WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:09.039 In the United States of America, some of the world's 2 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:13.160 most dangerous and notorious criminals are locked behind bars. 3 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.320 Ryan Nichols is not only a murderer who murdered innocent 4 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:20.320 victims in a port of law. He definitely with somebody 5 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.600 who engaged in all kinds of different crimes. 6 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:28.760 While on trail for rape, Brian Nichols went on a rampage. 7 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:31.839 He hit her so hard that her head went against 8 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:33.520 the cinder black wall, knocked her out. 9 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:36.840 I forced my way into the court and I saw 10 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.320 Judge Barnes Lane with blood coming out of the back 11 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:39.799 of his head. 12 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:43.759 A prisoner who was armed and dangerous was free and 13 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:44.479 on the run. 14 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:47.880 He forces his way into a grunette woman's apartment. I 15 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.960 was concerned because he was now out. I then called 16 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.439 my wife and told her to get our daughter out 17 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:53.799 of school. 18 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:57.479 He's just willing to mow over anyone who gets in 19 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:01.439 his way, so he's absolutely still danger no matter. 20 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:01.679 Where he is. 21 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:07.599 Brian Nichols suddenly claimed the top spot in America's most wanted. 22 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.400 Brian Nichols assaults a deputy, steals her gun, then hunts 23 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:14.359 down and murders Judge Rolling Barnes and his court reporter 24 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.599 outside Deputy Hoy Teasley is shot and killed by Nichols 25 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:20.000 on the sidewalk. 26 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.640 Even when he was securely locked behind bars. Brian Nichols 27 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:25.840 posed a serious threat to everyone. 28 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:26.840 He meant. 29 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.359 They move him from place to face. They do not 30 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:31.760 let the same guards garden him for a prolonged period 31 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:35.159 of time because they don't want them to get too 32 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:39.879 comfortable with him. And if he gets out, there's no telling. 33 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:40.280 What he might do. 34 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:14.120 Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison is a maximum security facility 35 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:17.439 home to around two five hundred inmates. 36 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:24.159 A maximum security prison, it's more restrictive. They have gun posts, 37 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:28.719 there's more fences. The theme that makes maximum security prisons 38 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.840 more dangerous is that the inmates in there usually usually 39 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:37.000 have a longer sentence, so they've already made it up 40 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.599 their minds that they're going to live and die in prison. 41 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:40.520 That's their home. 42 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:43.080 So when it does kick off, they go all the way. 43 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:44.520 They they'll attempt to kill you. 44 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:47.960 One of the most feared inmates kept behind bars here 45 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.680 is mass murderer Brian Nichols. 46 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.080 I think he's the kind of person that's always thinking, 47 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:58.479 always analyzing, always looking for the crack on the wall, 48 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.560 always looking for the light through the door. I think 49 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:16.759 Brian could be a potential escape risk. I think if 50 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:22.479 Nichols felt cornered, I think he would very possibly kill again. 51 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:26.080 He with a natural bowing color. 52 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:33.840 In stark contrast to many of the world's most dangerous prisoners, 53 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:38.400 thirty three year old Brian Nichols had enjoyed a good life. 54 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:43.840 He was educated, he was employed at a pretty good job, 55 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:47.000 and apparently he was pretty good at it, and he 56 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:50.919 basically he was living a successful life. 57 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.479 But everything changed when he was accused of rape and 58 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.199 aggravated abuse by a former girlfriend. 59 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:02.520 He was facing very significant jail time if he got 60 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:06.159 convicted of any number of the counts that were lodged 61 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:07.240 against him. 62 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:11.520 Nicholls behavior in court made everyone nervous. 63 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.039 Before I left the house, I remember the last thing 64 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:15.560 I said to my wife was I don't feel safe 65 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:16.720 in that court room. 66 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.879 Their fears were confirmed when Nichols suddenly turned violent. 