A judge on Saturday sentenced the man who killed four people in a brazen courthouse escape to multiple life sentences with no chance of parole after a deadlocked jury failed to return a death sentence .
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judge saturday sentence man kill people brazen courthouse escape multiple life sentence chance parole deadlocked jury fail return death sentence
A judge on Saturday sentenced the man who killed four people in a brazen courthouse escape to multiple life sentences with no chance of parole after a deadlocked jury failed to return a death <m> sentence </m> .
A judge on Saturday sentenced the man who killed four people in a brazen courthouse escape to multiple life sentences with no chance of parole after a deadlocked jury failed to return a death <m> sentence </m> .
Brian Nichols , 37 , was found guilty last month of murder and dozens of other counts for the March 2005 rampage that started in a downtown courthouse , led to an Atlanta neighborhood and ended with his capture the next day in a suburban county .
He will likely die in prison after Superior Court Judge James Bodiford handed down the maximum sentence on each charge .
`` If there was any more I could give you , I would , '' the judge said .
Nichols was spared capital punishment when the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision to condemn him to death row for the murders of a judge , a court reporter , a deputy and a federal agent .
After four days and more than 30 hours of deliberations , the jury was deadlocked at 9-3 , with nine in favor of the death penalty and three voting for life without parole .
Nichols , who argued he was mentally insane when he carried out the killings , spoke for the first time in court on Saturday .
`` I just wanted to say that I know that the things I 've done caused a lot of pain and I 'm sorry , '' he said .
`` And I just wanted to say that I will not bring dishonor to the decision to spare my life .
That 's it . ''
The sentence caps more than three years of efforts to bring Nichols to justice since his arrest that were repeatedly bogged down by legal complications , frustrating victims ' relatives and angering state legislators over the costs .
The rampage prompted attorneys and judges to question their safety and law enforcement around the state to re-examine courthouse security measures .
The deadlocked jury was a setback for prosecutors , who turned down an offer from Nichols ' attorneys to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence .
But District Attorney Paul Howard said he has spoken with U.S. attorneys about a possible death penalty trial against Nichols in federal court for the killing of the off-duty federal agent .
Howard also said Georgia prosecutors need more leeway to strike jurors who are reluctant to vote for the death penalty .
He said jurors have told him that the three holdouts refused to deliberate and one even wore headphones during the closed-door discussions this week .
`` The community has spoken , '' he said .
`` Even though we are puzzled and terribly disappointed by the decision , we must accept the conclusion provided by our community . ''
In a tearful post-trial press conference , the families of the victims thanked the prosecutors for going through with the trial , as painful as it was .
`` I believe Brian Nichols did not win .
In his own words , he said it 's not his DNA to stay in jail , '' said Christina Greenway , daughter of slain court reporter Julie Ann Brandau .
`` Which is what he has to look forward to the rest of his life. I 'm not disappointed and I have no regrets . ''
Nichols was being escorted to his trial for rape when he beat a deputy guarding him and stole her gun .
He burst into the courtroom and shot and killed Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes , Brandau and Deputy Hoyt Teasley .
He fled downtown Atlanta and managed to evade hundreds of police officers searching for him overnight .
In Atlanta 's posh Buckhead neighborhood , he shot and killed federal agent David Wilhelm at a house the agent was renovating .
The judge , after sentencing Nichols to the slew of charges , urged the victims ' of Nichols ' crimes to try their best to regroup .
`` We 've learned a lot from this horrible tragedy , and as horrible as it was , we need to learn from this and make sure it never happens again , '' said Bodiford .
The judge offered advice for the prison guards who will handle Nichols:
`` Do not trust Mr. Nichols ever again .
Ever again .
Because he can not be trusted . ''