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Old October 18th, 2009 #75
Alex Linder
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DNA test in Channon Christian's slaying raises new questions
Sample on Christian's underwear not from suspects, boyfriend

* By Jamie Satterfield
* Posted October 9, 2009 at midnight

Specialized DNA testing intended to narrow down the source of an unknown semen sample instead has raised the possibility of two more suspects in the torture slaying of a Knox County couple.

If that weren't worrisome enough for prosecutors on the eve of alleged ringleader Lemaricus Davidson's trial, his defense team Thursday charged the Knox County Sheriff's Office with violating attorney-client privilege and asked that the case be tossed out as a result.

A Virginia lab has ruled out as sources for semen on slaying victim Channon Christian's panties her boyfriend, slaying victim Christopher Newsom, and suspects Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas and Eric Boyd.

Defense attorneys David Eldridge and Doug Trant wrote in a motion filed Thursday that the testing revealed "the presence of male DNA from two unknown individuals." They want to tell jurors about that finding at Davidson's Oct. 19 trial. They cited a legal rule that sets out when an accused rapist can use in his defense proof about his alleged victim's sexual behavior. That rule is intended to limit attempts to sully a rape victim's reputation, but the attorneys insist in their motion they are merely heading off any prosecution attempt to block the use of the DNA findings.

Prosecutors waited until last month to seek DNA testing of Christian's panties, found inside a trash bag in Davidson's Chipman Street home soon after the January 2007 deaths. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was unable to isolate the source of the sperm, so Judge Richard Baumgartner authorized specialized testing.

Prosecutor Leland Price has said the panties were essentially overlooked in the mound of items seized from the house and, once identified as hers, tested in a bid to link Boyd, who is not charged so far in the killings, to the crimes.

Also on Thursday, Davidson's defenders accused KCSO of copying a letter from Davidson to his attorneys that outlined "strategy" and factual issues and turned it over to prosecutors, violating the confidentiality afforded communication between defendants and their attorneys. They asked Baumgartner to toss out the case as a result.

"Mr. Davidson's defense has been compromised in an irreversible fashion," they wrote.

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/oc...new-questions/