Michael Gene Mortensen

Michael Gene Mortensen was a 23-year-old commercial fisherman from Umatilla, Oregon, with family ties to the Klamath Falls and Bonanza areas. Remembered for a final act of incredible bravery, his life was one of six taken in a sudden burst of violence in the early morning hours of July 23, 1977, outside a popular nightclub in Klamath Falls.

The night had been a busy one at Uncle Albert's Lounge, a spot described by a patron as a "jumping joint, packed with people." But the lively atmosphere soured when a former bouncer, 26-year-old DeWitt Charles Henry, became upset with the club's owner, Bill Ransom, over an unpaid bar tab of $180. Henry left the club and reportedly told a barmaid at another establishment that he planned to get revenge on the people at Uncle Albert's. His personal life was in turmoil; he had been served divorce papers the day before the shooting, had attempted suicide two months prior, and his soon-to-be ex-wife later claimed he had abducted her at gunpoint just two nights before the massacre.

Around 2:10 a.m., as patrons began to leave the lounge for the night, Henry returned. He was armed with several weapons, including a .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, and opened fire on the unsuspecting crowd. In the ensuing chaos, Michael Mortensen performed an act of selfless heroism. According to a family member of another victim, Michael saved his own sister’s life by pushing her out of the line of fire and back into the safety of the building, sacrificing himself in the process.

Michael was killed in the attack, along with five other people: Andrew Lane Walker, 22; Gary Lee Anderson, 27; James L. "Jimbo" Trueman, 25; and a young married couple, Robert David Seater, 26, and Carrol Ann Seater, 23. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Carrol Ann was eight months pregnant with their first child. A survivor later recalled her last words were screams of "My baby, my baby."

Law enforcement quickly identified DeWitt Charles Henry as the shooter. A blood alcohol screening taken shortly after his arrest found his concentration to be 0.23%. Investigators found a .223-caliber rifle, a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, and another rifle in his truck. Henry, who was unemployed and had a history of short-lived jobs, pleaded not guilty to the murders, claiming he was unaware of his actions due to the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Due to the high-profile nature of the case and concerns that an impartial jury could not be found locally, the trial was moved. Henry was ultimately convicted on six counts of murder. At the time, Oregon did not have a death penalty, so he was sentenced to six consecutive life terms in prison. The severity of his crimes led to numerous death threats against him from the victims' families and friends, necessitating heightened security measures during his incarceration.

The massacre left a deep and lasting wound on the Klamath Falls community. The loss was immense, cutting short the lives of six young people and an unborn child. Michael Gene Mortensen was laid to rest at Klamath Memorial Park. His final, heroic act remains a testament to his character in the face of unimaginable horror. The perpetrator, DeWitt Charles Henry, was held accountable for his actions and, according to news reports, later died while serving his sentence in prison. The case is considered solved.