", "Medical examiner testimony wraps up state case, expected to rest on Monday", "Killer in torture-slaying case denied parole", "Boyd trial, Day 1: A burned body by the tracks, a final glimpse of the victims before the murders", "Focus on torture-slaying victims' items in Coleman trial", "Vanessa Coleman retrial: She admits in interview she checked Channon Christian's pulse", "Tennessee: Jury hears testimony on fate of convicted killer", "Death sentence for torture-murder ringleader", "Torture-killing ringleader Lemaricus Davidson facing trial in Pizza Hut robbery", "Vanessa Coleman denied reprieve in torture-slaying case", "Christian-Newsom Murders: Trial for one carjacker moved to 2009, others could follow", "Judge: Recordings can be used in fatal carjackings case", "Another death penalty notice in Christian-Newsom slayings", "Prosecutors say evidence links Davidson to couple's torture deaths", "GUILTY: Eric Boyd's Christian-Newsom murder accessory trial over", Accessory case deliberations to start Wed. in double murder, "Eric Boyd gets two stacked life sentences for his role in the Christian-Newsom murders", "Death Sentence in Christian-Newsom Torture-Murder Trial", "Convicted Christian-Newsom killer Lemaricus Davidson has petition denied", "Supreme Court: Death penalty for Davidson stands in Christian-Newsom killings", "Thomas found guilty of Christian-Newsom murders", "George Thomas guilty; Family: Thomas deserves death", "Knoxville torture-murder case: Coleman acquitted of first degree murder, guilty on lesser charges", "Autopsy: Ex-judge Baumgartner died from natural causes", "Ex-judge Richard Baumgartner's drug-addicted downfall makes national spotlight", "The redacted TBI file on former judge Richard Baumgartner", "A chronology of events in the Richard Baumgartner scandal", "How Richard Baumgartner a drug addicted judge stayed on the bench despite warnings", "Drug Addicted judge had sex during court breaks", "Four defendants in Christian-Newsom case granted new trials", "State's appeal bid in Christian/Newsom case shot down", "Judge in Christian-Newsom case throws out decision to grant new trials, delays recusal decision", "Judge nixes delay in Christian/Newsom torture-slaying hearing", "Appellate court upholds Vanessa Coleman's convictions, sentence", "Guilty again: George Thomas sentenced in torture, murder retrial", "George Thomas loses appeal in Christian-Newsom murders", "Man convicted in Christian/Newsom murders wants US Supreme Court to review case", "George Thomas gets new plea deal approved, Newsom family thanks him during impact statement", "Trial set to begin for long suspected defendant in Christian Newsom torture slayings", "Judge: Eric Boyd to face Knox County jury in slayings of Channon Christian, Christopher Newsom", "Boyd trial, Day 6 Eric Boyd guilty of first-degree felony murder, kidnapping & rape", "Jury finds Eric Boyd guilty of grisly 2007 Knoxville murders", "Tennessee Supreme Court denies appeal in 2007 Knox County torture slayings", "Eric Boyd sentenced for his role in Christian-Newsom murders", "Judge denies Eric Boyd's bid for new trial in torture-slayings case", "STATE OF TENNESSEE v. ERIC BOYD - Articles", "Man convicted in Christian-Newsom murders denied new trial", "Coleman's parole denied in torture-slaying case", Vanessa Coleman's parole hearing rescheduled, "Vanessa Coleman's parole hearing eligibility pushed to December", "Vanessa Coleman to request parole next week", "Coleman's Parole Denied in Torture-Slaying Case", "Five involved in slayings of young Knoxville couple", "Woman convicted in Christian-Newsom murders denied parole", "Knox prosecutor doesn't shut the door on future charges in torture slayings", "City leaders say race not an element in Christian, Newsom murders", "Police arrest organizer at 'rally against genocide', "House linked to carjacking/slayings razed; memorial planned", "George Korda: Chipman Street: sometimes there just aren't enough rocks", "Chris Newsom, Channon Christian remembered 13 years after their murders", "Baseball tournament honors Chris Newsom, killed in 2007", "Gary Christian: From rage to restoration, a murder victim's father finds the faith he left", Extensive news coverage of the deaths in January 2007 of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom in Knoxville, TN, Newsom, Christian Family Reaction w/Video, "5th Suspect Arrested in Double Murder, Announcement Expected Soon", "Commentary: Where is the outrage when humans are abused? Let's talk about adventures! Authorities discovered Newsomfirst - on Sunday, January 7, 2007, hours after his death. Friends