On a summer day in Louisville, Kentucky, tragedy struck the Park DuValle neighborhood. On June 25, 2016, 44-year-old Michael L. Bass Sr., an African American man, was found shot to death inside his home on Louis Coleman Jr. Drive. The grim discovery included two other men, also deceased from gunshot wounds: 37-year-old John Bailey and 39-year-old Larry Thomas.
The triple homicide launched an investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department that would soon lead to an arrest.
Known affectionately as 'BIG MIKE,' Bass was remembered as a man with a generous spirit, someone who would give the shirt off his back to help a person in need. A graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School where he played football, he later earned his CDL and worked as a truck driver. He was a father of three and an active member of his community and the Newburg Apostolic Church. The other two victims, Bailey and Thomas, were reportedly cousins of Bass who were visiting from Baltimore.
The investigation, aided by witness interviews and evidence from the scene, quickly pointed to a suspect. William Mason Jr., 31 years old at the time, was arrested in connection with the three murders. Authorities confirmed that Mason was an acquaintance of the victims, though a specific motive for the killings was not publicly disclosed. At the time of his arrest, Mason was on parole and had a criminal history that included drug-related offenses. He was charged with three counts of murder and held on a $1 million bond.
The sorrow for the Bass family was compounded by another tragedy years later. In 2021, Michael's 18-year-old son, Michael Bass Jr., was also shot and killed in his home in Louisville. This subsequent event left the family reeling from another profound loss, with the case of Michael Jr.'s death remaining unsolved as of 2024. The community continues to remember Michael Sr. for his big heart and the deep loss his death created.
