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Nichols’ Death Penalty Trial Begins

Today is the day that a jury begins deciding whether Brian Nichols lives or dies for murdering four people during a shooting spree in March 2005 that began at the Fulton County Courthouse.

I still have vivid memories of that day, as I started my morning with coffee with some other freelance writer friends. As I was heading home in my jeans and sweater, my editor from The Washington Post national desk called: there had been a shooting…could I make it? I almost turned around on the highway but was there in a flash. I spent that day and subsequent ones covering the frightening events for The Post and Newsweek. One of the most upsetting moments of that March 11 was watching court reporter Julie Ann Brandau’s best friend wandering around in tears, asking us reporters if we’d heard anything about who had been shot. (At that point, we had not.) I was later standing beside her when someone whispered quietly that her friend was a victim.

As this trial finally — finally winds down and we soon learn the fate of Brian Nichols, I’ll take a moment to remember that frightening few days surrounding the shocking events. I trust many others who covered those events will, too.