The Anthony Nichols Trial wrapped up Friday afternoon with a verdict. Riley County jurors found Nichols guilty of attempted murder.
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The Anthony Nichols murder case is now in the hands of the jury, with closing arguments held Friday morning at the Riley County District Courthouse after the state amended the charge of murder in the 1st degree to attempted murder.
The state says there is plenty of evidence against the defendant, including matching fingerprints found on the gun in his Kansas City, KS residence that match the bullet casings recovered from the victim and evidence proving he was in the area at the time of the murder. However, the evidence does not pinpoint exactly whether or not Nichols was at the scene of the crime at the time. Nichols, a self-proclaimed member of the Gangster Disciples, may have taken an oath of silence to prevent law enforcement from finding out the true extent to which James McKenith, the man responsible for stabbing Burroughs, had gone. The defense also argued that Christina Love’s testimony and inconsistency in truthful statements to law enforcement was still the key to proving Nichols not guilty.
The state argued Love’s inconsistency and eventual statement of Nichols’ supposed involvement was possibly out of fear she’d be painting a target on herself for “snitching”. Love and another key witness had known Nichols for over 20 years, leading the state to believe in the possibility these individuals were reluctant to testify against him.
Deputy Coroner Dr. Altaf Hossain told the jury Thursday afternoon at the Riley County District Courthouse that the autopsy of 68-year old John Burroughs revealed eight stab wounds — including a lacerated throat, sliced lung and heart — and that they were key causes in his death. He also said a gunshot wound near the neck area also contributed.
Anthony Nichols, a 35-year old Kansas City man, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Burroughs, a Manhattan man. Nichols was sentenced on June 1 in the Geary County District Court and plead no contest in April to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery for the death of of 37-year old Anthony Nixon of Junction City the day after Burroughs was killed in September 2013.
Another man, 34-year old James McKenith of Manhattan, was sentenced in May 2014 to life in prison for stabbing and killing Burroughs.
In this trial, the prosecution is seeking to convict Nichols for the gunshot wound after previous testimony indicated Nichols and 51-year-old Christina Love went to Burroughs residence where Nichols shot Burroughs. Later, Love and McKenith — her son — returned to the residence where McKenith stabbed him.
Love told the jury earlier in the day Thursday that after going to the door with Nichols she was instructed to return to the car. While waiting for Nichols, she said she heard a gun shot minutes later.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Wicks asked Hossain which of the injuries were the most critical and if the alleged timeline of the gunshot wound suggested the stabbing injuries proved to be the most fatal.
Hossain said the stabbing injuries to the neck and heart were the most critical and most immediately life-threatening. He said there was “a lot of blood” at the scene of Burrough’s residence and the amount of blood was greatly due to the stabbing wounds.
However he added that the timing of the gunshot — whether it was when Burroughs was visited by McKenith or by Nichols — was hard to assume.
Drugs and prostitution were also involved, according to testimony.
The prosecution and defense rested their cases and closing arguments will be at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning.
