HOUSTON -- An 81-year-old southeast Houston man was accused of killing his 74-year-old wife and living with her body for two days, police said Monday.
Investigators said Johnny Walter Bass shot his wife on Friday inside their house in the 3600 block of Willowood Lane at Griggs Road.
Police went to Bass' home on Sunday night for a welfare check after family members called to say they were worried about the couple. Bass told officers that everything was all right, investigators said.
When Bass was asked about his wife's whereabouts, Bass told officers that she was in bed in the bedroom because he had shot her in the head on Friday morning, police said.
Officers said they found the victim lying in bed with a gunshot wound.
Bass was taken into custody and confessed to the crime, police said. He was charged with murder.
Investigators did not release a possible motive.
Neighbors said they were shocked.
"This street is very quiet. We don't have many problems on this street," neighbor Lawrence Lognion said. "It's just really hard to believe he would do that. They're really good people."
"I don't know what happened. Something must have clicked," neighbor Paul Delehanty said.
"They were a nice couple. Everywhere he went, he would take her, too," neighbor Cesar Bates said.
The victim's name was not released, pending verification by the medical examiner.