Xavier Bass Obituary, Death; – A Lincoln inmate, believed to be responsible for the murder of 21-year-old Xavier Bass in May 2017, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning. Wilbert Smith, aged 32, is facing a first-degree murder charge, with the court hearing set for 9 a.m. on Monday.
Prior to this, Smith had been serving time in Lincoln for an unrelated drug offense before being transferred to Douglas County Corrections in June 2024. Other charges against him, including using a firearm to commit a felony, first-degree felony assault, and discharging a firearm at a vehicle, have been dismissed.
In May, Smith was identified as the suspect in the murder of Bass. Bass was fatally shot while driving southbound on Highway 75 near the Hamilton Street exit in Omaha on the afternoon of November 5, 2017, and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Another individual was present in the vehicle with him; they sustained life-threatening injuries but ultimately survived.
