Bio

Norris U. Speed was born in 1971. He grew up in a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. It is known that he had prior felony convictions before committing the crime for which he was sentenced to death.

As a young adult, Speed became involved in illegal activities. He became a drug dealer in the Thomasville Heights area of Atlanta. This involvement in drugs would eventually lead to conflicts with law enforcement. His life as a dealer began to overlap with the police work in his neighborhood.

In December 1991, a major event occurred that changed the course of Speed's life. On December 12, an undercover police officer arrested one of his associates for selling drugs. This incident caused tension between Speed and the police, particularly with Officer Niles Johantgen, who was known on the streets by the nickname "Russian." Speed openly expressed his anger toward Officer Johantgen, believing that the officer's actions were directly responsible for his losses in the drug trade.

Murder Story

On December 21, 1991, Norris Speed shot Officer Niles Johantgen in Fulton County, Georgia. Officer Johantgen was a 32-year-old police officer known for patrolling the Thomasville Heights area. Earlier that month, on December 13, an undercover operation had led to the arrest of Jose Griffin, a man who worked for Speed. This operation resulted in the seizure of a large amount of cocaine and cash from Speed's home. Speed believed that Officer Johantgen had played a role in this arrest and had expressed a desire to kill him.

On the day of the murder, Officer Johantgen was on patrol and had just exited his car when he approached a group of men. As he began to frisk one of them, Speed approached from behind and shot Officer Johantgen in the back of the head with a nine-millimeter pistol. Officer Johantgen died instantly. Speed fired additional shots as the officer fell, although those shots missed.

After the shooting, Speed fled the scene. Witnesses testified that they saw him shoot Officer Johantgen. Additionally, Speed later confessed to his drug boss and his girlfriend about the killing. He was captured two days later and was arrested.

Norris Speed faced trial for the murder. The jury found him guilty of malice murder, and on October 7, 1993, he was sentenced to death. His conviction was based on the evidence of the shooting and his own admission of guilt.