Brian Nichols

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Brian Nichols

Brian Gene Nichols (born December 10, 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland) is accused of shooting and killing Judge Rowland W. Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau, and deputy sheriff Sgt. Hoyt Teasley at a Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia on March 11, 2005, and is the suspect in the murder of U.S. Customs agent, David Wilhelm, on March 12, 2005.

1 Early life
2 The shootings and escape
3 Manhunt and capture
4 Indictment
5 Nichols' family reaction
6 Courthouse security concerns
7 Sources
8 External links

[edit] Early life

What little is known about Nichols' early life is that he came from a middle class family and attended college at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, for three semesters from 1989 to 1990. At that time, he was also on their football team. Berks County records show that Nichols had been arrested three times from 1990 to 1991 on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to making threats. After his brief stay at Kutztown, Nichols went to Newberry College from 1992 to 1993, and played football there. Athletic spokesman Ryan Gross said that during that time Nichols was kicked off the football team for stealing from a dorm room.

At the time of his trial for rape and false imprisonment in early 2005, Nichols was a computer engineer working for UPS. According to his brother, Nichols earned a six-figure income and regularly attended church.

[edit] The shootings and escape

The following is what is alleged by the State of Georgia; Nichols has not been convicted. In early March 2005, Nichols was in a holding cell in the Fulton Justice Tower awaiting retrial after his trial the previous week resulted in a 10-2 hung jury. After a 51-year old female sheriff's deputy, 5'2" Cynthia Hall, removed his handcuffs so that he could change into civilian clothes (so that the jury would not be prejudiced against him), Nichols attacked the deputy and took her sidearm. According to hospital sources the deputy suffered bruising to her brain and some fractures around her face. After the attack, her condition was announced critical, but she survived.

Nichols then crossed over to the old courthouse via a skybridge, where he entered the private chambers of Judge Rowland W. Barnes. While there he encountered another deputy, overpowered him and also took his weapon. Nichols then entered Barnes' courtroom from a door behind the judge's bench, where Barnes was presiding over motions in a civil trial, and shot him in the back of the head. Nichols then shot the court reporter, shot a pursuing deputy outside the courtroom, and then fled the building. Barnes and the court reporter died at the scene and the deputy was pronounced dead on arrival.

During his escape Nichols tried to carjack at least three vehicles, ending up in a multilevel parking structure for Atlanta's Underground tourist area. He first took a tow truck at gun point outside the courtroom. Later he hijacked a Honda Accord from Don O'Briant, a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Nichols pistol-whipped O'Briant in order to gain control of the car.

It was later reported that the Honda Accord never left the parking deck from which it was stolen. Police began treating the deck as a crime scene around 11:45 p.m. EST and examining security cameras. Investigators suspected Nichols may have abandoned the car after spotting an easier target, taking the owner with him to avoid being reported.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard's office later announced that a call had been received from a man claiming to be Nichols, who threatened to kill Assistant District Attorney Gayle Abramson. It was also announced that Nichols stole a gun from a second deputy.

[edit] Manhunt and capture

After a press conference consisting of various members of the Atlanta Police Department and Mayor Shirley Franklin, it was announced that there was a reward of approximately $60,000 for information leading to Nichols' arrest.

On the morning of Saturday, March 12, it was reported that a U.S. Customs Agent, now identified as David Wilhelm, was shot and killed somewhere in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, and that the agent's badge, gun and pickup truck were missing. Nichols is the prime suspect in the murder of Wilhelm.

Nichols later approached a woman named Ashley Smith at an apartment complex in Duluth, Georgia, approximately 27 miles north of Atlanta in Gwinnett County. Nichols reportedly told her that he was a wanted man. He then forced her into the bathroom and tied her up. He placed a handtowel over her head while he took a shower (so that she wouldn't have to watch him). She was sitting on a stool with the towel around her eyes when she told him about her five-year-old daughter, Paige. Thinking she may never see her daughter again, she tried to reason with him.

Smith was held hostage for several hours in her own apartment, during which time Nichols requested marijuana, but Smith told him she only had "ice" (methamphetamine). In her book “Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero” Smith revealed that she “had been struggling with a methamphetamine addiction when she was taken hostage” and the last time she used meth “was 36 hours before Nichols held a gun to her and entered her home. Nichols wanted her to use the drug with him, but she refused.”^[1] Instead, she chose to read to him from the Bible and The Purpose Driven Life. She tried to convince Nichols to turn himself in by sharing with him how her husband "had died in her arms four years earlier after being stabbed during a brawl."^[2] Smith also writes that she asked Nichols “if he wanted to see the danger of drugs and lifted up her tank top several inches to reveal a five-inch scar down the center of her torso — the aftermath of a car wreck caused by drug-induced psychosis. She says she let go of the steering wheel when she heard a voice saying, ‘Let go and let God.’”^[2] When news of his crimes was reported on television, Nichols looked to the ceiling and asked the Lord to forgive him. In the morning Smith cooked breakfast for Nichols.

When Nichols let Smith leave her apartment to visit her daughter, Smith called 9-1-1, and local law enforcement, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms responded to the scene. The Gwinnett SWAT team quickly surrounded the apartment. After some time, Nichols surrendered peacefully to the SWAT Team and was quickly taken away in a navy blue FBI SUV. Atlanta police chief Richard Pennington admitted surprise that Nichols surrendered peacefully.

Police initially thought that Smith may have had a prior relationship with Nichols, but later decided that she was chosen at random. Following Nichols' arrest, Smith is believed to be eligible for the reward for his capture.

[edit] Indictment

On May 5, 2005, he was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury on 54 counts including murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault on a police officer, battery, theft, carjacking, and escape from authorities.

Nichols plead not guilty to the charges on May 17. Jury selection began in January, 2007 but Nichols' trial is not expected to begin until mid-year. Nichols' attorneys have disclosed that they will be defending Nichols on the basis of mental health, but they have not disclosed any further information.^[3]

[edit] Nichols' family reaction

Nichols' parents were not available for immediate reaction, as they were traveling abroad in Africa where Nichols' mother works. She became aware of her son's case via a CNN broadcast while in Tanzania. She remains in contact with Nichols' criminal attorney Barry Hazen via email.

Nichols' brother Mark was very upset, quoting "Everyone knows me as the brother of the person who killed those people". Mark Nichols lives in Plantation, Florida.

Nichols' aunt and uncle state that their families hearts go out to those family members whose loved ones were killed. He stated that "Brian is a nice young man as far as we know. I don't know what happened".

Childhood friend Maxine Glover described Nichols as a "normal young child playing with the other kids in the block, very well mannered, had no problems with him at all".

[edit] Courthouse security concerns

The shooting deaths of three people in a courthouse by Nichols led to intense debate about the state of security in public buildings, especially courtrooms.