Dewitt Henry

Mass Murderer

DeWitt Henry 1977 Mass Murder at Uncle Albert's Lounge

Overview

In the early hours of July 23, 1977, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, 26-year-old DeWitt Charles Henry, an unemployed truck driver, opened fire at Uncle Albert’s Lounge (then known as Kitty’s Steak Pit). Armed with a Colt AR-15 Sporter semi-automatic rifle, he killed six people and wounded two others. This became one of the worst mass murders in Oregon’s history . Henry was adopted as an infant in Bakersfield, California, and had previously worked as a bouncer at the lounge. He had a prior conviction for negligent homicide. On the night of the shooting, an argument over a bar bill with an individual named Bill Ransom escalated after Ransom struck Henry. Henry then turned his rifle on the patrons . He also exchanged gunfire with two state troopers before being apprehended. He was wounded in that confrontation .

Victims

• Robert David Seater, age 26, Klamath Falls, Oregon (died July 23, 1977)
• Carrol Ann Seater, age 23 (eight months pregnant), Klamath Falls
• Andrew Lane Walker, age 23, Klamath Falls
• Gary Lee Anderson, age 27, Klamath Falls
• James L. Trueman, age 25, from Kodiak, Alaska
• Michael Gene Mortensen, age 23, Klamath Falls

Aftermath and Trial

Henry claimed a “mental defect” in his defense, but the jury rejected that argument. In November 1979, he was convicted in Multnomah County Circuit Court of six counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder . Oregon did not have the death penalty at the time, so he received six consecutive life sentences. As of 2025, he remains incarcerated—with no possibility of parole—at Snake River Correctional Institution. The Oregon Department of Corrections describes him as approximately 74 years old, about 6 ft 5 in, and weighing 459 lb . ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Gary Lee Anderson 27 yr old Male

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1977 Klamath Falls nightclub shooting

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