DEL.ICIO.USNew evidence hits the stand in Nichols’ trial
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 10, 2008
Atlanta police Detectives A.B. Calhoun, Nicole Redlinger and Mark Cooper dominated the Brian Nichols murder trial Thursday by putting on the record the reams of evidence — including crime scene photographs, videos and Nichols’ reputed writings — that are expected to be the subject of powerful testimony today as the prosecution rests its case.
Calhoun read portions of notes handwritten by Nichols that were found among a cache of personal papers Nichols took to court with him the morning of the Fulton County Courthouse shootings. “The charges stem from a 7-year relationship gone bad,” Nichols wrote on what appeared to be notebook paper. “A tale of love, lies, betrayal, the thin line between love and hate shattered.”
Hyosub Shin/hshin@ajc.com
Atlanta police Detective Mark Cooper shows the jury a diagram of the crime scene in the Fulton County courtroom on March 11, 2005. Brian Nichols was then on trial for kidnap and rape charges when he fatally shot three people at the courthouse and one in Buckhead.
Hyosub Shin/hshin@ajc.com
Evelyn Parker, court reporter and friend of slain court reporter Julie Ann Brandau, watches video footage from the 2005 courtroom crime scene.
PHOTOS• A look at the case 2005-present
• Penalty phase | Verdict
• Weeks in court:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
• Interactive graphic: The 2005 shootings
• Video: Nichols' confession
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Nichols was on trial March 11, 2005, on charges he kidnapped and raped his girlfriend. The alleged attack came after Nichols impregnated another woman and the girlfriend ended their seven-year relationship.
Lead defense lawyer Henderson Hill tried to elicit testimony from Detective Mark Cooper, the lead investigator for the courthouse shootings, that Nichols’ behavior seemed to fit someone in a delusion the day of the killings of Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Ann Brandau, Deputy Sgt. Hoyt Teasley at the courthouse and of David Wilhelm, an off-duty federal agent, later that day.
Hill referred to witnesses’ testimony: “None of them describe what you might characterize as gratuitous violence.” To which Cooper replied: “Pointing a gun at somebody is pretty violent.”
LOOK AHEAD
The prosecution is expected to rest Friday morning on witness No. 74 or 75 after three weeks of testimony. Superior Court Judge James Bodiford has given the jury (and the lawyers, judge and media) Friday afternoon off. The defense is expected to start presenting its insanity defense Monday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Pointing a gun at somebody is pretty violent.”
Mark Cooper, lead investigator in 2005 courthouse shootings
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