Ga. Suspect's Child Born Days Earlier (Nichols/Atlanta)

Yahoo.com ^ | 3/16/05 | HARRY R. WEBER and BILL POOVEY

[beyond the sea]

ATLANTA - A girlfriend of courthouse killings suspect Brian Nichols gave birth to his child just three days before the rampage, and she said Nichols repeatedly told her that he wanted to be with the child.

The mother's statements and transcripts from Nichols' rape trial are the most specific suggestion of a possible motive for last week's shooting spree. Prosecutors have suggested Nichols was worried about being convicted at the trial, but have not revealed a detailed motive.

"I do know that he wanted to be with the baby. He did speak about it all the time," Sonya Meredith, the mother of the baby boy, told The Associated Press. She said Nichols made those statements in the days and weeks leading up to the shootings.

Nichols was on trial for a second time for allegedly raping and holding hostage an ex-girlfriend when he allegedly escaped and killed four people Friday.

It was in the middle of that retrial, on March 8, when Meredith, another girlfriend of Nichols, gave birth to their son.

"I wanted to have a healthy baby," Nichols testified during his first rape trial.

Nichols' first rape trial ended in a hung jury on Feb. 28, and the second one started last week.

The day after Meredith gave birth, jail officials found homemade knives in each of Nichols' shoes. The next day, Nichols allegedly went on the rampage.

[cyborg]

This story has the makings of a made for tv movie.

[teenyelliott]

That's one messed-up babydaddy!

Made me snort. Good one.

[Boardwalk]

You can't make this stuff up! Unbelievable!

[rocksblues]

Ah now it's becoming clear. He found true love and just wanted to live the rest of his life as a family man.

So if I shoot the Deputy in the face, the Judge in the back of the head, the Court Reporter for trying to help the Judge, another Deputy in the stomach for trying to stop me from realizing my dream and then to top it off I kill a Customs Officer to make my final escape. Geez!

[beyond the sea]

You can't make this stuff up!

LOL. Hollywood may never do it justice. ;-)

[beyond the sea]

Heartwarming, eh? ;-)

[rocksblues]

Makes sense to me. /S

[over3Owithabrain]

I don't know anyone here who believes that. But you had to bring it up.

I brought it up because his family has been saying that for the last 2 days. How about you stop responding to me with your inane insults when you don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

[over3Owithabrain]

By the way, since you seem to want to stalk my posts and make silly remarks, I'll be ignoring your tripe from now on - at least until you show a little more class and less obsession.

[over3Owithabrain]

The media attempting to humanize the scum. Oh, he has a family, blah blah blah. He's an evil evil piece of garbage, with my apologies to garbage.

Yep - his friends, neighbors, family - all cannot understand why such an upright young man got into this little mess. That's what they're telling us anyhow.

[hoosiermama]

Yep - his friends, neighbors, family - all cannot understand why such an upright young man got into this little mess.


Maybe it's a comparison thing.....

[BenLurkin]

Yes, a little snip-snip when he first started (allegedly) to go criminal might have been a good idea.

[beyond the sea]

So much for the "good guy" having a bad moment theory.

If you feel the need to bring that "theory" up, I certainly have a right to comment on it. You, however, seem to be the only one here who even considers it in any way.

Lighten up.

;-)

[TexKat]

Update:

Slay suspect became father days before rampage

Desire to be with newborn son may suggest possible motive

The Associated Press

Updated: 7:25 p.m. ET March 16, 2005

ATLANTA - A girlfriend of courthouse killings suspect Brian Nichols gave birth to his child just three days before the rampage, and she said Nichols repeatedly expressed his desire to be with the child.

The mother’s statements and transcripts from Nichols’ rape trial are the most specific suggestion of a possible motive for last week’s shooting spree. Prosecutors have suggested Nichols was worried about being convicted at the trial, but have not revealed a detailed motive.

“I do know that he wanted to be with the baby. He did speak about it all the time,” Sonya Meredith, the mother of the baby boy, told The Associated Press. She said Nichols made those statements in the days and weeks leading up to the shootings.

The development about a possible motive came as the doctor for the deputy allegedly attacked by Nichols said that the officer has no memory of the assault. Cynthia Hall’s amnesia could subside as her brain injury heals, doctors said.

Authorities: Deputy was not armed

Authorities also said Wednesday that the deputy was not armed in the holding cell where the attack occurred. Sheriff Myron Freeman said Nichols attacked Hall, stole her keys and retrieved her gun from a lock box.

Nichols allegedly then moved on to the courtroom where his rape trial was being held, and killed the judge and a court reporter. Authorities later say he murdered a deputy and a federal agent before surrendering.

Nichols had been on trial for a second time for allegedly raping and holding an ex-girlfriend hostage. It was in the middle of that retrial, on March 8, when Meredith, another girlfriend of Nichols, gave birth to their son.

