Baltimore, MD – A man already serving five life sentences in Delaware has been identified as the suspect in a 44-year-old Baltimore County homicide, authorities announced Thursday.
Detectives say Alan Bass, 75, was linked by DNA to the fatal shooting of Samuel Allen, 59, inside his Liberty Road home in 1981. Allen’s wife and daughter witnessed the killing after an armed intruder wearing surgical gloves stormed the house demanding money.
Key Points
- Samuel Allen was shot and killed during a 1981 home invasion in Baltimore County.
- DNA from evidence tested in 2023 matched convicted rapist Alan Bass.
- Bass, 75, remains in Delaware prison and will not face trial in Maryland due to health issues.
Investigators said the suspect fired two shots when Allen entered the kitchen, striking him once in the upper body before robbing him and forcing his daughter outside. The gunman fled after realizing he had left a cloth bag at the scene.
DNA breakthrough
That bag, along with a shirt, was collected as evidence in 1981. After decades with no leads, Baltimore County’s Cold Case Squad re-examined the materials in 2023. Forensic analysts at DNA Laboratories International developed a profile from the bag and entered it into CODIS in late 2024.
By December, a hit identified Bass, who has been incarcerated in Delaware on rape convictions. A warrant was issued, and further testing confirmed the DNA match in January.
Prosecution on hold
Bass is not being transferred to Maryland because of what officials described as “significant health conditions.” However, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office said it is prepared to move forward with prosecution if his status in Delaware changes.
Allen’s murder remained unsolved for more than four decades before the cold case team uncovered the link.
The gunman’s forgotten bag eventually brought him down.