The opening arguments were held Tuesday in Riley County District Court in the murder trial for a Kansas City man Anthony Nichols.  Nichols is facing a first-degree murder charge in the September 7, 2013 death of John Burroughs, 68, Manhattan.

Barry Wilkerson, Riley County Attorney, began by providing a rundown of events that occurred when Burroughs was found dead on his bathroom floor by a co-worker from his job at the Manhattan Country Club. A co-worker discovered Burrough’s body at his Redbud Estates home after he had not arrived at work for two days.  The RCPD was contacted immediately, who then began an investigation.

According to Wilkerson, Anthony Nichols was trying to find the location of Burroughs home, and can only be put there by a witness Tina Love, the mother of another earlier defendant in the case, James McKenith, who accepted a plea deal and was found guilty of first-degree murder in the Burroughs’death. The prosecutor alleged Love allegedly went to Burroughs home three times…the second time with Nichols which is when Burroughs was allegedly shot, and the third time with McKenith where he stabbed the still living Burroughs eight times.

Wilkerson told the jury the case depends on the testimony of Tina Love, who was the only link between the defendants and Burroughs.

Nichols’ defense attorney, Jeffrey Wicks dismissed points brought up by Wilkerson, including a previous shooting in Junction City, the gun being found at Nichols’ home in Kansas City following a search warrant and any talk regarding Tina Love as ‘fluff.’ Wicks’ explained that the only person putting Nichols at the scene of the crime with a weapon was Love, who changed her stories, or ‘tap danced’ as Wicks stated, every time she was interviewed by police. He added Love never saw Nichols with a weapon, and didn’t think any evidence would be found putting Nichols at the scene of the crime.

Wilks continued, stating that Love was given a plea deal and probation following her sons incarceration in the murder.

The trial is scheduled to run through Friday.

Nichols was convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter and Aggravated Robbery in an earlier case in Geary County in the September 2013 shooting death of Anthony Nixon, Junction City, at a Tenth and Webster street intersection.  In the Geary County case Nichols was sentenced to 302 months in prison.