Clay County judge lowers bond for Jeffrey King, accused of killing his neighbor
More than three dozen friends, family members and neighbors wearing “Justice for Chris Wells” shirts watched from the gallery as a Clay County judge ruled to lower Jeffrey Traviss King’s $5 million bond on Thursday.
King, who is charged with one count each of first degree murder and armed criminal action after allegedly fatally shooting his neighbor, Chris Wells, a 41-year-old father and husband, during a neighborhood dispute turned physical altercation, will now have to pay $3 million less to post bond.
King’s new bond also includes restrictions intended to protect residents of the Maple Woods Estates neighborhood, many of whom have said they fear for their safety should he be released and return to his home, where he allegedly terrorized neighbors for years.
Before the Thursday bond hearing, King had to pay $5 million cash in order to post bail. King’s defense requested his bond be reduced to 10% of $500,000, meaning King would only need to pay $50,000. Shane Alexander, a Clay County judge, however, chose to decrease King’s bail to $2 million cash with additional limitations.
If King posts bail, he will be placed on house arrest and not allowed to leave for any reason other than attending court. King would also be barred from returning to his home in the 2500 block of Northeast 78th Street and would not be allowed to reside within a two-mile radius of the Maple Woods Estates neighborhood.
Additionally, King would not only be prevented from having “any contact at all whatsoever” with any member of Wells’ family, but any person who resides within the neighborhood, as well.
To decide whether or not to lower the bond, and by how much, Alexander said he studied the Constitution, considered the community’s safety and analyzed past murder cases in Clay County.
Because many of King’s neighbors have expressed concern and fear of King being released on bail, Alexander said the neighborhood’s safety is of “tremendous concern.”
“Obviously that is a huge consideration,” he said to the gallery full of people there in support of Wells.
If King violates the terms of his bail, the sheriff’s department would immediately be called and his bond would be revoked, Alexander said.
King’s attorney, Nicholas Bates, also requested King be moved from the Johnson County Detention Center to the Clay County Detention Center to allow the defense team more time to meet with the defendant. Alexander granted the request.
King is set to appear in court for another hearing on March 27 at 9 a.m.
The dispute between King, 42, and Wells stemmed from a years-long neighborhood dispute intensifying over the course of eight years. Neighbors have accused King of placing floodlights in his yard, blasting music at all hours of the night, parking campers in his front yard, hanging inappropriate signs and parking old cars in front of people’s homes, blocking mail carriers, school buses and first responders from accessing the street.
In 2025, King was found guilty of property damage after video captured him in Wells’ driveway wielding a hammer to smash the side mirror on Wells’ truck. He was given two years probation under specific conditions, including that he have no contact with Wells’ wife, Kirsten Wells.
According to neighbors, Wells was killed early Jan. 12 after he confronted King in defense of his wife. King’s attorney, however, has suggested that he may employ a “stand your ground” defense, saying that King was “ambushed” at his home.
The Kansas City Police’s probable cause shows that Wells and King got in an altercation after Wells returned home after receiving a call from his wife, who said that King had approached the Wells’ home in what was believed to be a violation of his “no contact” order and threw a tarp or blanket onto their front lawn.
Wells then confronted King at his home, the statement said, and a fight spilled into the street. A video showed that Wells punched King, perhaps repeatedly. As the two separated, gunshots were then heard echoing across the block.
Police arrested King at his home shortly before 8 a.m.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Judge Shane Alexander presided over the hearing.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 6:09 PM.
