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. [95][96], On August 25, 2009, Letalvis Cobbins was found guilty of the murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. [43][44][51][67][68][69][70], When police went to 2316 Chipman Street on Tuesday, January 9, they found the house unoccupied and Christian's body in a trash can in the kitchen. The decision to hold retrials for them was affirmed in a two to one decision by the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals on April 13. Newsom was shot in his neck and the back. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. On the witness stand, she chalked it up to denial. [151][152] A memorial to Newsom and Christian was created at the location where the house once stood. He was also sentenced to another 90 years for other crimes, including especially aggravated kidnapping, robbery and rape. Channon Gail Christian, 21, and Hugh Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, were from Knoxville, Tennessee. [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. On the same day she left Davidson, she went out with a man she only identified as "Black" to "eat and hang out." [134][135][136][137] At the December 2014 hearing, Coleman was denied parole and her next parole consideration date was set for December 2020. At her first trial, Coleman was sentenced to 53 years in prison for her part as a facilitator in the crimes against Channon. Rev. The trial continues Monday. "[148], On May 27, 2007, less than 30 white supremacists, led by Alex Linder rallied in downtown Knoxville to protest against the murders. However, she wasdenied paroleat the hearing. They were kidnapped the evening of January 6, 2007 when Christian's vehi Show more Show more. The assailants then covered her in bleachin what forensic investigators believe wasan effort to conceal DNA evidence. Friends and family of the murderers made websites claiming that Channon and Christopher actively wanted to be brutally raped and murdered. When 21-year-old Channon Christian and 23-year-old Christopher Newsom of Knoxville, Tennessee failed to show up for their best friend's birthday party on Saturday, January 6, 2007, it would be . Channon Gail Christian, aged 21, and Hugh Christopher Newsom Jr., aged 23, were from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States.They were kidnapped on the evening of January 6, 2007, when Christian's vehicle was carjacked.The couple were taken to a rental house. "[12] The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed Davidson's conviction and death sentences in 2016. The pair were abducted from the Washington Ridge apartment complex in Knoxville, Tennessee. The couple were taken to a rental house. A beautiful, young couple carjacked and after hours (longer for Channon) of torture, repeated rapes of both, then brutally murdered. [50][72] Also inside the house were several items that belonged to Christian and Newsom, including Christian's purse, clothing she had in her vehicle, Christian's shoes, camera, photographs (which were ripped and burned), and iPod and Newsom's baseball caps and driver's license. Inside the vehicle was a pack of Newport cigarettes, even though neither Christian nor Newsom smoked them. The BEST of the worst true crime and macabre stories guaranteed to haunt your nightmares. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ordered by a judge for a defendant charged with being. There was a blood stain on her shirt and a camisole underneath the shirt. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Hugh Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, and his girlfriend Channon Gail Christian were both brutally murdered after being kidnapped early on the morning of January 7, 2007. But she allowed Davidson to stay at her friend's apartment and had sex with him. He said that Davidson told him that his brother, Letalvis "Rome" Cobbins, and buddy, George "G" Thomas, gang-raped Christian. Blackwood sentenced Coleman to 35 years in prison on February 1, 2013, minus credit for time already served. October 22, 2009 - 9:18am "That really had me worried.". doctor removing sheet - autopsy stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. She didn't know (Davidson) was laying beside me," Sutton testified. 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. Channon suffered a similar fate. Others, including journalists, disagreed with this assertion. Newsom and Christian were later found brutally carjacked, raped . [153], The Channon Gail Christian Foundation and the Channon Gail Christian Memorial Golf Tournament were established in Channon Christian's memory to provide a scholarship for a Farragut High School Senior to attend the University of Tennessee. [45][53][62] "It was kind of like I lied to myself about it. [24][25], Controversy arose due to differing interpretations regarding the media's coverage of the murders. Jamie Satterfield is an award-winning journalist specializing in the law and crime. [23], In June 2012, Judge Blackwood again granted new trials for Davidson, Cobbins, and Thomas, basing his decision on the "13th juror rule". "He started telling me it was his house," she said. The state argued that an impartial jury could be found during voir dire, and the presiding judge subsequently denied the motion as "premature". Instead of finding him guilty of especially aggravated armed robbery, the jury found Boyd guilty of aggravated armed robbery. They were last seen at the Washington Ridge Apartments. [78], A forensic document examiner verified that the handwriting in the entry matched Coleman's handwriting. His bare and muddy feet indicated that he had walked barefoot to the area where he was killed. A single mother, Sutton, 22, testified Friday that she left Davidson the day before Christian and Newsom were kidnapped because he had abused her. Newsom was 23 years old when he was murdered.