TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #16

[SuziQ]

Cobbins and Thomas LWOP. And Davidson Death.

 

[SuziQ]

Maybe I'm brain dead, but I don't remember Chris' DNA being anywhere in the house or car. Also IIRC, Davidson was the only one found guilty of murdering Chris.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[PrairieWind]

Maybe I'm brain dead, but I don't remember Chris' DNA being anywhere in the house or car. Also IIRC, Davidson was the only one found guilty of murdering Chris.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I think thats correct Suzi. They couldnt link anyone else really to chris's murder. Though it now seems clear that George Thomas and probably Boyd and Davidson were the ones that actually did it. I also dont recall if Chri's dna was found at the home or in the car. There does seem to be a pretty long stretch of time between the carjacking and the witness hearing the shots on the tracks, about 2 hours i think. So it is a mystery what happened to Chris and where it happened.

 

[SuziQ]

Torture-slaying trial, Day 5: Coleman's journal takes center stage
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/07/torture-slaying-trial-day-5-jurors-pepper-federal-/

Video summary of Day 5 by Jamie:
http://media.scrippsnewspapers.com/...mary-of-day-five-in-the-vanessa-coleman-trial

Photo Galleries »

Vanessa Coleman trial - Friday May 7, 2010

http://www.knoxnews.com/photos/galleries/2010/may/07/vanessa-coleman-trial---friday-may-7-2010/

 

[Muffet]

:doh: I almost posted today that the best way to assure that the journal would come in would be for me to be called away. Whaddayaknow.

But thank heavens for all your reports, and thank you Jamie and SuziQ for the video!

I got these screen caps of the journal from the video:

Wow. I'm dumbfounded.

That should do her in.

 

[Muffet]

Also, at least one juror is on his or her toes. I missed this question at the time, but it's in the video.

Juror:
Did Boyd and Daphne show up the same night?
Answer:
To my understanding, yes.
Juror:
To clarify, does that mean VC showered twice in one night?
Answer:
My understanding, it was a long shower.

As Jamie says, VC said she was in the shower both when Daphne came over and when Boyd came over.

I also agree with Jamie that there seems to be a split between some of the jurors.

It would not surprise me at all to see a hung jury. I do not trust the one who keeps asking about Daphne.

 

[lonetraveler]

A possible split in the jury is a bit of concern for me. This could end up as a hung jury. A retrial would be awful for the families.

 

[SuziQ]

Vanessa Coleman's journal entries don't match fear for life claims
http://www.wate.com/Global/category...=default&clipId=4767844&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

 

[Chicken Hawk]

Wow! If those journal entries don't do her in, nothing will. I'm worried about the jurors asking about Daphne too, but am sure TK will straighten that out in closing. Keeping fingers crossed.

I keep reminding myself that GT got LWOP and they didn't find his DNA at all (that I remember).

And my gosh! She really and truly is a cold hearted person. The whole thing was one big adventure and she sure learned a lot. I would love to have seen her face and her parents face when they talked about that. I wonder what her parents think now.

 

[William N]

I was in the courtroom today. Everyone was literally on the edge of their seats when the journal was put on the screen. We who saw it in person felt "I've had one hell of an adventure since I've been in the big TN " blows apart the defense. I think she also wrote "Ha Ha." Coleman, in the journal, expressed her love for Cobbins whom she claimed in her police statements threatened to kill her. Lavitt only asked a few questions on cross and looked beaten to me.

Even those brief entries show that Coleman was in the torture and murder with the rest of them. Bear in mind, Coleman thought she would get away with it when she wrote those words. If Davidson hadn't left his fingerprint on an envelope in Channon's 4Runner, there would have been nothing to tie the gang to the victims.

 

[MCDRAW]

Wow! If those journal entries don't do her in, nothing will. I'm worried about the jurors asking about Daphne too, but am sure TK will straighten that out in closing. Keeping fingers crossed.

I keep reminding myself that GT got LWOP and they didn't find his DNA at all (that I remember).

