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Old May 1st, 2007 #14
Steve B
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Not sure if this has been posted yet and I'm probably putting it in the wrong spot but wikipedia has something on the Channon Christian/Chris Newsom murders.

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Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom murder
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Hugh Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, and Channon Gail Christian, 21, were from Knoxville, Tennesee. They were apparently kidnapped, tortured, and murdered early on the morning of January 7, 2007 after their vehicle was carjacked.[1]

Christian allegedly was abducted and repeatedly raped before her murder. Five suspects have been arrested and charged in the case.[2]

Contents [hide]
1 Crime
2 Victims
3 Suspects
4 Controversy
5 See also
6 References
7 External links



[edit] Crime
Christian and Newsom had gone on a date Saturday, January 6, 2007, but did not return home. Newsom's body was found adjacent to railroad tracks in East Knoxville the next afternoon. According to investigators, he had been shot and his body had been burned. [3]

Christian's parents found her Toyota 4-Runner on Chipman Street on Monday, with the help of her mobile phone provider. An envelope recovered from the vehicle yielded fingerprint evidence that led police to Lemaricus Davidson and 2316 Chipman Street. When police went to the address on Tuesday, January 9, they found the home unoccupied and Christian's body in a trash can in the kitchen.[4] "Childress says Newsom's body was wrapped in a 'sheet and/or comforter,' and that the victim had been shot at least three times. He also notes that Newsom's shoes, socks, identification, and iPod were missing. His body had been burned.".[5]

According to a deputy U.S. Marshal, "they kept her for a couple of days and brutally raped and sexually assaulted her."[3]


[edit] Victims
Christian came to Tennessee with her family from Louisiana in 1997. She was a graduate of Farragut High School and a senior sociology major at the University of Tennessee. [6][7] On January 12th her family released a statement to thank the Knoxville community "for all their prayers and everything". A candlelight vigil was held on the university campus January 25, 2007 in her honor. She is buried at Highland Memorial West Cemetery.

Newsom, a former baseball player for the Halls High School Red Devils graduated from Halls in 2002. He was interred at Woodhaven Memorial Gardens.[8]


[edit] Suspects
District Attorney General Randy Nichols has not indicated whether or not he will seek the death penalty, but he does say the state will seek conviction for all charges filed in a 24-page indictment from the Knox County Grand Jury.[9]

The five suspects, all African-American, are:

Lemaricus Devall "Slim" Davidson, 25, (b. June 13, 1981) faces a total of 46 charges. Davidson was indicted on 16 counts of felony murder growing out of rape, robbery, kidnapping, and theft of Christian and Newsom, 2 counts of premeditated murder, 2 counts of especially aggravated robbery, 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft. Davidson had completed serving a five-year sentence in Tennessee on a previous felony conviction for carjacking and aggravated robbery on August 5, 2006.
Letalvis "Rome" Cobbins, 24, (b. December 20, 1982) faces a total of 46 charges. Cobbins was indicted on 16 counts of felony murder growing out of rape, robbery, kidnapping, and theft of Christian and Newsom, 2 counts of premeditated murder, 2 counts of especially aggravated robbery, 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft. In 2003, Cobbins was convicted of third-degree attempted robbery in New York state. He and Davidson are brothers.
George Geovonni "Detroit" Thomas, 24, faces a total of 46 charges. Thomas was indicted on 16 counts of felony murder growing out of rape, robbery, kidnapping, and theft of Christian and Newsom, 2 counts of premeditated murder, 2 counts of especially aggravated robbery, 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft.
Eric DeWayne "E" Boyd, 24, arrested in connection with the fatal carjacking, only faces federal charges as an accessory after the fact. He was not indicted by the Knox County grand jury.
Vanessa Coleman, 18, was arrested by police in Lebanon, Kentucky. She faces 40 Tennessee state charges. Coleman was indicted on 12 counts of felony murder growing out of rape, robbery, kidnapping, and theft of Christian and Newsom, 1 count of premeditated murder (of Christian only), 1 count of especially aggravated robbery (of Newsom only), 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft.

[edit] Controversy
Despite the gruesome nature of these murders, they received virtually no coverage in the mainstream media. Some commentators have said that this is due to a media bias which provides more coverage to cases in which whites allegedly attack blacks (such as the Duke Lacrosse case) than vice versa. [1][2] [3][4][5]


[edit] See also
The Wichita Massacre

[edit] References
^ Details of double slaying emerge, Knoxville News Sentinel, January 13, 2007
^ Female suspect arraigned in Channon Christian, Chris Newsom murders, WBIR-TV, April 18, 2007
^ a b Duncan Mansfield, Associated Press. "4th Arrest in Tennessee Couple's Slaying", CBS News, January 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
^ Katie Allison Granju. "Released documents reveal new details of Christian, Newsom murder investigation", WBIR-TV, January 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
^ Katie Allison Granju. "Released documents reveal new details of Christian, Newsom murder investigation", WBIR-TV, January 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
^ Memorial to be held for loss of student, The Daily Beacon, January 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-4-20
^ Channon Gail Christian,Knoxville News Sentinel from January 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-4-20.
^ Chris Newsom, Knoxville News Sentinel from January 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-4-20
^ Duncan Mansfield, Associated Press, Fox News from February 02, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-4-20

[edit] External links
Message from the Christian Family
5th Suspect Arrested in Double Murder, Announcement Expected Soon
YouTube Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom (#1)
Volunteer TV 8 Double Murder Suspect Indicted in Court
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channon_Christian_and_Christopher_Newsom_murder"
Categories: Knoxville, Tennessee | Murder in the United States | Sex crimes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channon..._Newsom_Murder