67 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:24.560 And one of the deputies went into the lock up 68 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:28.480 with her gun. At that point in time, he hit her. 69 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:31.160 Hit her so hard that her head went against the 70 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:32.759 cinder block wall, knocked her out. 71 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.959 Now on the loose in the courthouse, Nichols went on 72 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.040 a killing spree. 73 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:40.959 June Barden wouldn't have seen him come into the main room. 74 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:44.040 Brian shot June Bards on the left side of the head. 75 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:48.680 He then took his rampage out onto the streets. 76 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:51.040 And there was a house with a door open, and 77 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:53.240 there was a federal agent and they are working on 78 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:59.399 his bathrooms. He ended up killing the man, and shortly 79 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.160 after that when he kidnapped a girl. 80 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:06.160 Something happened that made him go from kind of a 81 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:09.399 regular person to somebody who had killed four people. 82 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:21.439 Nichols grew up in a middle class family during the 83 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:26.160 nineteen seventies and eighties in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a 84 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:28.319 good student and a talented sportsman. 85 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.720 He had a very involved family and they were intact. 86 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:38.839 They were together, so he had people who liked him. 87 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:41.399 He had a body of friends. 88 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.160 At the age of twenty one, Nichols was kicked off 89 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:51.240 the college football team for stealing and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, 90 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.839 seeming to make a new start. Nichols secured a steady 91 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:58.680 job at a multinational technology company, and he had got 92 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:00.000 himself a girlfriend. 93 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.360 She was a very successful woman in the Times. I 94 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:07.279 spoke with her. I found her to be very intelligent, 95 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:13.600 very articulate, very well put together intellectually. She had a 96 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:16.639 lot going for her, and that was a good compliment 97 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:18.399 because Brian was also very intelligent. 98 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.519 In two thousand and four, when Brian Nichols was thirty 99 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.959 two years old, his life took a sudden downward spiral 100 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:30.879 when he was accused of rape. 101 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:36.399 I am Barry Hazen. I'm an attorney, criminal defense attorney, 102 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:41.000 and i represented Brian Nichols in two thousand and four 103 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:44.879 and five where he was charged with the rape in Atlanta, Georgia. 104 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.920 The woman who lodged the complaint against Brian as a 105 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.199 woman who who had been in a relationship with him 106 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:57.279 for a number of years. They didn't live together, but 107 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.879 they were very much a couple in a lot of ways. 108 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:02.839 I know they were talking about getting married. 109 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:07.560 The relationship was not without its difficulties, and Brian was 110 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:08.319 not faithful. 111 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:13.240 He did have another relationship during that period of time, 112 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:18.639 and there was another woman and she became pregnant through Brian, 113 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:23.199 and that created a lot of turmoil in Brian's relationship. 114 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:27.240 Brian's girlfriend eventually left him, but Brian was not ready 115 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:27.959 to let her go. 116 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:32.560 What's interesting about rape is that people think of rape 117 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:35.120 as a sex crime, and while yes, it has a 118 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:40.879 horrific sexual component, the real driving factor behind rape is control. 119 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.720 And so it sounds like in this case, his girlfriend 120 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.800 had left him, which caused a void, which caused anger, 121 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:52.079 which caused resentment. So as a result of that anger, 122 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:56.399 he decided to ductape her and rape her and sodomize 123 00:07:56.439 --> 00:07:59.759 her in order to exert control over a situation that 124 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:01.360 he no longer had control over it. 125 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:05.319 The first time I met and saw Brian was at 126 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.000 the Fulton County Jail. He was being held without bond. 127 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:11.000 The conditions at the Fulton County Jail were not very 128 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.279 good conditions. 129 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:12.319 At all. 130 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:17.399 Of the jails I go to. I think it's probably 131 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:19.959 the least desirable place to be. 132 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.759 Inmates that end up in County jail can be anywhere 133 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:32.399 from getting a DUI, driving under the influence, murder, rape, molestation, robbery, 134 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:34.360 armed robbery. 