Turns out, the clothing and the ring belonged to Christian, who authorities believe was being held captive at that moment by Coleman in the bathroom. She recalled crime-scene footage on an 11 p.m. newscast but insisted she paid it no mind. The medical examiner testified at trial that there was evidence that Christian slowly suffocated to death. [1] Boyd and. On Thursday, the pair presented surprise evidence suggesting that Boyd knew about the slayings because he was there at the Chipman Street house when the couple were being held captive and brutalized. Later, at around 11:00 pm, two of Newsom's friends went to the apartment where the couple had been kidnapped and found Newsom's truck in the parking lot. It[']s going to be a long interesting year! On the witness stand, she chalked it up to denial. Assistant U.S. [94] He was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in federal prison. Her ankles were bound with strips of bedding. given a lesser sentence of 35 years in prison, The 1945 Disappearance of Thora Afton Chamberlain, Robert Pickton The Case of the Killer Pig Farmer, Bonnie Woodward: Grandmother missing since 2010, The Tragic Short Life of Florence Sally Horner. ON January 6, 2007, 15 years ago this week, a young White couple, Christopher Newsom and his girlfriend Channon Christian, went to visit a friend in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kicking her time and christopher autopsy report or at this world right above my comments are not edit took the weight. [18][93] Boyd was the first to go to trial, the only suspect not charged with murder. "I had decided they were gonna leave because I was scared the police would come to my house," she testified. Channon Gail Christian, 21, and Hugh Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, were a couple from Knoxville, Tennessee. Because we were good friends I knew something wasn't right.". Continue with Recommended Cookies. He also said, "how people can engage in this type of conduct is just unexplainable" and "there really is no sentence great enough to punish you for the conduct you have been convicted of. Photographs of the crimes caused some people in court to pass out. CHRISTIAN, CHANNON GAIL - age 21 of Knoxville, passed away Sunday, January 7, 2007. On Monday, November 12, I drove 250 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee to attend the retrial of Vanessa Coleman for the facilitation of the rape and murder of Channon Christian. Her neck muscles had been bruised and the manner of death was deemed a homicide. The front seats were pushed back, and Christian could not have reached the pedals. Rallied in violation of channon autopsy report or the comments. He's testifying about items recovered from the medical examiner's officer after Channon Christian's autopsy, including the rape kit, the camisol she was wearing, and floral fabric found in the garbage bags with her in the trash can where her body was found. In exchange for his testimony, Thomas was allowed to have his first-degree murder convictions reduced to second-degree murder, his aggravated rape convictions reduced to aggravated assault, and his sentence reduced from life in prison with the possibility of parole to 50 years (two 25-year terms with the opportunity to reduce his sentence by up to 15 percent based on good behavior during incarceration). Sutton said Davidson first blamed the killings on Cobbins, and also claimed that Cobbins had forced Christian to shoot Newsom. [77], Coleman's lawyers argued that she should receive a 20-year sentence, while prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of nearly 50 years. CHRIS NEWSOM OBITUARY. Reportedly, four of them - Davidson; his brother, Cobbins; Cobbinss friend Thomas; and Thomass girlfriend, Coleman - abusedChristian before she died. [15][101] The jury returned a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on each of the four capital convictions. [153], The Channon Gail Christian Foundation and the Channon Gail Christian Memorial Golf Tournament were established in Channon Christian's memory to provide a scholarship for a Farragut High School Senior to attend the University of Tennessee. Friends and family of the murderers made websites claiming that Channon and Christopher actively wanted to be brutally raped and murdered. [111][112], In May 2012, the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned Blackwood's ruling ordering new trials for Cobbins, Davidson, and Thomas, saying that a trial judge's misconduct outside the courtroom does not necessarily require a new trial unless the misconduct is shown to have affected the trial proceedings, but that its decision "should not be construed as condoning or excusing" Baumgartner's misconduct. It's not a black-and-white issue. It snowed a lil bit but it's already melted. The company's intent was to replace the house with a memorial dedicated to Newsom and Christian. Judge Blackwood was asked to consider the motions again for new trials. The details of the horrific events, along with the plight of the bills will follow. After a radio caller made him aware of the extremely disturbing story of Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian in Knoxville, Tenn., Glenn Beck researched the case and was horrified at what he found. The horrifying rape, torture murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, The 1977 disappearance of Rachel Hanna Ziselman, The mystifying disappearance of 14-year-old Stacy Ann Arras. He pleaded guilty to official misconduct. She returned from Atlanta later that night. Newsom survived this