and family. [15][101] The jury returned a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on each of the four capital convictions. [21], Blackwood set retrials for between June and November 2012, pending appeals, and set bail at $1 million for Coleman, the only defendant whose sentence had the possibility of parole. Starting on January 6, 2007, from a Saturday night until Monday (when Chris's body was found burned atop railroad tracks) and Tuesday (when police found Channon's body in a garbage can in the home), it was a chamber of so much violence even experienced prosecutors fainted when viewing the crime scene photos. [47][48][49][50][59][60] According to Davidson's confession, during Christian's captivity, she said she "didn't want to die. His bare and muddy feet indicated that he had walked barefoot to the area where he was killed. 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. Most news reports came from local media and online news sites. After high school, he attended Pellissippi State Technical Community College and became a carpenter. A. He cited a 2001 report by the Berkeley Media Studies Group, which found that "Blacks and Latinos are underrepresented in news media as victims of crime and significantly overrepresented as perpetrators. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ordered by a judge for a defendant charged with being. Over eight months, each was tried independently on 46 charges including the kidnap, rape, and murder of Channon and Chris. [95][96], On August 25, 2009, Letalvis Cobbins was found guilty of the murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. [133] Serving a 35-year sentence, Coleman was eligible for parole in 2017 and her sentence expires on April 18, 2036. Boyd was found guilty of lesser charges on two counts. [45][53][62] Davidson asked if he and Boyd could stay the night at her apartment. [147], The house at 2316 Chipman Street was bought by Waste Connections, a national garbage collection company with a depot on the next lot. The autopsy report said that Shanann had a "history of being reported missing and subsequently found unresponsive in obvious state of death in a shallow grave." The cause of death was. Newsom was 23 years old when he was murdered.[30][32][34]. 20, Photos: ET Farmers Markets celebrate 40 years, Rooms with exclusive views: Three Sisters project will be closely aligned with Blackberry Farm, From slave to landlord: Mystery of Hade Black solved. He then used Christian's vehicle to deal drugs and wiped it clean. The assailants then covered her in bleachin what forensic investigators believe wasan effort to conceal DNA evidence. Blackwood sentenced Coleman to 35 years in prison on February 1, 2013, minus credit for time already served. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. 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. "I said, 'Is Vanessa in there?' She did not mourn the broken relationship long. "It was kind of like I lied to myself about it. Christians ordeal was far worse, if you can imagine. [56] After murdering Newsom, the assailants returned to Davidson's house where they beat and repeatedly raped Christian. Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan testified that Newsom, 23, was shot and would have been dead when his body was set on fire. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. She left, but not before he gave her a bag of clothing and a ring. [19][143] Boyd is incarcerated at the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex. At around 8:00 pm, Christian's friend went to the party, and Christian stayed behind and waited for Newsom to pick her up. "They told me thank you, gave me a hug and left," she testified. 7 January, 2022. We Asked, You Answered: What Would You Pick For Your Last Meal On Death Row? Update 2/10/15: One of my readers commented below that Coleman had a new trial and was re-sentenced. The men tied Christian up with bed sheets andforced her into large trash bags, ultimately suffocating her. The murderers and even the defense argued that Channon and Christopher desired this to happen. They forced Christian and Newsom into the vehicle at gunpoint and bound them. [17] Eric Boyd was convicted at the federal level and sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for being an accessory after the fact to carjacking. ul.searchbrowse li a:hover {color:#676767; border-bottom: 1px dotted #676767}, Photos: 37th Tennessee Homecoming brings history to life, Photos: Hurricane Matthew evacuees find shelter in Knoxville, Photos: Church Street United Methodist celebrates