A 75-year-old man serving a life sentence in Delaware for rape has been identified as the suspect in the murder of a Baltimore County resident that occurred more than 40 years ago, county police announced Thursday.
The discovery came after local police were able to obtain a likely DNA match from a bag and shirt that had been left behind by the man who allegedly shot and killed 59-year-old Samuel Allen at his home in the 6400 block of Liberty Road in Lochearn, police said.
The suspect, Alan Bass, is serving five consecutive life sentences in Delaware on rape charges, police said. Police said while there is still an open warrant charging Bass with Allen’s murder, he will not be brought back to Maryland to stand trial because he is suffering from significant health problems.
Should anything change with Bass’ status in Delaware, police said, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office will be prepared to prosecute him.
According to police, Allen, his wife and daughter were in their home on Aug. 2, 1981, when an unknown, armed man appeared in the kitchen wearing a surgical mask and carrying a cloth bag. When Allen entered the kitchen, police said, the man shot him twice in the upper body.
The man demanded Allen’s wallet and removed the money from it, police said. Authorities said the man then demanded money from Allen’s wife and daughter before forcing the daughter out the door with him.
The suspect left a bag and shirt behind, the police report said, both of which were recovered by officers when they arrived at the scene. Both items were packaged as evidence, but the suspect was never found, police said.
In 2023, the Baltimore County Police Department’s Cold Case Squad determined that the evidence collected in 1981 was suitable for DNA analysis. Detectives sent the pouch and shirt to DNA Laboratories International for processing.
The DNA profile that forensic scientists pulled from the bag was entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System in November 2024. In December 2024, forensic analysts found a DNA match with Bass, police said.
—Morgan Lane