A Lincoln inmate convicted of killing 21-year-old Xavier Bass in 2017 was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
Wilbert Smith, 33, received a life sentence for first-degree murder.
Smith had been serving time in Lincoln on an unrelated drug charge before being transferred to Douglas County Corrections in June 2024.
Authorities identified Smith as the suspect in Bass’ murder in May 2024.
Bass was shot while driving south on Highway 75 near the Hamilton Street exit in Omaha on November 5, 2017. He later died at the hospital. A passenger in the vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries but survived.
Smith’s other charges, including using a firearm to commit a felony, first-degree felony assault, and discharging a gun at a vehicle, were dropped.
