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 .
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