On the morning of November 30, 1976, Leroy F. Bass, 68, owner of the Bass Motel in Elkridge, Maryland, was shot and killed in his business. Two men came to the motel and asked for a room while Bass’s 11-year-old niece was in the office with him. Bass sent the girl to get sheets; as she left, the men produced weapons and demanded money. Bass refused and was chased into the motel living quarters. The niece was locked in a bathroom and later heard two gunshots. She escaped through a window and called police.

Officers found Bass with a single gunshot wound to the head. The motive was believed to be robbery. The niece described the assailants as two tall African American males, and investigators pursued leads for about six months, but the case went cold and no arrests have been made. Any readers who knew Bass, worked at the Bass Motel, or have information about the two men are asked to come forward.