In the quiet hours of a Saturday night in Douglasville, Georgia, the lives of two young men were tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence. On October 16, 1988, Gregory Bass, a 34-year-old African American male, was working at a local fast-food restaurant when a colleague turned on his co-workers in an act of robbery. Bass, along with 19-year-old Anthony D. Evans, was shot and killed during the commission of the crime.
The perpetrator was quickly identified as Alphonso Stripling, a cook trainee at the same restaurant. Shortly after the restaurant had closed for the evening, Stripling brandished a firearm and shot four of his fellow employees, fatally wounding Bass and Evans. He then fled the scene with the day's cash receipts, carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint to make his escape. His freedom was short-lived, however, as law enforcement swiftly pursued him in a high-speed chase.
Stripling was apprehended the very same day, and found in possession of the stolen car, the money from the restaurant, and the weapon used in the murders. His subsequent trial brought a swift measure of justice for the victims and their families. In July of 1989, Alphonso Stripling was convicted for the murders of Gregory Bass and Anthony Evans and was sentenced to death for his crimes.