135 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:38.600 We spent probably an hour hour and a half talking 136 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:42.600 back and forth about the facts of the case with clients. 137 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.840 Sometimes you build a relationship right away, sometimes it takes 138 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.360 a while. But when Brian there was a. 139 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:53.200 Bond, Barry Hazen knew Nichols faced significant jail time as 140 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.679 he had been charged with a number of offenses. 141 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.000 I think there are about six or seven counts altogether, 142 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:05.879 but of course the biggest one was rape, which could 143 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:08.960 get you a life sentence in Georgia. The aggravated assault 144 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.720 was very serious. I can get you up to twenty 145 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.720 years in Georgia. The others were less, but the serious 146 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:18.639 He was facing very significant jail time if he got 147 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:22.399 convicted of any number of the counts that were lodged 148 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:26.399 against him. I knew it was going to be a 149 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:30.000 challenging case, because any time that you have a sex 150 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:36.080 related case, a rape case, you're walking uphill with the rock. 151 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:42.519 But I liked Brian. I found Brian to be very intelligent, 152 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:47.440 very articulate, very warm with me, very respectful of me. 153 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:52.000 And I believed that there were sufficient facts to work 154 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:53.919 with to be able to defend Brian. 155 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.159 But there was one issue about Nichols that niggled Berry. 156 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:03.720 I thought that Brian and was taken with himself. I 157 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:10.240 think that Brian had perhaps certain narcissistic tendencies. I didn't 158 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:12.799 think he was mentally ill, but I thought that there 159 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.480 were certain issues that I needed to take note of. 160 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:22.320 On February twenty first, two thousand and five, the trial 161 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.639 started at Fulton County Courthouse. Despite building a strong rapport 162 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:30.240 with his client, very quickly noticed there were red flags 163 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:31.519 in Nichols's behavior. 164 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:37.159 The first day of trial, I think the judge was 165 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:41.679 being tested by Brian. Ryan immediately said he had to 166 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:44.480 go to the bathroom, I remember, and it must have 167 00:10:44.519 --> 00:10:47.080 been in there for twenty minutes, and the judge was 168 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:48.519 asking where is he, where is he? Where is he? 169 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:50.159 What's what's going on here? And he ordered me to 170 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:54.159 go in there to get him, and Brian was just 171 00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:59.000 standing there. And so I don't know what was going 172 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:01.120 on other than the fact that we already had a 173 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:02.559 judge that was irritated. 174 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:07.840 Superior Court Judge Roland Barnes was presiding over the hearing. 175 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:16.679 He was understanding and he cared about people. He could 176 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:20.399 care if you were richal poor, he cared about you. 177 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:24.360 Almost everybody wanted to go in front of Judge Barnes 178 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.360 because they know they would be treated fear. 179 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.679 The trial continued for five days, and throughout Barry was 180 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:37.120 concerned about what Nichols would try next and. 181 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:40.799 Didn't feel threatened by him At all, but I felt 182 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:44.600 that he was being kind of a powdy kid in 183 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:48.840 a way, being resistive to the authority of the court 184 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:49.519 over him. 185 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:53.720 Despite Nichols's provocative behavior, Barry was doing his best to 186 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:56.240 secure a positive outcome for his client. 187 00:11:57.240 --> 00:12:00.000 It went really well for him. I mean, the vote 188 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.960 was eight four not guilty. And then there was a 189 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:05.879 discussion with the judge and the district attorney myself. 190 00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:10.279 It was a hung jury. The prosecutors wanted a retrial, 191 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:12.240 but Judge Barnes was not keen. 192 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:14.759 The judge did not want to retry the case. He 193 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:17.559 wanted them to let it go, and his faithful decision 194 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:19.360 for him. Throwing up his hands, said okay, then we'll 195 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:20.320 retry it on Monday. 196 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.759 The prospect of sitting alongside Brian Nichols again for. 197 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.360 The retrial made very nervous. I thought the danger was 198 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:31.159 a possibility. Something was up. I wasn't sure what it was. 199 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.080 I didn't know if I had anything planned, but I 200 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:37.240 thought the mind was spinning at that point in time. 201 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:46.360 I thought we could have a problem. 