Jury selection begins Monday in Kimberly Kessler case

Yulee, FL — Kimberly Kessler, the woman accused of killing Nassau County hairdresser Joleen Cummings, will stand trial this week.

Jury selection begins Monday in Nassau County.

The trial comes three years after Cummings disappeared. Cummings and Kessler worked together at Tangles Hair Salon in Fernandina Beach. Investigators believe Kessler killed Cummings at the salon. Her body has never been found.

[RELATED: Joleen Cummings disappearance: Timeline of events]

Kessler’s mental status has been an issue since her arrest in May 2018. She has been removed from many of her pretrial hearings because of her behavior in the courtroom. But she was found competent to stand trial.

[RELATED: Judge denies another mental evaluation in final hearing before jury selection]

The defense filed a motion for the change of venue, which would move the trial out of Nassau County. A decision has yet to be made on that request.

Opening statements are scheduled for Dec. 6.

©2021 Cox Media Group