On a spring evening in Blaine, Kentucky, the quiet of Knob Branch was shattered by a grim discovery. On April 2, 2016, 79-year-old Lois Caroline 'Peggy' Gartin, a White female, and her 52-year-old stepson, Michael Gartin, were found deceased in their residence. Both had suffered fatal gunshot wounds in what was quickly determined to be a double homicide.
The investigation, led by the Kentucky State Police, swiftly pointed to a relative, 47-year-old Stanley Webb Jr. of Logan, Ohio. Investigators alleged that after the killings, Webb stole a Jeep Cherokee belonging to Lois Gartin and fled the state. His freedom was short-lived, however, as he was soon apprehended in Columbus, Ohio.
Upon his arrest, Webb was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of his family members. In addition to the murder charges, he faced accusations of theft for taking the vehicle and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Following his capture in Ohio, Webb was extradited back to Kentucky to face the charges against him. He was booked at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on a $2 million bond for the murder charges, and an additional $10,000 bond for the theft and firearm charges. While a suspect was in custody, the motive behind the tragic and violent end to the lives of Lois and Michael Gartin was not immediately made public by law enforcement.