202 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.039 Early morning on March seventh, two thousand and five, the 203 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:53.519 retrial of thirty three year old Brian Nichols for the offenses, 204 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:56.919 including the rape and battery of his former girlfriend, began. 205 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:01.840 My name is Brantley White. 206 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:05.639 I was a sergeant with the Fulding County Sheriff Department 207 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:09.399 and a bailiff for a Judge rode On Barnes on 208 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:16.120 the Brion Nichols case. At the courthouse, you are controlling 209 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:23.159 the courtroom. You are brain inmates in front of the judge. 210 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:30.759 Brion Nichols was very quiet as carrying a bible. He 211 00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:38.799 didn't give any problems. He complied with whatever you tell him. 212 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:45.159 Nichols appeared to behave himself. That was until day four 213 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:49.960 when Judge Barnes made a shocking discovery and the judge. 214 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.600 Called us into chambers and he was very angry, which 215 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.960 is unusual for Judge Barnes. He was such an easy 216 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:59.039 going man that he had a Manila folder and he 217 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.159 tossed the folder across the desk almost at me, like 218 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:05.480 an anger, and the pictures slid out of the folder. 219 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.360 There were two photographs, and he said, here, this is 220 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.080 what we found in your client's shoes yesterday. They looked 221 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.360 like hinges without the spindles because they had holes in 222 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:16.879 him and you could see that hadn't been sharpened, they 223 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:19.600 had been scraped. We found out later that it was 224 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.440 the frame from the light fixture in his cell that 225 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:25.639 he had taken apart, and he had two of those planks, 226 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:28.200 one in each shoe. That's when I thought, well, wait 227 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:33.679 a minute, we're going beyond being resistance here. Something's not right. 228 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.879 There was a threat he had crossed the line with me. 229 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:41.159 While Barry could never have imagined what his client would 230 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:44.440 do next, the judge was evidently nervous. 231 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:50.960 The tension level on that Thursday was high. The judge 232 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:54.799 seemed concerned. The judge said, we need to get things 233 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:57.360 off the tables that he can use. For instance, you 234 00:14:57.399 --> 00:14:59.639 know they have these little plastic discs that you run 235 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.559 wire through. The judge ordered those removed from the table. 236 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.279 He the water pitchers removed from the table so they 237 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.600 couldn't be used as a weapon. The judge actually said, 238 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:11.279 we need more beef in the court, and that's the 239 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:14.279 way you put it. I remember looking back to see 240 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.200 if there was going to be more beef, and they 241 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:22.120 had the same middle aged woman deputy about thirty feet 242 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:24.320 behind him, and she wasn't going to be in to help, 243 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.759 And so I became concerned and then the judge he 244 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:30.679 put his hand on my shoulder and said, you need 245 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:39.240 to stay alert because you're sitting right next to him. 246 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.120 On the final day of the retrial, Nichols was as usual, 247 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:47.840 being held in Fulton County Jail until proceedings began in 248 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:51.639 the courthouse. Grantly White was the bailiff assigned to Judge 249 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:52.559 Barnes that day. 250 00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:00.480 I always every morning before the court starts, pray protection 251 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:04.399 to God to protect me. This is the first time 252 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:07.919 I have given an interview about. 253 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:12.360 What happened. It's hard to talk about it. 254 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:24.440 On Marsh the eleventh, two thousand and five, the last 255 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:28.120 day for the trial of Barrin Nicholas, I asked the 256 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:30.919 judge if I can go, if I can get breakfast, 257 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:32.519 and he said yes. 258 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.600 He was just stucking to attorneys about their feet and 259 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:39.240 he felt safe that nothing would happen. 