shooting initially, but later was shot again in the head. Medical examiners determined Christian was alive when the assailants placed her in plastic trash bags. The Horrific Torture & Murders of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom | by Criminal Matters | Jan, 2023 | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Boyd and Davidson did not put up a fuss, she said. Upon discovering the corpses of Christopher Newsom, 23, and his girlfriend, Channon Christian, 21, on January 7 and 8, 2007, respectively, Knoxville, Tennessee authorities stonewalled the media as to the cause of death and the bodies' condition. When Newsom was murdered, his hands were bound behind his back, and his feet were bound together. Police seized a computer on which Thomas and Cobbins had been viewing news coverage of the murders. [5][141] Davidson was sentenced to death on October 30, 2009,[142] and is incarcerated at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. Further, Mr. Newsom had been sodomized and was not wearing pants. No. He wore only a shirt and underwear. He saw a 4Runner in front of the house with its porch lights on. We stayed w/a crackhead that is cool as hell. "He wanted a ride. On Saturday, January 6, 2007, Christian and Newsom planned to go for dinner together and attend a friend's party. On May 17, 2013, the retrial of George Thomas (with a jury empaneled in Nashville) ended in a verdict of guilty on all 38 counts. [73] On January 11, Davidson was arrested in the vacant house. After the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex in Pikeville opened in 2012, they were transferred to that facility. Christian and Newsom's families and friends searched the Cherry Street area and found Christian's abandoned Toyota 4Runner between 1:30 am and 2:00 am on Monday, January 8. [116][140], Cobbins and Thomas were originally incarcerated at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Coleman was convicted of facilitation only in the rape . A jury imposed two sentences of death on the defendant after convicting him of multiple counts of first degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated . All four men denied culpability in Newsoms death. Update 8/13/19:Eric Boyd was found guiltyof Channon and Christophers 2007 murder. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [11][99] In June 2010, Davidson was sentenced to 80 years for other charges related to the murders. Inside the vehicle was a pack of Newport cigarettes, even though neither Christian nor Newsom smoked them. forensic - autopsy stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. "I did not know for sure he killed somebody," Sutton testified. He faces death if convicted. The sentencing judge, Richard Baumgartner, one of Knox County's three Criminal Court judges, was forced to resign from the bench in March 2011, having admitted to drug addiction and purchasing prescription pain medication from convicts. Channon Christian, 21, a Farragut High School graduate and University of Tennessee senior, was hog-tied and stuffed alive inside a trash can, where she slowly suffocated. So not only is there no evidence of any racial animus, there's evidence to the contrary. All Rights Reserved. "I was shocked (to see Davidson) because (Davidson's) house was on the news," Armstrong said. Fifteen years ago today, a train conductor passing through Knoxville, Tennessee, made a shocking discovery on the railroad tracks on Ninth Avenue: the bound, burned body of 23-year-old Christopher Newsom. This Actress's Murder Changed Stalking Laws, 40 People Heard Kitty Genovese Being Murdered, Facts About The Murder Of Channon Christian And Chris Newsom. [45][53][62] [19][143] Boyd is incarcerated at the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex. When none of Christian's friends and family heard from her, they became worried and alerted the authorities. The Board of Parole has also denied granting Coleman parole in the past. [28][145] The District Attorney denied most of the original reports containing misinformation; the source was a federal deputy US Marshal after the suspects' arrest in Kentucky.[145]. They were kidnapped the evening of January 6, 2007 when Christian's vehi Show more Show more. On the night of January 6, 2007, two assailants carjacked Channon Christian, 21, and her boyfriend, Christopher Newsom, 23. At some point, they were approached by an ex-con named Lemaricus Davidson. "Walking up and down main street of Ridgebrook (Apartments), just drinking, smoking and drinking and smoking weed, that's all I do every day," he said. "There is absolutely no proof of a hate crime," said John Gill, special counsel to Knox County District Attorney Randy Nichols. Boyd claims he has no personal knowledge of the slayings of the young couple, but he offered up details of the crime anyway in a videotaped statement to police played in court today. [148] Newsom's mother also disagreed with the assertion that the offenders were not motivated by racism. 