Deal led to information
Following the receipt of an immunity request for information regarding the whereabouts of Donald Webb — accused of murdering Saxonburg Police Chief Gregory Adams — Lillian Webb was interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police a second time.
In that interview, she immediately told authorities that she would lead them to where Webb was buried.
That burial spot turned out to be in the backyard of the home that authorities had searched several times during the investigation.
“After we received that letter, it was, 'She must know something, she is finally willing to talk,'” State Trooper Max DeLuca, criminal investigation assessment trooper for Troop D said.
DeLuca said a deal was worked out that Lillian would tell authorities information regarding the location of Webb for immunity from prosecution and the closing of a $1 million lawsuit against Lillian and her son, Stanley Webb, by Adams' widow, Mary Ann (Adams) Jones, and her sons, Benjamin Adams and Gregory Adams Jr.
“We wanted to know what was going to be said in this deposition, we wanted to be able to find Donald dead or alive, and if he was dead, be able to prove it was him,” he said.
Once immunity was worked out with both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts authorities, DeLuca said he and other investigators again returned to Lillian's home.
“We gave her an immunity letter, but it really didn't mean much because everything she has done or did was in Massachusets,” he said. “That's the ironic thing about this, I think under Massachusetts state law, she would have been protected under spousal privilege anyway. We are giving immunity, both sides, to things we can't prosecute on.”
With her attorney, John Cicilline, present, police arrived, and Lillian gave up the goods almost immediately, DeLuca said.
“We went in hoping she was going to give it up,” he said. “At that point she had everything she asked for. When we walked in, she said he was dead right at the beginning, and was ready to show us the grave.”
“'He's in the backyard,'” DeLuca reported Lillian saying, and Cicilline saying, “'My client will show you where he is at.'”
Following an hourlong interview, in which Lillian told police what Donald had been doing in the 19 years he was alive following Adams' murder, she finally led them to his grave site, an nondescript location beside a shed in the backyard.
“She showed us with her foot,” DeLuca said, explaining how Lillian scraped indicating where she had buried her husband. “She scrapes the ground with her foot and says 'this is it.'”
Following that, she went back inside with her attorney, who eventually left the scene while police prepared to unearth the remains.
“We were open to all options, we didn't know where her interview was going to take us,” DeLuca said.
It led them to a spot between the shed and the property line of trees, to an area of dirt devoid of much vegetation. Underneath, Donald's remains would eventually be found.
