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Jury selection begins in The Roxy nightclub murder trial

Posted at 8:48 PM, Aug 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-08 21:48:25-04

The first day of jury selection in The Roxy nightclub murder trial went longer than expected and will resume Tuesday.

More than 70 potential jurors piled into Division 4 of the Johnson County Courthouse.

James and Dale Willis face first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges in the shooting death of 24-year-old Olathe resident Jurl Carter. The shooting happened last September at The Roxy nightclub in Overland Park near 75th and Metcalf Ave.

Police and law enforcement agents stood inside and outside of the courtroom during Monday's proceedings. There has been a heightened police presence at all of the court dates for the Willis brothers due to safety concerns surrounding witnesses scheduled to testify against the defendants.

There are more than 20 witnesses scheduled to testify in the trial that is expected to last two weeks. That number is in addition to a host of police officers and experts that are expected to take the stand.

Dale and James Willis are each being held on a $15 million bond.

The trial for the Willis brothers will continue on Tuesday morning at the Johnson County Courthouse with jury selection. The trial is expected to start in the afternoon.

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Lisa Benson can be reached at lisa.benson@kshb.com.

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