7 January, 2022. [87][88], District Attorney Randy Nichols announced that the state would seek the death penalty for both Cobbins (the first to go to trial) and Coleman if convicted. [1][2][3] Four males and one female were arrested, charged, and convicted in the case. [47], After finding Christian's body and discovering the presence of Davidson's semen on her clothing and in her body cavities, police undertook a manhunt for Davidson. Davidson, he said, denied raping Christian but admitted choking her. "[53] Prosecutors believe that Christian was tied to a chair and orally raped by Davidson and Cobbins. She also testified that Newsom had bruising and swelling around the anus. U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan shot down Lomonaco's request. Lomonaco next turned his attention to Sutton, who he contends is just as guilty as Boyd is alleged to be in hiding a killer. [7][33][34] A foundation has also been established in Newsom's name. See more ideas about christian, christopher, hate crime. In the early morning hours of January 7, 2007, Channon Christian, 21, and her boyfriend, Christopher Newsom, 23, were carjacked by three black males who took the young couple to a house on Chipman Street in Knoxville, TN, where the group tortured and killed them. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. On January 6, 2007, 21-year-old Channon Christian and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Christopher Newsom, were minding their own business. The men tied Christian up with bed sheets andforced her into large trash bags, ultimately suffocating her. [72] Shell casings found at Davidson's house matched the bullets used to kill Newsom. Davidson was then interrogated about the murders. #searchbrowse-left {width:45%; float:left; margin: 0 2%; background: transparent;} The pair were abducted from the Washington Ridge apartment complex in Knoxville, Tennessee. Authorities discovered Newsomfirst - on Sunday, January 7, 2007, hours after his death. The judge immediately sentenced Boyd to life in prison as this was automatic for a murder conviction. The next day, a train conductor reported a body near the railroad tracks and 9th Avenue in East Knoxville. "Something was bothering him. Boyd's request for a new trial was denied by Knox County Criminal Court Judge Bob McGee in 2019. Attorneys David Jennings and Stone allege Boyd knew about the fatal carjacking when he allegedly took steps to help Davidson avoid arrest. "[147], Some commentators disagreed, claiming that such a crime represented motives of racial hatred. The three men - with the stolen SUV - returned to Davidsons home on Chipman Street, where George Thomas and his girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman, were also staying. [89][90], Davidson was also indicted for the Pizza Hut robbery committed the day after the murders. However, a noon broadcast the following day commanded her full attention. Christopher Newsom was either forced to walk barefoot or partially dragged with his ankles bound to the scene of his death, Knox County's acting medical examiner testified late this afternoon. [13][14][15][16] Vanessa Coleman was convicted of facilitating the crimes and sentenced to 53 years. During sentencing, Judge Baumgartner said the crime was "one of the most incredibly outrageous, cruel and inhumane cases this court has ever seen." The police eventually discover their raped and brutally beaten bodies and trace the murders to five black suspects setting off racial . Newsom is believed to have been raped inside Davidson's house. Four black males and one black female were arrested and charged in the case. Based on crime-scene photos, he would not have been able to see the kitchen from the front porch doorway. [18][19] He was convicted on state level charges over a decade later in 2019. .searchbrowse-wrap {width:100%; margin: 0 0 10%; padding: 0 0 5% 0; border-bottom: 1px #e5e5e5 solid;} On not really around my best lifetime. #searchbrowse-right {width:45%; float:left; margin: 0 2%; background: transparent;} [133] Serving a 35-year sentence, Coleman was eligible for parole in 2017 and her sentence expires on April 18, 2036. There, they reportedly shot himmultiple times. "Starting a petition to indict Eric Boyd for his part in those horrible murders of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom, I thought it was the right thing to do," said Cowans. It's a right-and-wrong issue. Letalvis Cobbins followed them. Performance & security by Cloudflare. He said yes. Sutton testified. The perpetrators attacked the couple in a parking lot near an apartment complex in Knoxville, TN. [26][28], Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said there was no indication that the crimes were racially motivated. Additionally, police found Christian's overnight bag. [86] The attorneys for Thomas filed a motion for a speedy trial, arguing there was no forensic link between their client and the crime scene. In 2007, a grand jury indicted Letalvis Darnell Cobbins, Lemaricus Devall Davidson, George Geovonni Thomas, and Vanessa Lynn Coleman on counts of kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder. Judge Thomas T. Woodall wrote in his opinion: "The facts at trial showed that (Coleman) was in the (Chipman Street) house for nearly two days where (Christian) was confined and brutally raped before she was tied up, wrapped in five plastic trash bags and stuffed into a garbage can, where she died from asphyxiationIn journal entries (written after the slayings, Coleman) described 'one hell of an adventure in the big T.N.' [98] The jurors unanimously found Davidson should receive the death penalty on the four capital charges, two first-degree felony murder charges, and the two premeditated first-degree murders of Christian and Newsom. The 32-year-old was convicted of facilitation of first-degree murder in the deaths of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. Although Christian sustained multiple blows to the head and other trauma, she ultimately suffocated after being placed in the plastic bags. Evil at Sea: The Disappearance of Amy Bradley. 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