Brian Nichols

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Brian Nichols

Brian Gene Nichols (born December 10, 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a suspect in the shooting deaths of 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. He is also a suspect in the death of U.S. Customs agent, David Wilhelm.

1 Early life
2 The escape
3 The hunt
4 The capture
5 Indictment
6 Nichols' Family Reaction
7 Courthouse Security Concerns
8 External links

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Early life

Not much is known about Nichols' early life at this point, however, it is known that he comes 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 the rape trial, Brian Nichols was a computer engineer working for Hewlett-Packard. According to his brother, he made a six-figure income and regularly went to church.

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The escape

Nichols was in a holding cell in the Fulton Justice Tower awaiting retrial on charges of rape and false imprisonment after a trial the previous week resulted in a hung jury. A 51-year old female sheriff's deputy 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 gun, shooting her in the face. According to hospital sources she suffered a small bruise on her brain and some fractures around her face. She was in critical condition, but was expected to survive.

He crossed over to the old courthouse via a skybridge, where he entered the Judge Rowland W. Barnes' private chambers. There he encountered another deputy, overpowered him and took his gun as well. Nichols then entered Barnes' courtroom from a door behind the judge's bench. Nichols shot the judge, who was then presiding over motions in a civil trial, in the back of the head. Nichols then shot the court reporter. Both victims died at the scene. Nichols then fled the building and shot a pursuing deputy outside the courtroom. The deputy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Nichols tried to hijack 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. He used force, including a pistol-whip to assault O'Briant and steal 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 threatening to kill Assistant District Attorney Gayle Abramson. It was also announced that Nichols stole a gun from a second deputy.

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The hunt

After a press conference consisting of various members of the Atlanta Police Department and Mayor Shirley Franklin, it was said 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 in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, and that the agent's badge, gun and pickup truck were missing. There is a suspicion that Nichols may have shot the agent.

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The capture

Nichols was captured at an apartment complex in Duluth, Georgia, approximately 27 miles north of Atlanta in Gwinnett County. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents were able to apprehend him (Nichols turned himself in) and he was quickly sped away in a navy blue Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) SUV.

Nichols approached a woman named Ashley Smith at the apartment complex. He told her that he was a wanted man and that he would kill her unless she did what he said. She was held hostage for several hours in her own apartment. During this time he asked her for marijuana, but Smith only had methamphetamine, which she shared with Nichols. Nichols let Smith leave her apartment to check on her daughter, and she called 9-1-1. Ashley Smith is now eligible for the US$60,000 reward for helping capture Nichols.

Local law enforcement, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and a SWAT team were brought in to surround the apartment. After some time, Nichols surrendered peacefully to the authorities. Atlanta police chief Richard Pennington admitted to being surprised that Nichols surrendered peacefully. Police initially thought that the woman who was held hostage may have had a prior relationship with Nichols, but later decided that she was chosen at random by Nichols.

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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.

He plead not guilty to the charges on May 17.

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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".

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Courthouse Security Concerns

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

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