A Belton man pled not guilty to upgraded charges of first-degree murder after a Lawson man he allegedly shot succumbed to his injuries.   

Keith Bass II, 49, was originally charged and plead not guilty to four felony charges, including: one count of first-degree assault or attempt, serious physical injury or special victim; one count of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. 

Because the second victim succumbed to his injuries, the assault charge was upgraded and therefore Bass was required to plea to all charges again.  

On Sept. 7, 2022, the Excelsior Springs Police Department (ESPD) received a 911 call reporting Theresa Bass and Bobby Neal Jr. had been shot.  

During the call, Theresa’s daughter claimed the shooter was the victim’s estranged husband, Keith Bass, according to police records.   

Bass now faces another murder charge as Neal passed away allegedly as a result of his injuries on March 18.  

An arraignment was held on Oct. 5 where Bass appeared in custody before Seventh Judicial Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. Flook. With public defender Elizabeth Thompson by his side, Bass waived the right to a formal reading of the charges and entered a plea of not guilty. Clay County Assistant Prosecutor John Creager appeared for the State and had no objections.   

Before the initial assault charge was upgraded to first-degree murder, a trial date had been set for February 5, 2024. It is unclear at this time if the trial date will change.  For now, Bass is being held on a $2,000,000 cash or surety bond.  

At the time of the reported shootings, ESPD Sergeant Bret Rider and Officer Joshua Hyatt arrived at 717 N. Main Street and found Theresa lying on the front porch bleeding profusely. They also located Neal “laying with his feet out of the front door and his body inside the residence. Neal was bleeding and had a severe injury to the face,” the probable cause statement read. “Theresa’s children were present, and they advised they believed the suspect to be their stepfather, Keith Bass.”   

Officers were advised that Keith drove a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee with the license plate of Bass11. The children told police they were upstairs when they heard the gunshots, then came downstairs and found their mother and Neal laying on the ground bleeding.    

According to the report, Neal, who was conscious, told Officer Joshua Hyatt he “was not sure what had happened.”    

Excelsior Springs EMS transported both parties to Liberty Hospital.    

Theresa’s son and brother arrived on the scene and provided officers with Keith’s cell phone number.   

Police records show that upon arrival at the hospital, Investigations Support Specialist (ISS) Andrew Warner was advised Theresa had died as a result of gunshot wounds. Additionally, before Neal was taken into emergency surgery, he told Warner that Bass had shot both Theresa and him, according to records.    

A co-worker of Bass said Keith admitted to an aide at their workplace that he had killed Theresa, records state.   

Warner spoke with the aide, who said Keith had disappeared from work, and “Keith advised her that he had killed Theresa and had nothing left to live for. She did not know where Keith may have been,” the records show.   

On March 19, 2023, ESPD was advised Neal had succumbed to his injuries and that Frontier Forensics had possession of his body with an autopsy scheduled, according to an updated probable cause statement.   

ESPD received the autopsy report on May 10, “which listed the cause of death as ‘complications of multiple gunshot wounds’ and the manner of death as ‘homicide’.”  

Bass was ordered to appear again at 9 a.m. this morning, Oct. 20, for a docket call.  

The Excelsior Springs Standard will continue ongoing coverage of this case.