DNA match solves 1981 Baltimore County murder 44 years later as suspect identified in cold case
BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD – More than four decades after 59-year-old Samuel Allen was fatally shot in his Liberty Road home, Baltimore County detectives have identified a suspect in the long-unsolved homicide thanks to a breakthrough in DNA technology.
On August 2, 1981, police responded to the 6400 block of Liberty Road, where Allen had been shot and killed in front of his wife and daughter by an armed suspect demanding money. The masked gunman, wearing surgical gloves and carrying a cloth bag, entered the kitchen, opened fire on Allen, and robbed the family before fleeing the home with Allen’s daughter. He later released her and fled the scene after realizing he had left his bag behind.
The suspect was never found, and the case remained open for 44 years. At the time, police collected and preserved the suspect’s blue bag and shirt left at the scene, but DNA technology was not yet capable of identifying a suspect from those items.
In 2023, Baltimore County Cold Case detectives reopened the investigation and sent the preserved evidence to DNA Laboratories International for modern analysis. Scientists were able to extract a CODIS-eligible DNA profile from the blue bag. That profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in November 2024, and by December, the database returned a hit.
The DNA matched 75-year-old Alan Bass, who is currently serving five consecutive life sentences in Delaware on unrelated rape convictions. Further testing confirmed the match. On January 31, 2025, Baltimore County detectives received confirmation that Bass’ DNA matched the profile recovered from the 1981 crime scene.
An arrest warrant has been issued charging Bass with the murder of Samuel Allen. However, due to Bass’ significant health issues and incarceration status in Delaware, he will not be extradited to Maryland at this time. The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office has stated it is fully prepared to prosecute the case if Bass’ status changes.
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Key Points
- DNA from a bag left at a 1981 murder scene led to a match 44 years later
- Alan Bass, 75, currently serving five life sentences in Delaware, has been charged in the killing
- Due to health conditions, Bass will not currently be extradited to face trial in Maryland