And my gosh! She really and truly is a cold hearted person. The whole thing was one big adventure and she sure learned a lot. I would love to have seen her face and her parents face when they talked about that. I wonder what her parents think now.

If I heard my child refer to kidnappings, rapes, and murders as an adventure, I would be devestated. Because up until then I think they could have believed her about her being threatened and basically held hostage. I believe any parent would rather believe that then to know that their child is a monster.

 

[MCDRAW]

A possible split in the jury is a bit of concern for me. This could end up as a hung jury. A retrial would be awful for the families.

I am hoping that the journal entry about her being on an adventure will unite the jury for a guilty verdict.

 

[Muffet]

Remember, they weren't just adventures, but she thought they were fun!

If that isn't enough for the jury, nothing will be. :no:

 

[darnudes]

Also, at least one juror is on his or her toes. I missed this question at the time, but it's in the video.

Juror:
Did Boyd and Daphne show up the same night?
Answer:
To my understanding, yes.
Juror:
To clarify, does that mean VC showered twice in one night?
Answer:
My understanding, it was a long shower.

As Jamie says, VC said she was in the shower both when Daphne came over and when Boyd came over.

I also agree with Jamie that there seems to be a split between some of the jurors.

It would not surprise me at all to see a hung jury. I do not trust the one who keeps asking about Daphne.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the fact about the jurors asking about Daphne. As most of you here know the case back to front and have watched the other trials, you probably realise that Daphne had nothing to do with the crime nor knew it was happening.

Me, being new to the case, had a lot of questions about Daphne and at first I couldn't figure out how she had Channon's clothes and if she was in the house she must have known. But I have the luxury of asking the opinion of the posters at webslueths and reading news sites and other blogs. The jurors don't have this, so I think they are just trying to get all the facts and get any lingering doubts cleared up.

I don't know if Coleman will get the DP but I'm fairly confident she will get LWOP.

 

[SuziQ]

I was in the courtroom today. Everyone was literally on the edge of their seats when the journal was put on the screen. We who saw it in person felt "I've had one hell of an adventure since I've been in the big TN " blows apart the defense. I think she also wrote "Ha Ha." Coleman, in the journal, expressed her love for Cobbins whom she claimed in her police statements threatened to kill her. Lavitt only asked a few questions on cross and looked beaten to me.

Even those brief entries show that Coleman was in the torture and murder with the rest of them. Bear in mind, Coleman thought she would get away with it when she wrote those words. If Davidson hadn't left his fingerprint on an envelope in Channon's 4Runner, there would have been nothing to tie the gang to the victims.

Lol, I've been wondering where you've been. I'm concerned about this jury. Were you able to get a read on them? What was there reaction to the journal? And will you be going back to the courtroom?

 

[KALI]

Did you see any reaction from any of them?

I am SO glad that she wrote this "journal" and I am SO glad LE got their hands on it. IMO it shows her TRUE state of mind. Wonder how interesting, she'll think her life is once she's locked up forever. haha

I was in the courtroom today. Everyone was literally on the edge of their seats when the journal was put on the screen. We who saw it in person felt "I've had one hell of an adventure since I've been in the big TN " blows apart the defense. I think she also wrote "Ha Ha." Coleman, in the journal, expressed her love for Cobbins whom she claimed in her police statements threatened to kill her. Lavitt only asked a few questions on cross and looked beaten to me.

Even those brief entries show that Coleman was in the torture and murder with the rest of them. Bear in mind, Coleman thought she would get away with it when she wrote those words. If Davidson hadn't left his fingerprint on an envelope in Channon's 4Runner, there would have been nothing to tie the gang to the victims.

 

[William N]

Lol, I've been wondering where you've been. I'm concerned about this jury. Were you able to get a read on them? What was there reaction to the journal? And will you be going back to the courtroom?

I drove 270 miles to Knoxville to see some of the trial. I saw 3 hours on Wednesday and all day Thursday and Friday. I won't be able to go back.

The jurors don't show much reaction (the days I was there no gruesome photos were shown). I could see them taking smoking breaks and they seemed to get along all right. Some of the questions asked seemed to favor the defense, but you never know.

