Brian Gene Nichols (born December 10, 1971) is known for his escape and killing spree in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 11, 2005.
Nichols was on trial for rape when he escaped from custody and murdered the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter, a sheriff's deputy and later a federal agent.
Twenty-six hours after a large-scale manhunt was launched in the metropolitan Atlanta area, Nichols was taken into custody.
The prosecution charged him with committing 54 crimes during the escape; and he was found guilty on all counts on November 7, 2008.