In the early morning hours of November 30, 1976, Leroy F. Bass, the 68-year-old male owner of the Bass Motel in Elkridge, Maryland, was fatally shot. Two men entered the motel and initially requested a room. Mr. Bass then asked his 11-year-old niece, who was with him in the business office, to prepare a room for the guests.
As the young girl left to get sheets, the two men brandished weapons and demanded money. When Mr.
Bass refused to comply, they chased him into the living quarters of the motel. Upon her return, the attackers locked his niece in a bathroom. A short time later, she heard two gunshots. The girl managed to escape through a window and promptly called the police.
Law enforcement arrived to find Mr. Bass deceased at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the head. The motive for the murder was believed to be robbery. The investigation initially had promising leads, including a description of the assailants provided by Mr. Bass's niece. She described the two suspects as tall, African American males. Despite a thorough investigation that spanned six months, all leads eventually dried up, and the case went cold. The murder of Leroy F. Bass remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made in connection with the crime.
