In the summer of 2016, a visit to family in Louisville, Kentucky, turned tragic for Larry Thomas, a 40-year-old Black male from Baltimore, Maryland. On Saturday, June 25th, Thomas, along with his 37-year-old cousin John Bailey, also from Baltimore, were visiting their other cousin, 44-year-old Michael L. Bass Sr., at a home in the Park DuValle neighborhood.
What should have been a family gathering ended in a horrific act of violence that claimed all three of their lives.
The following day, the homeowner of the residence on Louis Coleman Jr. Drive discovered the three men's bodies inside and alerted the authorities. Investigators arrived to a grim scene; all three men had been shot multiple times. The bodies of Thomas and Bailey were found in the living room, while Bass was discovered in a bedroom. Pieces of carpet had been cut from the floor and used to wrap the victims. The brutal nature of the crime sent shockwaves through the community, which was unaccustomed to such violence.
The Louisville Metro Police Department's investigation quickly led them to a suspect. Within a couple of days, 31-year-old William E. Mason Jr. was arrested in connection with the triple homicide. Community tips and evidence found at the scene were instrumental in identifying Mason, who had a lengthy criminal history involving drugs and firearms. While the exact motive for the killings was not publicly disclosed, police indicated that it was not believed to be gang-related or a domestic dispute. It was stated that the victims and the suspect were known to each other.
William E. Mason Jr. was charged with three counts of murder. His case went to trial, where a jury heard testimony from witnesses, including the homeowner and another individual who was present in the house. After a two-week trial and over eleven hours of deliberation, the jury found Mason guilty of the murders of Larry Thomas and John Bailey. However, he was not convicted of the murder of Michael Bass. For the two murder convictions, along with charges of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering with physical evidence, Mason was sentenced to life in prison. He later appealed his conviction, but it was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