The days I saw had defense atty Lavitt attacking witnesses on cross. He spent the last half-day Thursday and the first half of Friday aggressively crossing ATF agent Bernard Waggoner and then Knoxville detective Todd Childress.

I have read that half of a jury will be what the prosecution wants and the other half what the defense wants. This jury certainly looked that way to me. The defense strategy is to paint Vanessa Coleman as an innocent victim who was tricked by police interviewers. I, too, have been concerned that some jurors may buy this.

When the journal appeared on the screen and handwriting expert Larry Miller began to read it, we in the gallery were riveted. I believe it was more dramatic in person than on TV.

I didn't catch the jurors reaction to the journal as I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I'm sorry. It is revealing that the jurors didn't ask any questions. I believe they were shocked, but I didn't see them.

If Coleman takes the stand, as promised, TK can impeach everything she says. Even this short entry knocked out the argument Lavitt had been making on his fierce cross-examinations. TK was superb in summing it up in her closing argument for the Davidson and Thomas trials. Remember, the prosecution does not really put it together in a circumstantial evidence case until closing argument (the Scott Peterson trial is another example) and TK has shown she can.

I'm going to write a piece this weekend about what I saw for Sprocket's Trials and Tribulations under the name "David From TN." I started using "William N" at this Forum several years ago because it is my great-grandfather's name.

The parents of Chris and Channon are very fine people. I don't see how they bear up as well as they do. I spoke briefly to Hugh Newsom Friday morning and to both Hugh and Mary Newsom at the end of court that afternoon. You can tell what good people Chris and Channon were by their parents.

 

[joe jones]

I think at least one juror is with the defence and the theory that Coleman may have been a victim too, the question from the jury about Daphne no being charged must have been the one the prosecution was hoping would never be asked, as now the defence is like a dog with a bone and keeps dragging Daphne into the case as often as he can

Friday late was better for the prosecution though as they had the journal written around the times of the crimes and the aftermath, and they finally had DNA from Coleman at the crime scene, and in places a reasonable person could assume were placed there in the commission of a crime, one could reasonably assume in relation to the skin lifts on the tied end of the white cloth that they got there when the person (Coleman) was tying up the victim,

the DNA on the floral cloth they will say was from when she slept on the cloth, but again a reasonable person could question the fact that Colemans DNA is on two separate items used to tie up Channon, and she therefore is involved

we shall also soon find out if she is to testify, as prosecution said they have the Medical Examiner on Monday and that is there final witness, so the defence will begin there CIC

 

[joe jones]

and to William N, I did not want to quote your whole report - thanks for the account of being in the courtroom, it is always informative to get an inside view of the events and the things the cameras do not show,

and I agree with what you said about the parents/families of both victims, they have been there from day 1, suffering unimaginable horrors day after day as they hear what was done to there children, it is all they can do for those children now and they have never wavered not even on the day they once again will listen to the ME testimony and the pictures,

after this trial they can at least breathe a sigh of relief that the 4 trials are done with, and until or unless any appeals or Boyd being charged in state court it is over

 

[Muffet]

-snipped for focus-
The whole thing was one big adventure and she sure learned a lot. I would love to have seen her face and her parents face when they talked about that. I wonder what her parents think now.

If I heard my child refer to kidnappings, rapes, and murders as an adventure, I would be devestated. Because up until then I think they could have believed her about her being threatened and basically held hostage. I believe any parent would rather believe that then to know that their child is a monster.

It's hard not to feel sorry for them, isn't it? We see so many awful parents in these cases, but I don't think this couple is one of them.

AFAIK, all they have said was that they didn't raise her to be so cold and didn't think she would have stood by and done nothing to help. I disagree with the latter, but do believe the former. I've seen other very good parents have kids go bad, especially by getting themselves into the wrong relationships. It's gut-wrenching for the parents.

This could just be my usual wishful thinking, and we'll find out in the sentencing phase. But just looking at them, and hearing from Waggoner how they tried to cooperate gave me hope.