“I wanted to have a healthy baby,” Nichols testified during his first rape trial, which ended in a hung jury on Feb. 28. The second trial started last week.

The day after Meredith gave birth, jail officials found homemade knives in each of Nichols’ shoes. Two days later, Nichols allegedly went on the rampage.

Erik Friedly, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s office, declined to comment about the case Wednesday or provide further details about Nichols’ motive.

‘It was a blessing for us’

Nichols, a well-educated former computer technician who grew up in Baltimore the son of a Treasury Department official, testified at length during his first trial that he was dating both Meredith and the alleged rape victim, and was torn between the two. The one thing he said he was sure of was being a father and helping Meredith raise their child, court transcripts show.

“Right away I felt as though it was a blessing for us to have been in a relationship for such a short time and to have conceived a child,” Nichols testified in his first trial.

Nichols also has a 13-year-old daughter, whose mother met Nichols in college when they attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. His daughter’s mother has said they have not seen Nichols since his daughter was a toddler.

Suicidal tendencies?

The alleged rape victim testified that Nichols was suicidal at times about her threatening to end their seven-year relationship because of Meredith.

“He told me that he didn’t want the relationship to end and that he knew what he had done was wrong, but he thought with our mutual faith in God that we could work through it and that he was committed to working through it,” the rape accuser said.

Nichols testified that he started dating Meredith, whom he met at an Atlanta fitness club, a short time after his relationship with the alleged rape victim first soured early last year. He told jurors that he first began having problems with the alleged rape victim when he learned she couldn’t have sex for a while after having a tumor removed from her stomach. Nichols also testified that she had spurned his marriage proposal.

But according to the alleged rape victim, Nichols angrily resisted her attempts to end their relationship. She said Nichols at one point attacked a minister from the couple’s church whom she had recently started dating.

[beyond the sea]

I brought it up because his family has been saying that for the last 2 days. How about you stop responding to me with your inane insults when you don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

I see you get upset rather easily.

You seem to be under the influence of a misconception: The people who have been taken (rightly or wrongly) by this Ashley Smith's story are really only wishing to say positive things about her and her effort. They (including myself) are in no way giving any acknowledgment or respect to Nichols. I think you and others are under the impression that many here think he's had some kind of conversion. Nothing could be further from the truth. We think he's as worthless as you do, and know that he'll most likely say anything now that suits his purpose. His family and friends are apparently kidding themselves about him.

Nichols is a rat and he'll get his (unless he get's Robert Blake's jury) ;-).

Take it easy.

[beyond the sea]

“I do know that he wanted to be with the baby. He did speak about it all the time,” Sonya Meredith, the mother of the baby boy, told The Associated Press.

Aha, the old family values angle defense. ;-)

[TexKat]

Mark Nichols on "Larry King Live"

Nichols Brother's Comment Criticized

Last Modified: 3/16/2005 8:04:06 PM

Reported by: Art Franklin

Web Editor: Manav Tanneeru

An appearance by Mark Nichols, the brother of Brian Nichols, the suspect in the Fulton County courthouse killings, on CNN’s “Larry King Live” is drawing criticism from the African-American community in Atlanta.

Nichols was on the show to paint a better picture of his brother to the public. He talked about the courthouse shootings, his family's support and Brian Nichols’ background.

It is Mark's description of an articulate Brian Nichols in the workplace that rubbed many people the wrong way.

“You wouldn't even know he was black when he answered the phone, that's how professional he sounded,” Brian Nichols’ brother said on the show.

“I didn't like that comment at all, I don't think he should have said that comment because black people can be professional,” said Joe Seymour, the owner of Images of Us barber shop.

In a world that sees so many negative images of African-Americans, the Nichols comment spread quickly. V-103 morning show co-host Wanda Smith took call after call from upset listeners about the comment.

“’Did it sound ignorant?’ ‘Wow, why did he say that?’ ‘Are black people ignorant?’ Are black people dumb?’ and I think that's the way some of our people were taking it,” she said.

“I'm very disturbed by that statement because it is so stereotypical -- that has nothing to do with the kind of person he is, just because he has good diction,” said “Amber,” a caller to the morning show.

“White America equates an African-American being articulate as someone trying to sound white,” Andre King, a human resources manager, added. “Personally, it’s very disturbing because I consider myself to be very articulate and most definitely African-American.”

Not everyone was upset with what Mark Nichols said, however. Some say it's an issue that many African-Americans talk about, they just didn't like the way Mark Nichols said it.

[TexKat]

The last part of that article is what I had been thinking after hearing that there was a new born baby by another woman.

I have been interested in just what actually happened for the 7 year relationship with the rape victim to end. And one of the reasons we find out today is there is a new baby's moma in the picture.

[beyond the sea]

Old Brian gets around.