Murder Of Frederick Man A Shock To Friends
FREDERICK, Colo. (CBS4) - Two close friends of a Weld County man who was an athletic trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters say they need answers following his murder on Friday.
The girlfriend of Thomas Bashline, 42, called 911 on Friday after discovering his body at his home on the 7000 block of County Road 11. Authorities said he was shot multiple times. So far no clues about what the motive might have been for the murder have been released, but police were at the scene of the crime on Sunday with family members.
On Monday Weld County investigators said they have now identified two persons of interest, but wouldn't elaborate.
DeeDee and Gary Lanning say they are in a fog following the murder of a man they considered practically a member of their family. Their home is stacked with images and memories of Bashline.
"He was that important to us that he had to be in our son's wedding and we got him dressed up in a tux," DeeDee Lanning told CBS4.
The Lannings said they don't know of anyone who might have wanted to do harm to Bashline.
"We're in shock. We can't believe it. We're in disbelief. We still look at each other and say 'No, Not Tom. Not Tom," she said.
Bashline worked at Brighton High School as a trainer for more than a decade. He mentored students and organized rodeos. Most recently, the Lannings say he found what he wanted for the rest of his life when he met his girlfriend.
The day after the murder Bashline's father and his uncle told CBS4 that he worked hard to rise to the level of being a trainer with the Harlem Globetrotters.
"Out of the 1,000 applications that the Globetrotters received they picked him overwhelmingly. He had been to several of the games and all the guys loved him," his father Raymond Bashline said.
The Globetrotters released a statement over the weekend stating "the entire Harlem Globetrotters organization is deeply saddened by this news."
Bashline also ran a business that gave drug tests to pro athletes to confirm if they used banned substances.
No murder weapon has been found in the case and so far no suspects have been named. Investigators also haven't said why Bashline's truck might have ended up near Boulder.
Funeral services for Bashline are scheduled for this Thursday.
