The action you just performed triggered the security solution. [18][93] Boyd was the first to go to trial, the only suspect not charged with murder. [45][53][63] Christian died between the afternoon of January 7 and the afternoon of January 8. "He wanted a ride. This will be the gruesome autopsy photos. 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. bodily injury and death in violation of 18 U.S.C. He wore only a shirt and underwear. In response, white supremacist Internet radio host Hal Turner set in motion rumors that the . [133][138][139] Coleman again went before a parole board on December 8, 2020. 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. She was speaking to a male. Additionally, Christian suffered bruises and carpet burns on much of her body. "As soon as I reached the bathroom door, (Davidson) grabbed me and said, 'What are you doing?'" She did not mourn the broken relationship long. Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom were raped, tortured and killed on January 6, 2007 (Image: CBS) Inside Newsom was repeatedly sodomized with an object and then blindfolded, gagged, arms and feet bound and his head covered. Click to reveal But I love the fun adventures [and] lessons that I've learned. 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. We see this as a cold-blooded murder. 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.. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. [37] They then decided to attack the couple. Follow us for a shocking dose of real life. CHRISTIAN, CHANNON GAIL - age 21 of Knoxville, passed away Sunday, January 7, 2007. That afternoon, Christian went to a friend's apartment to get ready. The judge immediately sentenced Boyd to life in prison as this was automatic for a murder conviction. [10][51] Though there was semen inside of Newsom's body, DNA in the semen had been destroyed by the fire. Davidson and Boyd "basically carjacked them" and ordered Cobbins to drive back to Chipman Street. He pleaded guilty to official misconduct. On January 6, 2007, couple Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom were out in East Knoxville. [11][12] Cobbins and Thomas were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. [7][33][34] A foundation has also been established in Newsom's name. 7 January, 2022. [73] On January 11, Davidson was arrested in the vacant house. [91] Judge Baumgartner threatened to ban the Newsom family from the courtroom after they called Davidson's attorney, Doug Trant, a "jerk". There was a blood stain on her shirt and a camisole underneath the shirt. On the same day she left Davidson, she went out with a man she only identified as "Black" to "eat and hang out." Investigators recovered fingerprints inside the vehicle that didn't belong to either Christian or Newsom. "They had sex with her, but he choked and killed her. They were kidnapped the evening of January 6, 2007 when Christian's vehicle was carjacked, and taken to a rental house, where both of them were raped, tortured, and murdered. Chris eventually shot to death before being set on fire, and Channon left to die with a plastic bag over her head in a trash can. Newsom is believed to have been raped inside Davidson's house. It snowed a lil bit but it's already melted. [128], Vanessa Coleman, the only female charged and convicted in the crimes, is held at the Tennessee Prison for Women, now known as the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, in Nashville. "[147] Christian's father, addressing those whom he believes used his daughter's death to further their agenda, stated: "[the crime] ain't about you. [3][51], Several items were missing from Christian's vehicle, including a teddy bear and photographs Christian kept there and her phone charger and iPod. Refresh the page, check. At some point, they were approached by an ex-con named Lemaricus Davidson. "What I hear is (Lomonaco) doesn't like what's coming in (as evidence)," Stone said. 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. "(Boyd) was not his normal self," she testified. [94] He was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in federal prison. "[28][146] It's a right-and-wrong issue. Sins and Secrets goes to Knoxville to examine the deaths of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom who disappeared shortly after they were carjacked. This sentence is to be served consecutively to the death penalty, while the death sentences are also consecutive. They were kidnapped the evening of January 6, 2007 when Christian's vehi Show more Show more. This Actress's Murder Changed Stalking Laws, 40 People Heard Kitty Genovese Being Murdered, Facts About The Murder Of Channon Christian And Chris Newsom. She also testified that Newsom had bruising and swelling around the anus. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. "[29] Pitts wrote: "I am [] unkindly disposed toward the crackpots, incendiaries and flat-out racists who have chosen this tragedy upon which to take an obscene and ludicrous stand."[29][150]. "There is absolutely no proof of a hate crime," said John Gill, special counsel to Knox County District Attorney Randy Nichols. Christians ordeal was far worse, if you can imagine. [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. While Channon was forced to watch, her boyfriend was raped prison style. What happened to nine-year-old Serenity Dennard? We and the Newsoms have lost our . Christian was then hog-tied and covered with several bags before she was placed in a disposal bin, where she slowly suffocated to death, Mileusnic-Polchan testified. The tragic double murder shook the Knoxville area, and investigators were unsure of the motive behind the attack. [151][152] A memorial to Newsom and Christian was created at the location where the house once stood. {{bottomLinkPreText}} {{bottomLinkText}} This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by contributors (read/edit). Reportedly, four of them - Davidson; his brother, Cobbins; Cobbinss friend Thomas; and Thomass girlfriend, Coleman - abusedChristian before she died. [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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. "I told them when I left they were welcome to have whatever food I had," she said. Despite that she allowed the two to stay in her apartment while she went to Atlanta. Davidson also used Newsom's cellphone and was seen wearing Newsom's shoes. Instead of finding him guilty of especially aggravated armed robbery, the jury found Boyd guilty of aggravated armed robbery. Davidson's prints were also found on a box of garbage bags. [22] The orders for retrials of Davidson and Cobbins were subsequently overturned by the Tennessee State Supreme Court, and their convictions and sentences stand. She admitted they all smoked marijuana. Her head was forced down onto her knees. CHRIS NEWSOM OBITUARY. 