260 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:45.080 And Nicholas was hearing from Rice Street in Fulton Kenny 261 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:49.399 Jail by van each morning to the courthouse and there's 262 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.000 a sally port kind of on the back of the 263 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:55.080 courthouse where they bring prisoners in. They don't come in 264 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:57.720 through the main entrance and they're brought up in an elevator, 265 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:01.440 you know, I secured elevator to whatever floor the court 266 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:04.680 room is on, and then he'd be escorted into that. 267 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:11.720 Before I left the house, I remember the last thing 268 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:13.200 I said to my WiFi is I don't feel safe 269 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:18.359 in that. Up until the day before, I had no 270 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:22.359 problem with it. I knew he was being a problem 271 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:25.480 for other people, but I didn't really think he was 272 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:29.240 a physical threat. But suddenly I did. 273 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:37.240 At eight forty five am, Nichols had been transferred from 274 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:41.000 Fulton County Jail to a holding cell located in the 275 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.079 new building of Fulton County Courthouse. 276 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.640 There's alage, risks and balls. 277 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:52.240 When an m counts to court on a jury trial, 278 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:57.039 he's brought upstairs to change into civilian clothes. 279 00:17:57.759 --> 00:17:58.920 He opened a door. 280 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:05.559 And then you remove the handcuffs from the inmate and 281 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:10.440 released him into holding cell. This is very risky because 282 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:17.640 most problems happened when you moving the handcuffs from inmates. 283 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:22.400 Nichols was being escorted into the court by a female deputy. 284 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:26.640 He took pride in being a ladies man and being 285 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:30.200 able to charm people. The deputy she liked him. She 286 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:35.079 actually told me this guy is innocent, so she felt that, 287 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.160 you know, she was forming a kinship with him. 288 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.240 The deputy had built a trust with Nichols and had 289 00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:41.720 let down her guard. 290 00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:46.359 And one of the deputies went into the lock up 291 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:51.640 with her with her gun at that point in time, 292 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:54.319 he hit her, hit her so hard that her head 293 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:56.559 when he against the cinder block wall, knocked her out. 294 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.200 He took her key, and now he also come put 295 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.000 on civilian clothes, and he's got a gun, and then 296 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.680 calmly walked across that bridge from the new building into 297 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.240 the old building where Judge Barnes is. 298 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:14.640 As I turned the corner to go down the hallway, 299 00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:18.440 I saw the person with a gun in the hand. 300 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:29.519 Then I recognized it was Brian Nichols. He didn't shoot 301 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:34.519 me right away, so I figured he didn't want to 302 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:34.920 kill me. 303 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:38.200 So I decided to see if I can. 304 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:41.279 Talk to him, and I asked him what he was doing, 305 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:46.519 and he kept saying, don't do anything. Don't do anything, sir, 306 00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:50.279 don't do anything. And I tried to tell him, well, 307 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:52.559 there's no reason for him to do it. He said 308 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:54.240 it's too late for that. 309 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.599 Rather than make his escape, it appeared that Nichols had 310 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:06.759 a plan and was intent on vengeance and took Grantly hostage, and. 311 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:08.240 He put the gun to the back of my head 312 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:13.759 and he took my gun. He walked me into Judge's 313 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:18.079 office and when I walked through the door, I saw 314 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:21.920 there were some of the folks that worked. 315 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:22.920 For the judge. 316 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:29.559 Then Brian Nicholas said to me, handcuffed these folks. I 317 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:35.119 didn't want to do it. One of the lady said, please, Grantly, 318 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:40.440 please do what he said. Then he said, handcuff yourself. 319 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:47.400 Brian Nichols threw the handcuffs at me and I looked 320 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:49.960 at it and I saw blood on him. I knew 321 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:52.440 that belongs to my deputy cause her name was engrave Onned. 322 00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:56.960 The thought ran through my mind that he had killed her. 323 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:01.599 I handcuffed my and I tried to make them loose 324 00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:04.119 so maybe I can get out of them, because I 325 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:08.200 knew that under the judge's desk was a dressed button. 326 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:16.319 As I stand over by the desk, I thought to myself, 327 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:20.039 how am I going to do this? So I decided 328 00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:22.599 to fake a heart attack and fell down on my knees. 329 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.079 And as I fell down on my knees, I pushed 330 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:27.599 the button underneath the judge's desk. 331 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:36.440 Central Control responded to the alarm call, but Nichols was 332 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:41.200 ready and reported all was well, but operators said something 333 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.599 was very wrong. 