Nichols Rape Victim Testifies for Defense

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Jurors finished hearing testimony yesterday from Brian Nichols's ex-girlfriend, whom he raped in 2004 shortly after they broke up. She was the first witness called by Nichols's defense team, and it's not clear that her testimony strengthened his plea of insanity.

Nichols's current trial stems from the rape case. He was close to being convicted for that in 2005 when he decided to shoot his way out of the Fulton County Courthouse, ultimately killing 4 people.

The witness she was awoken on the morning of her assault by her house alarm, and found Nichols in her bedroom doorway with a gun and duct tape.

WITNESS: I put my hands above my head, and he taped my wrists together and then told me to sit back on the bed, and told me that I needed to make sure that I complied with everything that he said. And that if I did, he wouldn't hurt me. If I didn't, then it would be a murder-suicide. That he would kill me, and then he would kill himself.

Over the next 7.5 hours, Nichols raped the victim.

The defense called the victim to the stand to show that Nichols's behavior became irrational and crazy after she broke up with him. But the prosecution characterized Nichols's behavior as a question of character, not insanity.