TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #18

[Muffet]

It all seems so complicated.

It does, and it was pretty clear that the Cobbins jury never did understand it.

 

[Muffet]

I just saw this video as I was looking for the charge documents:

Newsoms speak about Vanessa Coleman's trial
http://www.knoxnews.com/videos/detail/newsoms-speak-about-vanessa-colemans-trial/

 

[MCDRAW]

I think it's telling that the only people he called for her defense besides officers, were her family. No one should believe family. They normally see things through rose colored glasses. You would have thought he would have called some of her friends as character witnesses.

 

[Muffet]

Jamie has a new article up:

Torture-slaying trial, Day 7: Defense rests, closing arguments next
By Jamie Satterfield
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/11/torture-slaying-trial-day-7-no-testimony-defendant/

 

[MCDRAW]

I know the judge has put the jury to sleep. He has almost put me to sleep

 

[lonetraveler]

Hi y'all, just checking in before company gets here. I don't know anything about what is going on yet. Is there anything major I really need to know right now?

 

[Muffet]

If anyone wants to follow along, the judge is on page 35 of this charge:
http://web.knoxnews.com/pdf/2009/10272009carjack_davidson_charge.pdf

I don't know if the one he's reading is identical - I doubt she has all the charges he did, but he's giving them the definitions as given in that pdf.

 

[Muffet]

Hi y'all, just checking in before company gets here. I don't know anything about what is going on yet. Is there anything major I really need to know right now?

Her parents testified this morning. No bombshells. I think most of us feel they weren't very effective.

Defense then rested, and the judge is now reading the chargezzzz to the jury. When he's done, we'll have closing arguments.

 

[yeknomaras]

It does, and it was pretty clear that the Cobbins jury never did understand it.

Forgive me... I, like many others, never heard about this story in the news and just happened to stumble across this thread about a week ago, and became hooked. Unfortunately I missed the other trials so I was wondering if you could expand on your comment? I'm very interested in what happened to the other defendants.

Really hoping this jury comes through, but like everyone else I am baffled by their weird questions.

 

[William N]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Mom - journal entries made to make Cobbins believe she was cool w/ everything

She's lying like a rug.

David From TN

 

[MCDRAW]

Forgive me... I, like many others, never heard about this story in the news and just happened to stumble across this thread about a week ago, and became hooked. Unfortunately I missed the other trials so I was wondering if you could expand on your comment? I'm very interested in what happened to the other defendants.

Really hoping this jury comes through, but like everyone else I am baffled by their weird questions.

I believe Davidson got death, Cobbins and Thomas LWOP, Eric zboyd who was charged as accessary got 18 years or something like that. Eric Boyd should have been charged with murder too.

 

[lonetraveler]

I think the judge has managed to put himself to sleep...............LOL.

 

[yeknomaras]

I believe Davidson got death, Cobbins and Thomas LWOP, Eric zboyd who was charged as accessary got 18 years or something like that. Eric Boyd should have been charged with murder too.

I agree about Boyd, from what I've read.


Another question - in the diary where she talks about "the ride back" or whatever it was - is she saying that Channon was the "crackhead" or what? I guess I didn't understand that. I read that her parents had released her tox report to prove that Channon was not in the area looking for drugs like some awful people had suggested.

 

[Muffet]

Forgive me... I, like many others, never heard about this story in the news and just happened to stumble across this thread about a week ago, and became hooked. Unfortunately I missed the other trials so I was wondering if you could expand on your comment? I'm very interested in what happened to the other defendants.

Really hoping this jury comes through, but like everyone else I am baffled by their weird questions.

Hi, yeknomaras. There have been 4 trials previous to this:

1. Eric Boyd was tried in federal court (over a year ago) only for accessory after the fact and failure to report the murder. He was convicted and got 18 years.

The parents of Chris and Channon, and I think all of us here, want him tried for the murders themselves - or Chris' at least, since we're convinced he was in on that. The fed who testified yesterday said so as well, and I don't understand why he hasn't been charged.

