Staunton murder suspect arrested

By Tony Gonzalez

Published: December 1, 2008

About five hours after the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old babysitter in Staunton authorities arrested her ex-boyfriend about 175 miles south in a remote area near the North Carolina border.

John Michael Mason, 27, of Stuarts Draft, crashed his car and tussled with a Virginia State Police trooper before authorities found he was wanted in Staunton for first-degree murder and two firearms charges in the killing of Amanda Kaye Bush, of Stuarts Draft. He is being held without bond at New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin.

Mason crashed a rented 2008 Dodge Charger — the same car witnesses saw speeding away from the murder scene — in Lambsburg on a slight curve of Route 620 headed away from Exit 1 of Interstate 77 at about 8 p.m., said 1st Sgt. Mike Musser of the state police Galax office.

A trooper found Mason intoxicated and suspiciously “concealing something in his clothing,” Musser said.

He refused to show his hands.

“At that point he and the trooper ... wrestled to the ground,” Musser said.

A tow-truck driver called to the scene also helped control Mason.

The trooper discovered a loaded .380 pistol sliding down Mason’s pantleg, which the suspect later said he was attempting to reach so he could throw it into the woods.

“Naturally, anytime we find a weapon on someone that we’re unaware of it, it’s construed the trooper’s life was in jeopardy,” Musser said. “We don’t know if he was going for the firearm or trying to conceal it.”

Taken before the magistrate in Hillsville for DUI, resisting arrest and concealed weapon charges, authorities discovered Mason was wanted in the killing of his ex-girlfriend in the 2700 block of Knollwood Drive in Staunton’s typically kid-friendly Hillcrest neighborhood, where the woman was a babysitter.

Police found Bush in the street with neighbors at her side at about 2:45 p.m.

Staunton police Officer Lisa Klein said authorities are unsure when Mason may be transported from Dublin.

The state police sex offender registry lists Mason as being on probation for 2002 and 2003 convictions for having carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15 in Staunton and Augusta County. Court records show that Mason also was convicted of hit-and-run, eluding police and maiming caused by DWI in 2003, as well as under-aged possession of alcohol, petty larceny and a gas drive-off.

The murder is the second of the year in Staunton, where police had not investigated a homicide since July 2005.