[78], The four suspects indicted in Knox County were scheduled to be tried separately at trials between May and August 2008. After the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex in Pikeville opened in 2012, they were transferred to that facility. The bags had Davidson's prints. All four men denied culpability in Newsoms death. "They just, I guess, a car was coming pushed them in right in the car because dude (Newsom) was giving girl (Christian) a kiss.". About twice as many counter-protesters as protestors attended, including the "Coup Cluts Clowns", an activist group which mocks the Ku Klux Klan. Eric Boyd initially spotted the couple and later alleged he and Lemaricus Davidson only intended to rob them. "We do this for Channon," said Channon's mother, Deena. You took my (wedding) dance away. After killing Newsom, the assailants set his body on fire. [23] The Coleman and Thomas retrials resulted in convictions, but with a reduced sentence for Coleman and the same sentence for Thomas. A. He wore only a shirt and underwear. By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel. [9], Boyd finally went to trial on the state charges in August 2019. Forensic evidence indicated both Davidson and Thomas fired shots, and Davidson was ultimately responsible forNewsom's demise. [119] The perpetrators attacked the couple in a parking lot near an apartment complex in Knoxville, TN. Theassailantsset fire to the scene. [50][54] A comforter was wrapped around Newsom's body, and a sweatshirt was wrapped around his head. [133][138][139] Coleman again went before a parole board on December 8, 2020. One of the men sprayed bleach down her throat to destroy DNA evidence. ul.searchbrowse {font-family:'Myriad W01 Regular', sans-serif; color: #676767; margin:0; text-transform: capitalize;} There, police found Newsom's size 9 Nike Shox athletic shoes and a .22-caliber High Standard revolver. Palm prints on channon christian christopher autopsy photos . She was still alive when they placed her body into black garbage bags, wrapped her head in a white plastic grocery sack, and stuffed her body inside a trash can, where she eventually suffocated to death. Cobbins is the first of four defendants to be tried. [121][122][123][124] On August 13, 2019, a jury found Boyd guilty on nearly all charges, including premeditated first-degree murder and rape against both victims. At around 8:00 pm, Christian's friend went to the party, and Christian stayed behind and waited for Newsom to pick her up. 7 January, 2022. Inside the vehicle was a pack of Newport cigarettes, even though neither Christian nor Newsom smoked them. [77], Coleman's lawyers argued that she should receive a 20-year sentence, while prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of nearly 50 years. 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. After high school, he attended Pellissippi State Technical Community College and became a carpenter. He was also sentenced to another 90 years for other crimes, including especially aggravated kidnapping, robbery and rape. Facts Leading to the Indictment Against Boyd On Saturday, January 6, 2007, Christophe r Newsom and his girlfriend, Channon Christian, drove to dinner and planned to attend a party. But I love the fun adventures [and] lessons that I've learned. But she allowed Davidson to stay at her friend's apartment and had sex with him. "I had decided they were gonna leave because I was scared the police would come to my house," she testified. "That really had me worried.". While Channon was forced to watch, her boyfriend was raped prison style. Knoxville: Directed by Jeffrey Woods. 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. When Sutton tried to approach the bathroom from another door, Davidson again blocked her, she said. [15][101] The jury returned a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on each of the four capital convictions. "[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. Reportedly, they had dinner at a local restaurantand then visited a friend. He saw a 4Runner in front of the house with its porch lights on. Sutton admitted she never told police and repeatedly lied to them in an effort to impede their manhunt for Davidson. Co-defendant George Thomas testified as a witness in the Boyd trial. Channon's abandoned vehicle was found nearby. 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). The next day, a train conductor reported a body near the railroad tracks and 9th Avenue in East Knoxville. His sentence ends in May 2053. The assailants then covered her in bleachin what forensic investigators believe wasan effort to conceal DNA evidence. I stayed away.". [89][90], Davidson was also indicted for the Pizza Hut robbery committed the day after 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. He also told Russo it's possible Hayhurst may have been unconscious, because the autopsy revealed blunt-force trauma to the head. The front seats were pushed back, and Christian could not have reached the pedals. [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. Channon Gail Christian, 21, and Hugh Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, were a couple from Knoxville, Tennessee. [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 floorboard was covered with mud, inconsistent with how Christian maintained her vehicle. On the witness stand, she chalked it up to denial. *In March of 2014, the actual Tn status legislature flushed several expenses through Channon Christian's and even Joe Newsom's leaders. 