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.' [77], Coleman's lawyers argued that she should receive a 20-year sentence, while prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of nearly 50 years. [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. Tennessee courts convicted the five assailants on up to 38 counts, including capital murder, kidnap, rape, theft, accessory to carjacking, and accessory to murder. 23. Christian suffered extensive hemorrhaging to her head and groin. "One down. [9], Boyd finally went to trial on the state charges in August 2019. [15][101] The jury returned a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on each of the four capital convictions. "We do this for Channon," said Channon's mother, Deena. They were unable to locate Christian's SUV. He is greatly missed by his family and many friends. [47][48][49][50] He was then taken to a set of railroad tracks where he was forced to walk barefoot to the location where he was murdered. [16], Vanessa Coleman, the last defendant to face trial,[102] was granted immunity by federal authorities for testimony in the federal case of the carjacking, but the state courts ruled that the federal grant of immunity could not extend to the state charges of murder and rape. Assistant U.S. Boyd was found guilty of lesser charges on two counts. "That really had me worried.". [71][72] Christian's body was stashed in five large trash bags. He presents compelling testimony of how he is overcoming the anger that most East Tennesseans saw played out during news articles throughout the trials and appeals.[155]. Cobbins is currently serving a life sentence without parole at the Northwest Correctional Complex. They were both raped, tortured and murdered after being kidnapped early on the morning of January 7, 2007. Palm prints on channon christian christopher autopsy photos . The seven board members voted unanimously to deny Coleman parole and ensure that she would not be eligible to go before a parole board again for ten years. She didn't know (Davidson) was laying beside me," Sutton testified. 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. Thomas was granted the motion and was scheduled to go on trial on August 11, 2008. I didn't want to believe it.". Sutton said Davidson first blamed the killings on Cobbins, and also claimed that Cobbins had forced Christian to shoot Newsom. Channon Christian, 21, and her boyfriend Chris Newsom, 23, did not arrive at a friend's party on January 6, 2007, and never returned home to their parents. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Neither Lightfoot nor Armstrong voluntarily reported any of their contacts with Boyd and Davidson to police. On not really around my best lifetime. "They weren't able to carjack them, so they ordered them to drive," Boyd said in the statement. [47][48][49] Christian was also anally and vaginally raped. 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 . 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. "We know from our investigation that the people charged in this case were friends with white people, socialized with white people, dated white people. The perpetrators attacked the couple in a parking lot near an apartment complex in Knoxville, TN. Chris and Channon were kidnapped and driven to 2316 Chipman Street where they were forced into the home at gunpoint. The pair were abducted from the Washington Ridge apartment complex in Knoxville, Tennessee. 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. Upon searching the premises, police found Christian and determined the attacks against Christian and Newsom occurred in the house. To do the things they did, they would have to hate them to do that. #searchlist {width:100%; border-bottom: 2px #e5e5e5 solid; margin: 3% 0 5% 0;} [24][115][116], In 2014 the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals denied Coleman's request for a new trial and upheld her sentence. 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. After killing Newsom, the assailants set his body on fire. The Horrific Torture & Murders of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom | by Criminal Matters | Jan, 2023 | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. The Death of Theresa Parker: husband convicted but is he guilty of murder? Quote: The young Knoxville couple was carjacked, raped and killed in January 2007. So not only is there no evidence of any racial animus, there's evidence to the contrary. Boyd's cousin, Kevin Armstrong, who is the brother of another cousin whose testimony implicated Boyd in the slayings, reluctantly testified that Boyd called him to come to Lightfoot's apartment on the night of Jan. 9. It sounded like water was on, and something fell into the sink.". "[147], Some commentators disagreed, claiming that such a crime represented motives of racial hatred. Horrifying facts and disturbing details about real cases that shocked. 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. Stone countered that he and Jennings must prove Boyd knew about Davidson's crimes in order to prove he was an accessory to carjacking. "[61], Before killing her, to remove DNA evidence, Christian's attackers poured bleach down her throat and scrubbed her body, including her bleeding and battered genital area with it. See more ideas about christian, christopher, hate crime. Theassailantsset fire to the scene. The Newsoms hope . Attorneys David Jennings and Stone allege Boyd knew about the fatal carjacking when he allegedly took steps to help Davidson avoid arrest. 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. Davidson claimed that he did not go past the living room and that he never raped Christian. Channon Christian (21) and Chris Newsom's (23) lives were taken on January 7, 2007 at the hands of five vicious criminals in Knoxville, TN while on a date. .searchbrowse-wrap {width:100%; margin: 0 0 10%; padding: 0 0 5% 0; border-bottom: 1px #e5e5e5 solid;} It would take the discovery of two bodies - one inside the Chipman Street house where she and Davidson had lived - and Davidson's tales of the killings to finally prompt Sutton to rid herself of him, she told jurors. On the night of January 6, 2007, two assailants carjacked Channon Christian, 21, and her boyfriend, Christopher Newsom, 23. He had been shot three times; the killers delivered the final shot execution-style. #searchlist h2 {font-family:'Myriad W01 SmBd', sans-serif; color: #616161; font-size: 0.81255em; /* 13/16 */ line-height: 1.1em; text-transform: uppercase;} [131][132] In March 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Boyd another appeal of his convictions. After they forced Newsom into the back of Christians SUV, the assailants took him to a secluded area next to nearby railroad tracks. The trial continues Monday. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Prosecutors conceded Baumgartner had been impaired during Coleman's trial but appealed the decision to retry Davidson, Cobbins, and Thomas. Coleman is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence set to end in 2036, officials said. The details of the horrific events, along with the plight of the bills will follow. 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