Nearly 48 years after their mother was beaten to death in a Troy apartment, Gail Webster’s daughters say the evidence that could have cracked the case has slipped away. When they began asking about stored items in the early 2020s, they learned that a robe and nightgown their mother had been wearing, clothing that might have held DNA, were missing. The killing is still unsolved, and the sisters say they are not letting up on investigators.
The 1978 killing and cold‑case review
On Oct. 28, 1978, Webster, 48, was found beaten to death with a blunt object inside her Somerset Apartments unit in Troy. Investigators at the time reported no signs of forced entry or theft, a detail that has haunted the family for decades. As noted by WXYZ, the case went cold for years until it was pulled back out in the 2020s, when detectives began looking to modern DNA testing for fresh leads. Webster’s family says that renewed attention gave them hope that carefully stored evidence might finally point to a suspect.
Key items were destroyed, police say
That hope took a hit when the family learned in the early 2020s that Webster’s robe and nightgown were not in the evidence room. In a statement to ClickOnDetroit, the Troy Police Department said the clothing items “were apparently destroyed pursuant to medical examiner policy” after the autopsy. Police also said Michigan State Police had been instructed to retrieve some items but did not pick them up.
A painful exhumation and an odd sighting
Years earlier, the sisters had already taken a drastic step to try to make up for missed opportunities. After learning that their mother’s fingernails had never been scraped for evidence, they pushed authorities to exhume Webster’s remains in August 1995 so that could finally be done. They told investigators, and later recounted to ClickOnDetroit, that on the day of the exhumation they saw a man at Oakview Cemetery, leaning against his car, a sight that made them think someone had been watching Webster before she was killed. The man was later identified, but the daughters say that lead never resulted in a public arrest.
Investigators say DNA advances matter, but obstacles remain
Troy detectives and outside reporters point out that DNA technology has solved many cold cases, and in 2020 Sgt. Meghan Lehman pushed to re‑examine the Webster file to see whether preserved material might still produce a match. FOX 2 Detroit reports that investigators have re‑tested some items. At the same time, lingering questions about what was destroyed and how the remaining evidence was handled make it harder to pull useful genetic profiles and act on any new leads.
How to help
The sisters and investigators are still asking the public to come forward with anything they know. WXYZ notes that anyone with information can call Troy Police at 248‑524‑0777. News investigators at Local 4 can also be reached at [email protected] and have invited tips connected to their reporting. Webster’s family says they will keep pressing for answers until someone is held responsible for the night their mother was killed.