'I don't know what's going on. They tied his hands behind his back and wrapped his face in a bandana. Friends and family of the murderers made websites claiming that Channon and Christopher actively wanted to be brutally raped and murdered. She was also beaten, kicked in her groin, and beaten on the head. She was a graduate of Farragut High School and a senior at the. Christian was bound in a hog-tied fashion with curtains and strips of bedding. She admitted they all smoked marijuana. The medical examiner had just begun to describe were the most significant injuries located in the vaginal region when Varlan delayed her testimony. [7][33][34] A foundation has also been established in Newsom's name. The men repeatedly raped and sodomized her; they savagely kicked or had beaten her in her genital area with an object. The victims families notified authorities the next day about the missing couple. [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. [45][53][62] 10-Years Before Today: Charcoal Cyber criminals Wipe out, Do it yourself Channon Orlando in addition to Captain christopher Newsom. 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. After murdering Christopher, the five criminals returned to torture Channon. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Cobbins was sitting on a couch with "his head down." "[147], Some commentators disagreed, claiming that such a crime represented motives of racial hatred. Shanann's autopsyconcluded that her cause of death was asphyxiation due to manual strangulation. Because we were good friends I knew something wasn't right.". The police eventually discover their raped and brutally beaten bodies and trace the murders to five black suspects setting off racial . Your IP: Jamie Satterfield is an award-winning journalist specializing in the law and crime. Photographs of the crimes caused some people in court to pass out. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. These convictions were on lesser charges than her initial convictions. "It may have started out as a carjacking, but what it developed into was blacks hating whites. On August 14, 2019, Boyd, who has long been suspected as the man responsible for the assault against Newsom,was convicted of first-degree murderincluding related crimes of kidnapping and assault. [11][99] In June 2010, Davidson was sentenced to 80 years for other charges related to the murders. She did not mourn the broken relationship long. Horror of Christian/Newsom killings in focus: What happened on Chipman Street.Knoxville News-Sentinel, August 24, 2017.https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2017/08/24/archives-horror-christian-newsom-killings-focus-what-happened-chipman-street/597805001/. She left, but not before he gave her a bag of clothing and a ring. The items from Christian's SUV were shoved into trash bags. Manage Settings ", "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? The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Her entire body was then placed inside five large garbage bags. Update: She wasdenied again in December 2020. The couple's friends and families tried to find them, checking local hospitals and filing missing person reports. October 22, 2009 - 9:18am Prosecutors filed to have Judge Blackwood recused from the case, citing Blackwood's emotional involvement, his ex parte communication with the defense, lack of candor with the local media, and Supreme Court guidance that recusal should be considered before any other action. Investigators recovered fingerprints inside the vehicle that didn't belong to either Christian or Newsom. #boydtrial" The foundation holds an annual memorial baseball tournament at the Halls Community Park. She also testified that Newsom had bruising and swelling around the anus. She was a member of West Park Baptist Church. [61][75] Cobbins gave a statement to investigators claiming that he, Davidson, and Boyd drove to an apartment complex for someone to meet a girl. "They weren't able to carjack them, so they ordered them to drive," Boyd said in the statement. 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. A small white plastic bag was pulled over head. "Slim's brother and then Slim's pictures came up (on the screen) that they were wanted for questioning, so I asked what the hell was going on," she said. [18][93] Boyd was the first to go to trial, the only suspect not charged with murder. 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