Cold Case Suspect ID'ed 44 Years After Fatal Shooting: Police

GWYNN OAK, MD — DNA helped officers identify a homicide suspect on Friday, 44 years after a father was killed in Baltimore County.

Police accused Alan Bass, now 75, of killing Samuel Allen, 59, during a 1981 robbery inside the victim's Gwynn Oak home.

Bass is currently serving five consecutive life sentences in Delaware on rape charges, officers said. There is an open warrant charging Bass with Allen's murder, but Bass will not be brought back to Maryland to stand trial "due to significant health conditions." The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office is prepared to try Bass if his status in Delaware changes.

The Baltimore County Police Department said it was called on Aug. 2, 1981, to the 6400 block of Liberty Road, where responders found Allen fatally shot inside his home.

Allen's wife and daughter were home and witnessed the shooting, officers said.

Authorities said the two were in the kitchen when an unknown armed suspect appeared wearing surgical gloves, carrying a cloth bag and demanding money.

When Allen entered the kitchen, police said the suspect fired two shots, striking Allen once in the upper body.

The suspect then demanded Allen's wallet and stole money from it, officers said.

Authorities said the suspect then demanded money from Allen's wife and daughter, before forcing Allen's daughter out the door with him.

Police said the suspect realized he misplaced his bag, but he couldn't find it.

Detectives said they found the bag and shirt and packaged them as evidence.

The case remained open for decades, despite a thorough investigation.

After speaking with Allen's daughter, officers from the cold case squad reviewed the evidence in 2023.

Authorities said the evidence collected decades earlier was suitable for DNA analysis.

Police said they sent the pouch and shirt to DNA Laboratories International for processing, where scientists obtained a CODIS-eligible DNA profile from the blue bag.

Forensic analysts said they entered the profile into CODIS, formally known as the Combined DNA Index System, in November 2024.

Detectives said they were notified a month later that the DNA pointed to Bass as the suspect.

Baltimore County officers obtained a warrant for Bass' DNA, and analysts conducted further testing.

Authorities said DNA Labs notified them this Jan. 31 that Bass' DNA profile was consistent with the DNA profile recovered from the blue bag.

This map shows the area where police said the fatal shooting happened.