bicentennial, Photos: school coupon book kick off celebration, Photos: Bristol in anticipation for Battle at Bristol, Photos: Olive Garden provides meal for West Hills Fire Station No. #searchlist {width:100%; border-bottom: 2px #e5e5e5 solid; margin: 3% 0 5% 0;} Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. Later in the interview, Boyd said Davidson admitted dousing Newsom with gasoline and setting his body on fire, which contradicted his earlier account that Thomas had led Newsom out of the house and shot him. [24][25], Controversy arose due to differing interpretations regarding the media's coverage of the murders. He said he was scared. Thomas was granted the motion and was scheduled to go on trial on August 11, 2008. "If this wasn't a hate crime, then I don't know how you would define a hate crime," said Newsom's mother. He denied a change of venue but allowed for jurors to be brought in from outside Knox County. The car slowed down for about 20 seconds as if the occupants were "checking him out". Others, including journalists, disagreed with this assertion. According to the FBI, African-Americans accounted for 55.9% of all homicide offenders in 2019, with whites 41.1%, and "Other" 3.0% in cases where the race was known. Get True Crime Diva's blog posts delivered to your inbox! [11][99] In June 2010, Davidson was sentenced to 80 years for other charges related to the murders. He had been beaten, raped, and shot. True Crime Diva covers missing persons and unsolved cases around the globe. [3][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46], Both Christian and Newsom were raped. [18][93] Boyd was the first to go to trial, the only suspect not charged with murder. When Sutton tried to approach the bathroom from another door, Davidson again blocked her, she said. [1] Boyd and. Boyd said Davidson pinned the killings on Thomas. If you want to know what they look like, Google them. Davidson claimed that he did not go past the living room and that he never raped Christian. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses . On the same day she left Davidson, she went out with a man she only identified as "Black" to "eat and hang out." The men repeatedly raped and sodomized her; they savagely kicked or had beaten her in her genital area with an object. .searchbrowse-wrap {width:100%; margin: 0 0 10%; padding: 0 0 5% 0; border-bottom: 1px #e5e5e5 solid;} He insists, however, that she escaped prosecution because she, unlike Boyd, Davidson and three others implicated in the slayings, is white and the niece of Knoxville Police Department Officer Dennis R. Bible. Both victims have also had memorials and scholarships named after them. Three days later, the body of his 21-year-old girlfriend, Channon Christian was found stuffed inside a trash can in a nearby. My brother did something.' Medical examiners concluded they also assaulted him. 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. The medical examiner testified at trial that there was evidence that Christian slowly suffocated to death. [30], Hugh Christopher "Chris" Newsom Jr. (born September 21, 1983, in Knoxville) was a former baseball player for the Halls High School Red Devils, graduating in 2002. "His eyes were really big, like he knew what she was telling me.". "I was shocked (to see Davidson) because (Davidson's) house was on the news," Armstrong said. Boyd directed them to a vacant house. Satterfield, Jamie. [105][106][107][108] It was held that his ability to conduct trials had been impaired during his prior two years on the bench, and he was disbarred in September. 08-6402 . Prior testimony has suggested Boyd was at the house while the couple was being held captive. "There is absolutely no proof of a hate crime," said John Gill, special counsel to Knox County District Attorney Randy Nichols. Boyd and Davidson did not put up a fuss, she said. Rallied in violation of channon autopsy report or the comments. He also told Russo it's possible Hayhurst may have been unconscious, because the autopsy revealed blunt-force trauma to the head. KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- The judge ruled in a court hearing Thursday to keep most of the 70 disputed autopsy images (500 in all) the state wants as evidence in trials for the murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. Prosecutors conceded Baumgartner had been impaired during Coleman's trial but appealed the decision to retry Davidson, Cobbins, and Thomas. The medical examiner's graphic, chilling testimony detailed what Christian, 21, and Newsom, 23, suffered after their January 2007 kidnapping.