[30][32][34]. Boyd was transported from a Federal Correctional Institution in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and booked into the Knox County Jail, where he was held on a $1 million bond. Upon searching the premises, police found Christian and determined the attacks against Christian and Newsom occurred in the house. Prior testimony has suggested Boyd was at the house while the couple was being held captive. He also admitted that Boyd later called him, asking Armstrong to give the pair a ride "down west.". "[147], Some commentators disagreed, claiming that such a crime represented motives of racial hatred. The police eventually discover their raped and brutally beaten bodies and trace the murders to five black suspects setting off racial . Background. "One down. Stickers Christian kept on the outside windows had been removed. 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. Then, they covered his head with a sweatshirt that they fastened around his neck with shoestrings. The parole hearing was rescheduled from October to December. By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Davidson claimed he saw the victims tied up in the back seat, did not want any part of it, and left to smoke marijuana. Christian, who was naked except for her camisole and sweater, was tied in a fetal position, placed inside a residential waste disposal unit, and covered with sheets. He denied a change of venue but allowed for jurors to be brought in from outside Knox County. Both were forced into the backseat of Christian's SUV at gunpoint, had their hands tied behind their backs, and were taken to Davidson's house at 2316 Chipman Street. She was a graduate of Farragut High School and a senior at the. Coleman is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence set to end in 2036, officials said. [98] The jurors unanimously found Davidson should receive the death penalty on the four capital charges, two first-degree felony murder charges, and the two premeditated first-degree murders of Christian and Newsom. On Monday, November 12, I drove 250 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee to attend the retrial of Vanessa Coleman for the facilitation of the rape and murder of Channon Christian. Judge Blackwood was asked to consider the motions again for new trials. [104] On July 30, 2010, she was sentenced to 53 years in prison. The Greatest Rock Stars Who Died Before 30. 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. She admitted they all smoked marijuana. [7][33][34] A foundation has also been established in Newsom's name. [56] After murdering Newsom, the assailants returned to Davidson's house where they beat and repeatedly raped Christian. She recalled crime-scene footage on an 11 p.m. newscast but insisted she paid it no mind. and our She returned from Atlanta later that night. U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan shot down Lomonaco's request. On January 6, 2007,Channon Christian, 21 years old, a graduate from Farragut High School in Knoxville, TN. He is not charged, however, in either the carjacking or the killings. So horrific and evil. 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. He also told Russo it's possible Hayhurst may have been unconscious, because the autopsy revealed blunt-force trauma to the head. Christian's and Newsom's mothers and Christian's father gave statements to the board opposing parole. 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. He said yes. In the wake of the murders, a Knox County Grand Jury handed down multiple indictments in the case. A journal was recovered after the arrests of Thomas, Cobbins, and Coleman. The Horrific Torture & Murders of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom | by Criminal Matters | Jan, 2023 | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. He admitted being at the Chipman Street house on Sunday when Christian was still alive. I didn't want to believe it.". "I had a car," he said. After killing Newsom, the assailants set his body on fire. Both of them were raped, tortured, and murdered. 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. Christians ordeal was far worse, if you can imagine. Newsoms killers had stuffed a sock in his mouth and bound his ankles with his belt. 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/. The Newsoms hope . 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