Man charged in deadly KC Northland shooting of neighbor pleads not guilty
A 42-year-old Kansas City man charged with murder in the shooting death of a Northland neighbor appeared in Clay County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon, where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf, according to court records.
Clay County prosecutors charged Jeffrey Traviss King on Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 41-year-old Chris Wells.
Court records show King appeared in custody without an attorney and charges were read to him. The court entered a plea of not guilty.
Clay County Circuit Judge Louis Angles set a bond reduction hearing for 2 p.m. on Jan. 20 and a preliminary hearing for 9 a.m. Feb. 20. Angles also advised King to immediately submit an application for a public defender.
King is being held in the Clay County jail on a $5 million bond.
King is accused of shooting Wells during an argument Monday morning in the 2500 block of Northeast 78th Street. Wells died at the scene.
Court records show that King was found guilty of destruction of property in early November in Kansas City Municipal Court, and he was sentenced to 30 days in jail. The judge, however, suspended the jail term, and placed King on two years of probation. As part of that probation, he was ordered to stay away from Wells’ home in the neighborhood.
Neighbors told The Star that King broke a mirror off a vehicle owned by Wells. Multiple neighbors described King as having caused issues in the neighborhood, saying King would frequently park multiple vehicles along the street, to the point where school buses could not drive through. One described King as holding the neighborhood hostage for years.
According to court records, police were aware of a long series of confrontations that escalated over some time between King and the neighbors in the area.
On Monday, King is accused of throwing a blanket into Wells’ yard. Wells’ wife told investigators she called her husband. When he came home from work to confront King, a fight broke out. King is accused of shooting Wells during the fight.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zach Thompson said Wells had eight bullet wounds to his back and five to his front. Police found eight spent 9 mm shell casings on the street near Wells’ body.
Two witness told investigators they saw King shoot Wells in the back while he was lying face down in the street, Thompson said.