334 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:46.279 One of the sergeants in the central control knew my. 335 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:51.799 Voice and said, that's not White, that's not Sergeant White's voice. 336 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:57.039 Then I heard one of the ladies said, Sergeant, he's gone, 337 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:57.599 He's gone. 338 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:02.039 Well. Grantly grabbed his rado to tell central control what 339 00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:05.839 had just happened. Nichols was tracking down his first kill. 340 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:09.799 He then calmly walked into Judge Barnes's chambers. I remember 341 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:12.200 Judge Barnes is on the bench on the divorce case. 342 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:16.680 He walks into chambers unlocked door and then goes from 343 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:20.839 chambers into the court room. Judge Barton wouldn't have seen 344 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:23.200 him come into the main room, and just immediately Brian 345 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:26.759 turned to his right shot Judge Bards on the left 346 00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:30.799 side of the head. When Julie Brenda the court border, 347 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:36.640 turned around, he shot her and then left the court 348 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:37.920 room through the main door. 349 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:43.920 Grantly had heard the gunshots and ran to the courtroom. 350 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:47.000 I forced my way into the courtroom and I saw 351 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:50.680 Judge Barnes lane by his desk of blood coming out 352 00:22:50.680 --> 00:22:53.160 of the back of his head and I saw Julie. 353 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:57.240 I meant to put a bunch of Depts grab me 354 00:22:57.240 --> 00:22:58.480 and pulled me out of the courtroom. 355 00:22:58.759 --> 00:23:01.119 Nichols was making his bold for freedom. 356 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:05.079 He then went down the stairs and one of the 357 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:11.720 deputies went running after him. 358 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:15.400 Having shot the judge and the court reporter, Brian Nichols 359 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:17.720 began his escape from the County courthouse. 360 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:21.640 Nichols targeted the judge because he really believed the judge 361 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:26.359 was probably responsible for his fate. While the judge may 362 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.839 have been responsible for having finding him guilty or not 363 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:34.160 guilty and imposing sentence, what Nichols is unable to process 364 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.039 in his mind is that it's not ultimately the judge's fault. 365 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:40.119 It's his fault. He's the one that chose to engage 366 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:41.960 in the rape. He's the one that chose to engage 367 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:43.599 in the violence. He's the one that. 368 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:44.720 Got himself arrested. 369 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:47.720 But he's unable to take accountability for his actions. 370 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:51.880 Nichols was trying to escape the courthouse but was being 371 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:52.599 chased down. 372 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.920 He got down to the bottom floor, and when the 373 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.000 deputy came running after him through the door, shot the deputy. 374 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:06.160 Also Deputy Teasley. 375 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:08.039 I thought, in my mind it maybe a deputy had 376 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:12.200 shot by Nicholas, but he had shut one of the 377 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:17.480 deputies that proceeded down the stairs behind him. 378 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:21.240 That's horrible. It was a horrible day. 379 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:28.680 As forty three year old father of two, Hoyit Teasley 380 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:31.400 lay dying, Nichols went on the run. 381 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:37.200 It really shows not only the level of savagery and 382 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:40.359 sadism that Nichols was willing to go to in order 383 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:43.119 to gain his freedom in a way that was clearly 384 00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:46.200 never going to work long term, but also his lack 385 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:50.000 of accountability. What makes Nichols such a dangerous prisoner is 386 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:52.880 that he's willing to go to really great lengths to 387 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:58.039 get his needs met. That's just the way Nichols thinks. 388 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.079 There's no other way for him to you escape threat 389 00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:02.240 other than violence. 390 00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:10.200 Unaware of his client's killing spree, defense attorney Barry Hazen 391 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:13.400 was making his way to the courthouse to get ready 392 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:14.720 for the nine to fifteen start. 393 00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:18.279 As if walking to the courthouse, I heard sirens. Maybe 394 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:21.640 four or five seconds after I heard them, these cars 395 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:25.000 were whizzing past me. Police corps whizzing passing me to 396 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:30.240 the courthouse, and then I saw deputies pouring out of 397 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:35.640 the courthouse from different exits, guns drawn, and I knew, 398 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:41.000 I just knew that it had to involve Brian. One 399 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:43.359 of the deputies who I know, came running up the 400 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:47.319 street and shoved me into a storefront and said, you're 401 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:50.839