In the early hours of New Year's Day in 1995, a night of celebration turned into a scene of unimaginable horror in a small apartment in the Old Southwest neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was here that Daniel Barry Mason, a 47-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, tragically lost his life in a violent rampage that claimed a total of five victims. Born in Waynesboro, Daniel was the son of Edward T.
and Ethel Philips Mason and was employed at Wayne-Tex in his hometown.
The festive atmosphere of the New Year's gathering was shattered when a neighbor, 27-year-old Robert Michael May, entered the apartment off Highland Avenue and began a deadly assault. According to reports, May had been drinking heavily throughout New Year's Eve and, in a drunken haze, carried out the killings. The other victims of this senseless act of violence were Dale J. Arnold, Susan Lynne Hutchinson, Cynthia Ann LaPrad, and Carl Leonard Stroop. Those who knew the victims described them as a group of friends who enjoyed socializing together.
In the aftermath of the shocking events, the Roanoke community was left reeling in grief and disbelief. Robert Michael May was swiftly arrested and faced charges for the murders. He was subsequently indicted on counts of capital and first-degree murder, setting the stage for legal proceedings to bring justice for the five lives that were so violently cut short. The tragic incident served as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of alcohol-fueled violence.
