Accused rapist on the run after killing judge

A judge presiding over a rape re-trial was shot dead in his court by the defendant today who then killed two others while fleeing.

A fourth person was wounded and police in Atlanta, Georgia were hunting the 33-year-old killer.

Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, 64, and his court stenographer were killed the Fulton County Courthouse, said Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor.

A deputy shot outside the courthouse died later at a hospital, while a second deputy had minor wounds, police said.

Witnesses said the gunman beat up a newspaper reporter and then stole his car as he fled the court.

Sheriff’s Lieutenant Clarence Huber identified the suspect as Brian Nichols, who was on trial for rape and other charges.

A sheriff’s sergeant was escorting Nichols into Barnes’ court when the grabbed the policeman’s gun and shot the judge and sergeant, said a member of the court staff.

“We heard some noise. It sounded like three or four shots. At the time, we thought it was just an engine backfiring,” said lawyer Chuck Cole,

Don O’Briant, a reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was beaten by Nichols and his Honda Accord stolen from outside the court.

All the judges in the building were locked in their chambers. Traffic in the blocks surrounding the courthouse was gridlocked as police cars flooded the area looking for the suspect.

James Bailey, a juror at Nichols’ trial, said the jury was not in the courtroom at the time of the shooting. Bailey said Nichols had made him and other jurors nervous.

“Every time he looked up, he was staring at you,” Bailey said.

Barnes retrial was ordered after a jury in his first trial failed to reach a verdict.

Judge Barnes drew attention last month when he took the unusual step of ordering a mother of seven who pleaded guilty to killing her five-week-old daughter to undergo a medical procedure that would prevent her from having more children.

The shooting happened 11 days after the husband and elderly mother of a judge in Chicago were shot to death in her home.

A man whose medical malpractice lawsuit was dismissed by the judge committed suicide and left a note saying he was the killer.