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Brian Nichols: I Should Have Shot One More Person

Posted: 4:52 pm EST November 19, 2008Updated: 5:16 pm EST November 19, 2008

Jurors in the Brian Nichols death penalty phase heard Wednesday that Nichols said after his arrest that he should have shot one other person on his way out of the Fulton County Courthouse.

The state saved the recording of the phone call for its last piece of evidence.

DeKalb County jailer Sgt. Jose Rodriguez testified that he and other jailers discovered a pulled-up and broken floor tile in Brian Nichols' cell, under which was a supply of paper clips. Police said the paper clips were bent into odd shapes.

The state brought in Georgia’s top expert in prison security Wednesday and asked him about using the paper clips to pick handcuffs.

“I’ve seen restraints removed with a lot less than this,” said Rick Jacobs with the Department of Corrections.

The state wants to discourage a life sentence – even life without parole – and asked if Georgia prisons could 100% guarantee Nichols would never escape if alive.

“With a hundred percent certainty, I cannot guarantee that would not happen,” said Jacobs.

The state also played a recording of Nichols on the phone.

“I did that (beep) and I’ll do it again,” Nichols can be heard on the tape. “Matter of fact, if I could’ve done something different, I’d have stopped on the third floor and I would’ve shot your (beep.)

The third floor is the office of the district attorney.

Add that to the fact Nichols has a record of corrupting jail guards, said the state.

“At worst, we’re breached and inmates are gone and we have him no longer in custody and the public is at risk and that’s our gravest concern,” said Jacobs.

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