In the early hours of September 7, 2022, a tragic event unfolded in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, that would claim the life of 44-year-old Theresa Bass, a mother of five. The female victim was discovered bleeding on the front porch of her residence on Main Street just after midnight, the victim of a fatal shooting. Another individual, Bobby Neal Jr., was found inside the doorway with severe gunshot wounds, including one to his face.
Both victims were rushed to Liberty Hospital, where Theresa Bass was pronounced dead. Neal was placed in a medically induced coma but later succumbed to his injuries on March 19, 2023.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw suspicion fall upon Theresa's estranged husband, Keith Bass. This was largely due to the accounts of Theresa's two daughters, aged 13 and 17, who were upstairs at the time of the incident. They heard the gunshots and came downstairs to find their mother wounded. Before being placed in a coma, Bobby Neal Jr. also identified Keith Bass as the shooter to investigators. Further implicating him, a co-worker of Keith's at a rehabilitation facility in Independence reported that he had called her around 1 a.m., admitting to killing his wife and stating that he 'had nothing left to live for.'
Approximately 12 hours after the shooting, Keith Bass turned himself in to authorities in Floyd County, Texas. He reportedly approached a local police officer, confessed to the murder of his wife, and was taken into custody. During an interview with detectives from Excelsior Springs who traveled to Texas, he provided a formal confession and relinquished the weapon used in the crime.
Following his arrest, Keith Bass was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Theresa Bass and first-degree assault for the injuries inflicted upon Bobby Neal Jr., along with two counts of armed criminal action. After Neal's death, the charges against Keith Bass were upgraded to include two counts of first-degree murder. He is being held on a $2 million bond at the Clay County Detention Center. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for September 30, 2025, with a five-day jury trial set to begin on October 27, 2025.
