified public announcement establishing an arrest or prosecution was located.
The murders of Westley Barksdale and Diamond Webb remain a painful chapter for their surviving loved ones. What began as an ordinary weekend in Milwaukee ended with the discovery of two lifelong friends who had been violently killed and concealed in an alley. Years after their deaths, the unanswered questions surrounding their final hours, the identity of their killer or killers, and the motive for the crime have continued to overshadow their families' efforts to find peace. Barksdale is remembered by relatives as a caring brother, a cherished son, and a loyal friend whose life was taken without explanation. Their families continue to hope that someone with knowledge of the killings will come forward and help bring those responsible to justice.
