A Kansas City man’s jury trial started Tuesday with jury selection taking up the entire morning and into the afternoon. Anthony Nichols is accused of murdering John Burroughs, a Manhattan Country Club employee, between the 6th and 7th of September 2013. Burroughs was found dead on his bathroom floor in his residence, a result of one gunshot wound to the face and eight stab wounds to his body. Nichols has already been convicted in a Geary County murder that happened just days after the murder of Burroughs.
During opening arguments, Nichols’ attorney claimed there is no evidence connecting Nichols with the crime scene, and a key witness in this trial is withholding vital information connected to this murder. According to the defense, the witness named Tina Love is the only witness connecting Nichols to the scene of the murder. Love has also reportedly been inconsistent with her side of the story over two years of interviews with law enforcement.
Several witnesses were called to the stand Tuesday, including law enforcement from both Riley County and Junction City. A testimony by Burroughs’ manager at the time, Dave Kelly, described Burroughs as a wonderful employee who always showed up to work on time.
This trial is expected to continue through Friday. KMAN will continue to report updates as this trial proceeds.
