It was around 8:30AM on the 26th of August, 1998, when a jogger came across a gruesome scene near a ditch in the 2100 block of North Main, Galena Park, Texas

It was around 8:30AM on the 26th of August, 1998, when a jogger came across a gruesome scene near a ditch in the 2100 block of North Main, Galena Park, Texas. It was the body of man. He had evidently been the victim of a brutal and sustained attack; he had contusions and abrasions from head to toe.

The man was identified as 59-year-old Louis “Buddy” Musso. Shortly after the body was found, 44-year-old Susan Basso went to the police department in Jacinto City to report Buddy, who she lived with, missing.

Investigators immediately became suspicious of Susan when she and her 23-year-old son, James O’Malley, came in to identify Buddy’s body. Susan engaged in fake hysterics while James was completely expressionless.

The mother and son would be brought in for questioning and James would make a disturbing confession, telling investigators that Buddy had been killed by his mother, himself and a group of other people had beaten Buddy to death and then dumped his body.

In addition to Susan and James, four other people would be arrested: 54-year-old Bernice Ahrens, her 25-year-old son, Craig Aherns, her 22-year-old daughter, Hope Ahrens, and Hope’s 26-year-old fiancé, Terence Singleton, were all arrested and charged with the capital murder of Buddy.

All six were charged with the capital murder of Buddy. James would divulge to investigators that his mother, Susan, had been trying to become Buddy’s legal guardian. While Buddy was 59-years-old, he was mentally disabled and had the mind of a child.

Investigators would now need to determine how exactly Susan and Buddy knew one another.

Buddy had originally lived in an assisted living home in New Jersey where he was a familiar face. He was known for the country music which emanated from his apartment, sometimes locals could hear him singing along. He became increasingly involved in religious pursuits and was baptized and enrolled in religious classes.

Many years beforehand, Buddy had been married and he had a son with his wife. However, his wife had tragically died of cancer and Buddy longed for love. There was nothing he enjoyed more in his life than being a husband.

Investigators would learn that around a year before Buddy died, he and Susan met at a church bizarre near his assisted living home in New Jersey. They started what Buddy believed was a romantic relationship and Susan encouraged him to move to Texas.

Buddy was brimming with excitement about his new life when he travelled to Texas to be with Susan. Ever the hopeless but lonely romantic, Buddy had a habit of falling too quickly for women he didn’t know that well. He had intended on giving Susan an engagement ring that he had purchased with money he earned bagging groceries at a ShopRite. As his son, Antonio Musso, would state: “I said to him, ‘Listen dad, you have to be careful. I don’t like the way this sounds. You barely know this woman.’”

Antonio’s fears had been legitimate, and Buddy’s hopes and dreams were polarizing to the truth that would meet him in Texas. When he arrived in June, he was met with a barrage of abuse. He essentially became a slave for Susan and co. He was starved, handcuffed, and beaten. Buddy was attacked whenever he broke something, whenever he moved too slowly for them, when he couldn’t control his bladder or when he didn’t do chores. If the group ever left the home, Buddy would be handcuffed.

Susan had taken out a $50,000 life insurance policy on Buddy and had applied to be the payee of his social security checks.

When investigators searched the home, there was evidence that Buddy had been the victim of prolonged abuse and torture. There was a blood-stained bed sheet and blood spatter on the baseboards from the previous assaults that had been inflicted on him. According to one neighbour of the group, they had seen Buddy around a week before his body was found and he had a black eye and blood on his shirt. 

The neighbour asked him if he needed help and he replied: “Don’t call nobody because they’ll beat me upset