Then came the Letalvis Cobbins trial. He was the younger brother of the ringleader, Davidson. I didn't follow his trial, but from what I have read, the jury only gave him life without parole and found him not guilty on Chris' death because they did not understand the nature of criminal responsibility, basically meaning his helpful actions made him as responsible as if he pulled the trigger.

Then we had the Lemaricus Davidson trial, which was a holy nightmare. The defense was disgusting, attempting to paint a scenario wherein Channon and Chris went to the house, she prostituted herself to Davidson for drugs, then he left and his friends and brother committed the rapes and murders.
Blessedly, the evidence was so strong against such an outrageous lie, the jury didn't buy it. They sentenced him to death.

Then came the George Thomas trial. There was no DNA of his anywhere, but the jury found him guilty anyway, because they did understand Criminal Responsibility. He got life without parole.

Now we have Vanessa Coleman, the last one, unless we can get Boyd tried as he should be.
She was there, she helped, so she too should be found guilty by criminal responsibility, or at least guilty of facilitation.

 

[SuziQ]

I agree about Boyd, from what I've read.


Another question - in the diary where she talks about "the ride back" or whatever it was - is she saying that Channon was the "crackhead" or what? I guess I didn't understand that. I read that her parents had released her tox report to prove that Channon was not in the area looking for drugs like some awful people had suggested.

IIRC, the night before heading back to KY, they stayed with a woman named Susan Somethingoranother. I believe she was the cool crackhead. Not to be confused with the crackhead who drove them back to KY the next day.

 

[Muffet]

I think the judge has managed to put himself to sleep...............LOL.

lol As I was typing, I heard him say "Letalvis Cobbins"... was that a mistake? Was he reading from the Cobbins charge sheet? He seemed to correct it a few sentences later, saying Vanessa Coleman.

 

[lonetraveler]

Hi, yeknomaras. There have been 4 trials previous to this:

1. Eric Boyd was tried in federal court (over a year ago) only for accessory after the fact and failure to report the murder. He was convicted and got 18 years.

The parents of Chris and Channon, and I think all of us here, want him tried for the murders themselves - or Chris' at least, since we're convinced he was in on that. The fed who testified yesterday said so as well, and I don't understand why he hasn't been charged.

Then came the Letalvis Cobbins trial. He was the younger brother of the ringleader, Davidson. I didn't follow his trial, but from what I have read, the jury only gave him life without parole and found him not guilty on Chris' death because they did not understand the nature of criminal responsibility, basically meaning his helpful actions made him as responsible as if he pulled the trigger.

Then we had the Lemaricus Davidson trial, which was a holy nightmare. The defense was disgusting, attempting to paint a scenario wherein Channon and Chris went to the house, she prostituted herself to Davidson for drugs, then he left and his friends and brother committed the rapes and murders.
Blessedly, the evidence was so strong against such an outrageous lie, the jury didn't buy it. They sentenced him to death.

Then came the George Thomas trial. There was no DNA of his anywhere, but the jury found him guilty anyway, because they did understand Criminal Responsibility. He got life without parole.

Now we have Vanessa Coleman, the last one, unless we can get Boyd tried as he should be.
She was there, she helped, so she too should be found guilty by criminal responsibility, or at least guilty of facilitation.

Great summary!

 

[steelergirl]

This is worse than listening to Lavit scream at people! We should start a poll how many people think he's gonna scream his closing statement? LOL.

ps - Suzi...Susan Somethingorother...I literally spit out my coffee. We soooo need a LOL button sometimes.

 

[Muffet]

I can hardly wait for closing arguments. As David says, TK is outstanding at that, and I want to see how strongly she makes the case that Vanessa was so jealous of Cobbins' doing his deeds to Channon that she was the one who assaulted Channon with the object and bound her.

TK did not twice point out VC's jealousy over LC's merely touching Rhonda's rear for nothing.

 

[Muffet]

He's done reading the charge! :woohoo:

They're going to take a 10 minute break, then closing arguments. opcorn: