Jury selection begins in Smithfield woman's murder trial

Fayetteville, N.C. — Jury selection began Monday and opening statements are expected Tuesday in the murder trial of a Smithfield woman accused of shooting her boyfriend to death.

Tiffany Ann Bassett is charged with first-degree murder in the July 18, 2006, death of her boyfriend, Donald "Keith" West, who was found dead in the bedroom of the home the couple shared.

Bassett and West's home was under foreclosure and was scheduled to be sold on the day deputies got the call about West's death.

The trial comes after a number of delays.

It was supposed to begin in March but Superior Court Judge E. Lynn Johnson postponed it until April because prosecutors turned over a 437-page discovery file to defense attorneys five days before the case was to go to court. The case was then turned over to a new prosecutor.

In April, the trial was delayed indefinitely when Johnson, citing matters of "unintended consequences" said activities "impaired the ability" of the state to proceed.

West worked as a Smithfield police officer for several years before leaving the force in 2001 to start a private police security operation, West-Tek Inc.

Publicity surrounding case forced the court to change the trial venue from Johnston County to Cumberland County.

If convicted, Bassett could face a life sentence.

18 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

VIEW ALL 18 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments

I feel so fortunate that I live in a country where the presumption of innocence is largely upheld to follow the 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments. Looking forward to the conclusion of this trial which has already been dragged out longer than it should have been.

catalyst74
September 1, 2008 10:39 a.m.

We appreciate your concerns but it would be best if all comments waited until after the trial is over so as not to jeopardize the case. Thank you

jtedder
August 27, 2008 12:05 p.m.

I meant RELIVE on my earlier post....got in a hurry or the fury was getting the best of me.

Still miss you cuz.........

illegals--GO HOME
August 26, 2008 6:40 p.m.

Also, if she gets off on some technicality since they have played politics to death on this one, there is a special place reserved in h e double hockey sticks for her. I hope she suffers an eternity for what she did.....shot him while he slept with an 8-month old child in another room. I wish it were legal for me to just have 10 minutes with her with no repercussions!! No....would not kill her, just make her wish that she was headed that way....she is evil in its purest form.

illegals--GO HOME
August 26, 2008 6:38 p.m.

Asking my fellow Golo'ers to keep Keith's family in your prayers as they have to relieve the worst day of their lives because this PERSON(WRAL won't let me use the correct term) chose to kill him rather than get out. Keith was going to put her out anyway and she did not give him a chance. She only cared about drugs and taking his money to pay for them. Had it not been for their little girl, Keith would have been done with her long before. To think, she and her Mom thought they could get away with setting up a false alibi....but the time of death does not lie and Keith had been dead hours before she claimed she left him in bed to go get her car checked. Used her Mom to set up the alibi...her being his "bookkeeper" for the business. Bet they were both in it up to their eyeballs because Keith worked 10 - 16 hour days sometimes.

I know of what I speak....relative close to the case. Dayum Sessy I should know u?? JB here.

illegals--GO HOME
August 26, 2008 6:30 p.m.