Did He Try Again?

Editor's Note:
Just to avoid any misunderstandings, my desire is not to write this article as a "breaking news" or current event piece. . .but, instead, an Op/Ed piece about whether or not accused killer Brian Nichols was planning a second escape from the Fulton County Jail where he is currently awaiting trial on charges stemming from a 2005 rampage at the Fulton County courthouse.

Background information

Prior to March 11, 2005, Brian Gene Nichols - then age 34 - was no more than a small blip on the radar of Metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies. That would change and Nichols would become the subject of one of the largest manhunts in recent Georgia history after assaulting Fulton County Deputy Sheriff Cynthia Hall and shooting Superior Court Judge Rowland W. Barnes, Court Reporter Julie Brandau, Fulton County Deputy Sheriff Hoyt Teasley and U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm. On that fateful March day Nichols was in a holding cell at the Fulton County Courthouse awaiting the start of a trial on charges of rape and false imprisonment stemming from an incident where he is accused of sexually assaulting and holding a female against her will.

According to an indictment filed by the State of Georgia, Deputy Hall had gone to the holding area and was allowing Nichols to change from his jail uniform into civilian clothes (to prevent prejudice on the part of the jury) when he attacked her and took her sidearm. From there Nichols made his way to Barne's courtroom where he entered through a door behind the judge's bench and shot Barnes in the back of the head before turning the gun on Ms. Brandau. Barnes and Brandau died at the scene; Deputy Teasley - who gave pursuit of Nichol's - was pronounced dead on arrival at nearby Grady Memorial Hospital.

The indictment

On May 5, 2005 a Fulton County grand jury returned a fifty-four (54) count indictment against Nichols including murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault on a police officer, battery, theft, car jacking and escape. Nichols subsequently piled not guilty on all charges and is imprisoned at the Fulton County Jail.

Did he plan a second escape?

According to an article in the January 5, 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating whether or not Nichols was planning a second escape with the aid of a female friend and whether two (2) deputies were bribed in connection with the alleged scheme. In addition, they are also looking at how Nichols - who is considered a high-risk prisoner and, therefore, is under heavy guard - obtained two (2) contraband cellular phones as well as sexual favors. The matter is currently under investigation and no additional charges have been filed.

Lets look at some more of the facts. According to the article3 Nichol's female friend, age 38, had visited him and it was then he asked her to go to Home Depot and purchase a masonry saw, a circular saw, a jack and other tools. His plan - according to the lady identified as Lisa Meneguzzo - was to breech a cinder block wall in the jail located on Jefferson Street and then get into a cargo van driven by a friend (disguised as a Red Cross worker) and hid in the back until they were safely away from the jail. (It should be noted that Nichols has since been transferred to the DeKalb County Jail.)

My question - as a Fulton County taxpayer - is how such an atrocity possibly have been allowed to occur? Mr. Nichols snuffed out the lives of four (4) innocent people and savagely beat another and yet he was able to receive visitors? Something just doesn't sound right to me. Like others with an interest in this case, I will be watching to see what happens next.