Seven Hills murder suspect Frank Dienes turns down plea, trial to start in November

CLEVELAND - The man accused of killing Joseph Kopp and burying his remains in a Seven Hills backyard will go to trial.

Prosecutors offered Frank Dienes, 44, a plea deal on Thursday and the judge said negotiations were in the works. Around 6 p.m. prosecutors changed their offer and on Friday, Dienes turned it down. The trial will start Nov. 14.

"That's something Frank is rolling the dice on. He has chosen to not take the offer on the table, so it could back fire on him," Joe's brother, Paul Kopp, said.

Dienes is charged with aggravated murder in the shooting death of Kopp. His remains were found in a wooded area on Oakwood Drive last spring. Police said they believe Kopp was shot sometime in March.

"There was a relationship that went back quite sometime and to what extent that relationship was and exactly what it was is something that I do think will be an issue at trial," Ian Friedman said back in May. Dienes' attorneys didn’t say what happened between Kopp and Dienes, but said they'll prove it wasn't aggravated murder when they spoke with NewsChannel5 earlier this year.

According to Seven Hills police, 58-year-old Kopp was homeless and began living in Dienes’ garage in October 2009. The two had known each other for more than 20 years.

"They initially felt they wanted to provide a place for him. He was living in their garage," Paul Kopp, said. "They were holding out a hand to him and things got a little out of hand."

During a July hearing in the trial, Judge John Russo accused Dienes of being a liar and manipulator by trying to convince doctors that he has a mental illness. The defendant went through mental evaluations and has been determined competent to stand trial.

In the 1990s, Bay Village Police said they questioned Dienes in the cold case murder of Amy Mihaljevic, but Dienes was never charged in that case.

Keep checking newsnet5.com for more on this developing story.