TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #8

[Muffet]

TK - asking age - born in '86...

4 of the kids were living with Aunt Rosie...

TK asking about life with Rosie... good upbringing... didn't believe in drugs, theft, murdering or raping people...

Asks where she works -

answers - at animal hospital... got her GED - got a 2 yr tech degree to work w/ animals...

TK points out her rough life growing up, but how she moved back in w/ Rose... at age 8...

At that time, LD was 15, already living in group home.. she didn't see him then, or when he was in penitentiary...

When he got out, he came to visit them a week (in Memphis, then went back to knoxvile...

She thought he had a job because he'd tell her he was working...

TK asks if she'd ever gone to see him during the times he was in jail - she says once, this august, about Cobbins' trial. Never cllled him.

No more questions - she's excused...

 

[kiki the parrot]

I agree. I dont blame these people. slim is still family, I'm sure they dont want to see him executed. They are still more victims of Slim's cruelty.

Exactly what I've been saying. Perps who commit capital or even lesser offenses oughta think about the pain, heartache and shame they heap upon their own families, if unwilling to consider their victims or their families.

Next witness. In 1998 Jason Bramblett was weekend relief staff parent for West Tennessee Children's Home.

arrot:

 

[lonetraveler]

Don't ask... Lonetraveler.

arrot:

LOL, touche'. I really put my foot into my mouth ................:blushing:

 

[Mama-cita]

Is the word "du jour" UNSTABLE??? Because EVERY single stinking witness that testified for Cobbins kept using the word "unstable" as if they were told they would receive a monetary reward everytime they said that word. If we had been playing a drinking game, we'd have all been plastered if we drank every time they said "unstable." And we were like, well, so what, many people's lives are UNSTABLE and they don't go out raping torturing killing etc. etc. etc/

 

[Muffet]

Jason Bramblett, from Henderson TN

Worked at Children's home - The Rays ran it...

 

[yolorado]

I really do feel bad for these kids that they had to grow up like that. Its heart breaking. The terrible toll that drugs takes on so many lives. But Slim's siblings overcame it. Slim was just too lazy to work hard. Now he deals drugs that destroy more families ruin more childhoods.

It's heartbreaking and predictable that some of these kids are not going to have very good outcomes, but we live in a society that allows these kids to stay in these situations and discourages solutions.

 

[Muffet]

He was weekend relief staff at the Children's home...

He's describing Ted Ray, the runner of the Children's home as very strict - military bkgrd...

While Jason worked there. he got to know LD - this was 1998...

LD was like most kids, except much bigger...

They had about 8 kids at a time...

On Saturdays, other kids had family come visit - LD didn't... they worried about him.. he told them his mom had left him on courthouse steps...

 

[kiki the parrot]

LD was taller, larger than other kids when he came to the home. When the other kids had visitors LD never had any family or anyone visiting him. When he asked LD, LD told him he was left at the courthouse by his mom which was how he came to reside at the childrens' home. Very structured environment. LD responded well to those rules.

arrot:

 

[kiki the parrot]

Normally two houseparents, on weekends just one staffperson. LD would even alert Mr. Bramlett when kids were acting up.

Bramlett dated coworker whom he later married--LD made such a good impression and he trusted him so much he asked him to be in his wedding (his wife suggested this).

arrot:

 

[Muffet]

Describing strict clock schedule - chores, responsibilities...

Would be grounded or lose privileges if didn't follow rules..

LD followed them well... and he assisted Jason in keeping other kids in line...

Jason says he was dating his future wife and married her while he worked at the group home, and asked LD to be in his wedding...

Eldridge asks why... Jason answers that he really trusted LD - he was doing a lot to try to make his life right, be a better person - got baptized, worked with small church groups...

His wife would come hang out with them, watchin football, and it was her idea to ask him to be in their wedding.. "she trusted him"

 

[steelergirl]

WOW...absolutely shocking to me the opportunities that Davidson had to turn his life around. Sad that he made the choices that he made.

 

[Muffet]

Identifying thiswedding photo of LD and himself:

No more Qs from eldridge

 

[kiki the parrot]

Showing jury slides of LD in wedding party.

Cross.

arrot:

 

[kiki the parrot]

Good grief, unless this man is claiming he would leave his wife alone with LD NOW....... then I honestly fail to see the significance of ANY of this. :waitasec:
arrot:

 

[Muffet]

Price asks how many kids were kept at the w TN kids home... he says 2 kids per room...

The kids were taken to church regularly...

Ted & Alice Ray were very religious - Church of Christ...

They showed the kids a working environment.. a lot of the kids had no nuclear family before...

On weekends, the kids would go to church most of the day... play basketball on Saturdays...


...and I lost feed

 

[kiki the parrot]

But this is all yet more proof that LD was given the right kind of mentorship, influence and opportunities that would have enabled him to choose differently IMO.

arrot:

 

[kiki the parrot]

Price: "So LD was capable of following the rules. Taught what was right and wrong."

arrot:

 

[Muffet]

refreshed, got feed back as he's saying how he grew close to LD over the 11 months LD was there...

Cared for him very much...

LD responded well, and showed himself capable of following rules when he chose to...

LD was baptized... several kids were...

Price - so what's going on is that kids are being exposed to what's right and wrong...

- yes

Price - how long after was LD arrested for robbery?

- not sure...

Price - sept 2000 - just a little over a year later.

No further Qs from either side...

Judge says let's take a break.

 

[lonetraveler]

It seems as if absolutely nothing of a positive nature rubbed off on this murderer. There were many opportunities for him to turn his life around and be a decent person and he chose not to. He had numerous role models in his life who cared about him and who attempted to guide him toward improving his life.

 

[kiki the parrot]

I have no doubt there are people who deposited into LD's life who are now bitterly disappointed in his choices.

arrot: