She gave her grandpa a lethal cocktail, stored the body, then fled to Florida, police say
A New Mexico woman is awaiting extradition from Florida after being arrested in the death of her grandfather.
According to a news release from the New Mexico State Police, the De Baca County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched Oct. 15 to a home in the small town of Fort Sumner, population: roughly 1,000. Police were sent to investigate human remains located in a ranch supply tool chest on the property.
State Police agents worked closely with the medical examiner to identify the dead man as 82-year-old A.J. Harden.
After a brief investigation, agents learned that Candy Jo Webb, the man’s granddaughter, had given him a lethal combination of Xanax and Ambien, then discarded the body in the tool chest, according to the police release.
An arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 28 for the 27-year-old Fort Sumner resident who fled to Jacksonville, Florida, “to avoid apprehension,” the report says.
Last Thursday, U.S. Marshals tracked down Webb, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Webb was taken into custody without incident and booked into the local detention center where she is awaiting extradition to New Mexico.
According to his obituary, A.J. Harden of, Fort Sumner, ”was a veteran who worked as a truck driver, then later ran a hamburger stand and never retired. His date of death is listed as Oct. 15, 2020.
Webb is still included as one of the dead man’s survivors, one of four grandchildren.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 12:26 PM.
