Pennsylvania cold case: Possible human remains found in police chief's murder

Saxonberg Police Chief Greg Adams, seen in photo with his family, was shot and killed Dec. 4, 1980, after a traffic stop. (FBI)

What appears to be human remains were discovered behind a Massachusetts home during a search involving a 37-year-old cold case, authorities said.

The Bristol County District Attorney said the possible remains were unearthed after a day-long dig at a home in Dartmouth, on Thursday, Boston 25 reported.

The home belongs to the wife of Donald Eugene Webb, who investigators say shot Saxonburg, Pennsylvania Police Chief Greg Adams during a routine traffic stop in 1980. Webb’s car was found in Rhode Island a few weeks later.

“I was 12 years told when he was murdered, I lived on the county on the other end of the county and all the adults were talking about,” current Saxonburg Police Chief Joe Beachman said. “Getting in the field you can’t help but think about it though your career.”

Authorities began searching the Massachusetts home in June after receiving a tip. At the home, they found a hidden room and a cane.

The cane is significant because the FBI believes Adams shot Webb in the leg before he was killed. The suspect could have needed the cane after being shot.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn told reporters that the Medical Examiner’s Office would determine the cause of death and identify the remains.

A $100,000 reward has been offered by the FBI for information that could lead to Webb’s capture. If Webb is still alive, he would be around 85 years old. He was last seen in Miami in 1982.