The Unsolved Murder of Amber Bass

I watched the show Breaking Homicide on Investigation Discovery, which is easily becoming one of my favorite shows on ID. This is Season 2, Episode 7 titled ‘A Deadly Encounter.’ This case is still unsolved, unfortunately. They have a few suspects, but all the evidence is circumstantial. I hope one day Amber’s family can get the closure they’re searching for.

Amber Bass was a 22 year old honor student who wanted to become an event planner. She also worked at Chili’s while going to school. Amber lived with her sister, Robin in Jacksonville, Florida. Robin says in the show that they lived in kind of a bad neighborhood, and the park across the street from her home was known to be a drug scene at night.

Amber

On July 19th, 2013, Amber had just gotten home between 2-2:30am and was walking from her car in the driveway to her front door. Amber was shot in the chest and her purse and cell phone were taken. Robin was woken up by a woman (probably Amber) screaming “no” and by her dog barking. Robin said she was scared, but ran outside and found Amber laying in the driveway. Amber died at the hospital.

The home on 8484 Springtree Road, where Amber and Robin lived in 2013.

The Jacksonville police immediately said that it was a random attack/robbery. Her family disagreed, they thought it was someone who knew her.

Next, I’m going to go through who Derrick Lavasseur interviewed in the show and what information they gave about Amber and the night she died.

Robin, Amber’s sister

Robin gave some brief information about Amber, and who Amber was dating at the time. Amber was exclusively dating a man named David Brown, but was still talking to her ex-boyfriend named Robert Singer. Robin also said that Amber had a 2am curfew while she was living with her.

Robin said while she was trying to help her sister, she noticed a dark car slow down at the end of her driveway almost looking to see what was going on. Robin thought it was suspicious, but Derrick said maybe it could have been a curious passerby, like “when you see a car accident you don’t want to look away,” was how he put it.

Adriel, Amber’s friend

Next, Derrick interviewed Amber’s friend. Adriel worked with Amber at Chili’s, and they became very close. Adriel was one of the people Amber was with the night she died. Adriel said Amber was upset about her relationship with David that night and that he wouldn't come out with them. Adriel said she also was still talking to her ex, Robert.

Derrick asked if Robert or David owned a gun, Adriel said David did and that he told them about it and where it was kept. She also said David made some comment like “if they tested my hands for gun residue, they’d find it because I went to the gun range.” (I couldn’t tell if Adriel just didn't like David because he denied he ever said that).

Robert Singer, ex-boyfriend

Derrick asked Robert about his relationship with Amber, he said they were still talking everyday and still sexually active. He was on the phone with her “about 30 seconds” before she was killed. Derrick asked how he knew it was 30 seconds, and Robert said because he knew what time she was found.

Derrick asked where he was the night Amber was killed, he said he was at home alone playing video games and “they can check his games because he was talking to people online.” He also said the police interviewed him the next day, and “might have” taken DNA and a gun residue test and cleared him. I thought that was super odd because if I was being interviewed about a murder, I would remember it even if it happened 5 years prior.

Derrick also asked him if the cameras made him nervous, and he said yes. Derrick said “why are you smiling,” and Robert said he “always smiled.” Derrick fired back and said “about a murder?” That was the end of that, but I like how Derrick didn’t care about how harsh he was being, because that is weird that Robert was acting that way especially because he supposedly loved and cared about Amber.

David Brown, ex-boyfriend

Next, Derrick met with David. David said he and Amber were exclusive but that he knew she was talking to Robert, especially the night she was killed. He said he didn't care because Amber wasn’t interested in him. He also knew Amber was upset with him because he didn't go out, but he said he had to work the next day.

His alibi is that he was home alone that night. He also said he was interviewed by police the next day, and “might have” gotten a DNA and gun residue test. AGAIN, WHAT IS UP WITH THE “MIGHT HAVE” COMMENTS.

Derrick asked David about the gun he supposedly had and about his weird comments. He denied both, and said he never said that. I wonder if Adriel just really didn't like David and lied, or if David is lying because he doesn’t want to see guilty. Derrick said “he couldn’t rule David out.”

Robbery/ Random act theory

There were 168 robberies at or near the time of Amber’s death in Jacksonville. The one that Derrick was looking into was done by 2 brothers named Donald and James Dickerson. They were involved in a robbery/shooting at a Motel 6 at 4:35am. They had 2 women who were sex workers in their room, and apparently had hit, beat and then shot one of the women in the face. Nobody was killed, but she had severe nerve damage and ended up being blind.

The Dickerson brothers

They also beat a man too, who they “lured” in the room. They then lit the room on fire. By the time the police got there, the room was so badly damaged. All 3 victims survived, and the Dickerson brothers escaped.

Derrick’s investigation

Derrick knew that the brothers started their night at a strip club called Bottomz Up, and left before 2am. They are unaccounted for between 2am-4:35am, when they started the fire.

Derrick obtained their cell records and found that they were near Amber’s home around 2am, when Amber died.

One of the Dickerson brothers also testified in court that they were looking for drugs for a few hours before they got to the motel. Robin had stated that the park across the street was a known drug scene.

Derrick also drove from Bottomz Up to Amber’s house and said it was an 8 minute drive and they could have easily done it because Amber was a pretty girl, and it could have been an opportunity killing to get money.

Derrick also got transcripts and a phone call from an informant that said he met with the Dickerson brothers at a McDonalds, supposedly after Amber’s murder. He said he saw one of them dispose of a “metallic” purse, like the one Amber was carrying that night.

The car is supposedly the car of whoever killed Amber, and this is what her purse looked like.

The guns they were using that night were never found. The Dickerson brothers were sentenced to 9 life sentences for rape and attempted murder.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sadly, this case is unsolved after 5 years and the evidence is circumstantial. It is odd that their cell records show they were in the area near Amber’s house, and that she just so happened to be shot and robbed.

I think this is a possibility, but I also can’t get over how shady Robert and David’s comments were about “maybe” getting DNA and gun shot residue tests done. I think David showed more remorse than Robert did. Robert was smirking and smiling, and Derrick was right for calling him out on it.

I feel so bad for Amber’s family. Derrick told them at the end of the episode, that he’s leaning more towards the Dickerson’s doing the crime, than someone she knew. I think they still believe that it was someone she knew.

Sources

https://www.documentingreality.com/forum/f249/unsolved-murder-amber-bass-autopsy-report-159034/

https://www.projectcoldcase.org/2015/06/14/cold-case-spotlight-amber-bass/