TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #10

[Muffet]

Gary Christian - saying Channon was working 2 jobs and going to college, majoring in Sociology.

Channon lived with her parents... they had an understanding that she could come and go as she wanted, but she just needed to let them know where she was going and where she was...

 

[Muffet]

Gary says Channon called him ~12:30 Saturday night.

He was in bed.

She said, Dad, we're gonna watch a movie, but I'll be home in a couple hours. He asked, "why so late?", she said they had gotten dinner and were gonna watch a movie.

Price asks if there was anything else.. Gary chokes up.. says, "yeah, she said 'I love you.'"

He heard nothing in the background. Told her he loved her, and hung up... and told Deena about the call.

He didn't look to see what phone she called from - assumed it was her cell.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

I can't imagine carrying that kind of weight but how could he possibly have imagined? #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

Gary subdued, tortured looking this time round. Seems he's decided last call from Channon she was hostage #cntrial
4 minutes ago from txt

Clearly Thomas team isn't likely to attack families given treatment of vics as innocents #cntrial
7 minutes ago from txt

Prosecution had worried Davidson's defense raise Gary's prior theft case. He got diversion, records show #cntrial
9 minutes ago from txt

Defense has no ?s for Kara either. Unlike Davidson case, Gary Christian back on witness list in Thomas #cntrial
11 minutes ago from txt

Cobbins claimed Davidson initiated Thomas into gang via killing of Chris. This jury won't hear from Cobbins tho #cntrial
16 minutes ago from txt

Sorry guys...got a phone call!

 

[Muffet]

Price asked when they started to worry...

Gary says the next morning, Deena was ticked because Channon had not returned all night, and wasn't returning her calls.

Gary knew Channon was a good girl and trusted her... didn't worry.

Then Channon's boss called and told Deena Channon didn't show for work... Deena called Gary... he came home.. Deena already had a police officer there...

Deena was having trouble getting the officer to take it seriously... it was suggested that the parents go look for her themselves...

Deena called cell company - she was bill payer, so they gave her location of the last ping location - it was the Cherry St. tower. No one knew anything about that area...

Gary called a friend who was a LE he sold police cars to, "Jack"... told him what was happening..

Jack told them about the area and how to meet him there...

Gary & Deena & Channon's brother went to pick up Cara, and by then there were several other kids there waiting to go with them to help search...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Politico and longtime KPD fleet manager Jack Barnes came to rescue when KCSO blew off familly concerns - Gary #cntrial
less than a minute ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Jack guided them to the area, pointed out the Cherry St tower, and they planned and set out on a grid search of every street...

(describing details of street layout - I'll find a map...)

gary and chase (Channon's brother) had 2-way radios.. all had cell phones.. one of the kids called and said he thought they had found Channon's 4-runner.. Gary gets there and confirms it's her 4-runner.

 

[Muffet]

Gary had weird feeling about the street, so before he let anyone get close to it, he had a kid drive around and point his headlights at the 4-runner...

By then, Jack was there... they approached 4runner... could see things like a UT sticker (on front window - back window ones had been torn off) and a scratch Channon had gotten on it...

Then Jack put in a radio call and Chase called 911...

3-4 minutes later, the place filled up with police officers.

 

[Muffet]

Channon's 4-runner as found:

Missing "2-3 tons" of clothes Channon had packed to take to goodwill.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Jack helped find Cherry St cell tower, where Channon's phone last tracked, and w/ grid search - Gary #cntrial
8 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Seats were set as far back as possible:

It had also been wiped down for prints...

ETA: There was mud in floorboard.. Price shows it to Gary, who was OCD about Channon keeping it clean - jokingly says if it had been there before, they keys woulda been his.

 

[jnTexas]

Her Dad is right in Texas we iron our blue jeans. Gotta have those creases!!!

 

[Muffet]

Price asks Gary to id her jeans - he does.

Price has no more questions...

Jury has no questions.

I think defense has no questions.

Judge says let's take a little break.

 

[Muffet]

Her Dad is right in Texas we iron our blue jeans. Gotta have those creases!!!

LOL Yep. That whole thing was funny. I tried to type it all out, but couldn't get the wording right... something like, "My wife shops for them, my daughter wears them, and I hire them out?" I guess to be ironed, because he said they all claimed not to know how to iron jeans, "they aren't from Texas."

Gary is handling this so well. I really hope they get somewhere with a victims' rights group... he'd be a great leader. Charisma and passion - and both are smart. And no one can draw more sympathy than the Newsoms. I look at Hugh and want to hug him.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

No defense ?s for Gary. Again this reflects defense strategy of honing in only on Thomas role or lack thereof #cntrial
11 minutes ago from txt

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Whoop whoop whoop - star witness Xavier Jenkins in the house! He puts Boyd car at crime scene, suspects in SUV #cntrial
less than a minute ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Court back in session - jury seated...

TK Calling Xavier Jenkins...

 

[jnTexas]

Xaiver jenkins on the stand

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Expect some defense cross of Jenkins; Steve has transcript of prior testimony up on his Mac #cntrial
1 minute ago from txt

 

[jnTexas]

noticed 4runner with head lights on, and white car when he showed up for work.

 

[jnTexas]

Jenkins said no female in the 4runner. 4 black males.