Friday, March 14, 2008

Tension Rising in Knoxville

by Stacy Dittrich

A monstrous storm is brewing in Knoxville, Tennessee. Considering the elements that are affecting the double-murder case being tried there, it is pretty apparent why. Most probably haven't heard of the Christian-Newsom murders since the story has yet to be grabbed by the mainstream media. The white supremacists who rallied in the streets felt the media turned a blind-eye only because the victims, Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom (pictured above), were white, and the suspects black. Who counter-protested the skinheads? Groups of people dressed in clown suits. (I assure you I'm not making this up.)

The case has all of the required elements for the mainstream media to grab and exploit: racial overtones - check . . . A horrific and inhumane double-homicide - check . . . Public outrage and protests - check, check . . . And, as an added bonus, a legal system that has displayed the most buffoonery and ignorance seen since the O. J. Simpson trial - check, check, and double check! Rarely will I be one to criticize the good-guys (yes, I consider the district attorneys as such). However, in this particular case, they have fumbled and fouled quicker than you can say something wicked this way comes.

In January 2007, 21-year-old University of Tennessee student Channon Christian and her 23-year-old boyfriend Christopher Newsom were carjacked. The suspects, George Thomas, Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, and Vanessa Coleman (pictured left to right, below) kidnapped both victims and drove them to a nearby residence.

For the next several hours, the couple was beaten, raped, tortured and sodomized before ultimately being murdered. Newsom's body was set on fire while Christian's was thrown into a dumpster. To imagine the fear and terror the victims were put through during their last hours of life is incomprehensible. As a parent, the grim details would throw me into a life of heavily medicated sedation--if I survived at all. So, what exactly is the problem in Knoxville?

I have my own thoughts, but keep in mind, I'm not familiar with Tennesse's Criminal Code or case law. I can only base the following on my experience with Ohio's courts. First, I find it astonishing that the district attorney would wait almost 12 months to file a motion to seek the death penalty with the court. A move that only pushed the trial further away than necessary.

With several death penalty cases in my jurisdiction pending, I know the death penalty motion is normally one of the first priorities. The Knox County Grand Jury issued the lengthy 46-count indictment on January, 31st, 2007. After the unthinkable details regarding the crime, it took them almost 12 months to decide on the death penalty? Regardless, once the motion was filed, the defense immediately demanded a trial delay to which the district attorney "loudly" objected.

Next, the issue I find perhaps the most disturbing, is the motion filed by the district attorneys for the suspects' DNA, which includes hair and saliva samples. What should have happened was the minute the suspects were in custody, a search warrant requesting all DNA samples should have been immediately filed and executed.

I have personally had a suspect sit before me while waiting for the warrant to swab his mouth with buccal swabs (your standard Q-tips) and pull as many hairs out of his head as I deemed necessary. I can also assure you that enough samples were taken to complete any and all testing sequences.

And take it a step further, the suspect's toothbrush and hairbrush should be included in the search warrant executed at his residence. When this occurs, the defense rarely files a motion to suppress knowing it would be a waste of time. If they do file a motion to suppress, they normally lose.

In the case of Knoxville, the prosecution filed a motion with the court to obtain such samples. A motion that can immediately be argued and objected to by the defense. Coming to their senses a year and a half later, the district attorneys say, "Eureka! We have a great idea. Let's withdraw the motion and execute a search warrant! " I merely scratched my head in wonder at this logic. As of now, the trial of the first defendant isn't set until January 2009 - two years after the murders.

After this (as if the above debacle wasn't enough), the defense files a motion for a change of venue as they are in the "throes of media scrutiny." He wishes. The judge, in all his wisdom, states that "no one has been shot at while coming into the courtroom so it's not that bad." Again folks, I'm not making this up.

So begins the stage of grandstanding and accusations of the Knox Police forming alliances with the KKK and leaking information to local media. Transforming the already on-going circus into a complete state of insanity. All the while - no trial, fueling the overwhelming tension that has gripped the city for over a year.

The true victims here are the families of the slain and the residents of Knoxville. In the eyes of the true justice system, the four monsters on trial should remain colorless. To imagine human beings capable of such barbaric savagery is outside the realm of our comprehension. The legal system in Knoxville needs to get their act together, commence the trials, and allow these families to grieve in peace, and the city to rest.

29 comments:

Blimeyhecks said...

What a truly revolting crime,Stacy, it made my stomach turn. It's terrible that it should take so long to get to court - what's the norm in the US? In the UK it is generally about a year from arrest to prosecution, I would estimate.

Kathryn Casey said...

Depends on the jurisdiction, the investigation, and the court calendar, Blimey. I've covered cases that take six months to come to court and some that take two or thee years. The Temple case, the TC book I'm working on, took nine years. Anyone know what the average is?

Vanessa Leggett said...

Thanks for posting on this case, Stacy. Waiting for justice can seem painfully slow, especially to those waiting for vindication in court. As most of us know, in the United States, we have a "speedy trial" guarantee in the Constitution. But what some do not understand is that the speedy trial provision is a right that belongs to the accused, not to the people. If a suspect is certain s/he'll be convicted, but s/he is able to bond out of jail until trial time . . . usually, s/he will waive the right to a speedy trial. If the person is guilty, but out of jail awaiting trial, why rush to judgment?

It can take an especially long time to reach trial in capital cases, where, as in this robbery-double homicide, the death penalty is sought. From what I've observed, two years is not a long time to wait for a capital murder trial. (An innocent man in jail and awaiting trial those two years would disagree.) It takes a long time to prepare for a capital case. Any criminal lawyer will tell you that the difference between preparation for a felony trial and a capital case is the difference between a football game and the Super Bowl. Before a capital case can be taken to the jury, there are lots of contests to be won before judges and appellate courts. There are witnesses to be found and interviewed, forensic tests to be run, experts to retain, and much more. It takes a lot of time to pull everything together. If it's done too fast, if corners are cut, witnesses missed, experts not hired, a conviction can be reversed and start the whole process anew.

But a speedy road to trial is not always slowed by courts and lawyers. I can think of one example. Several years ago, a Houston man faced a capital murder trial in state court and again in federal court. From the date the suspect was arrested until the jury came back with its verdict took one year. Seemed quick for a capital case. Except to the accused, who sat in jail that whole year. After he was acquitted by the State in 1998, the Feds indicted him for the same crime. He was arrested in 2002. Trial was set for the next year, 2003. He was looking at another year in jail until trial time. But this time, the suspect was granted bond.

The trial date rolled around a year later, on schedule. But the defendant did not stick around for his day in court. A few days before he would have faced a judge for federal murder charges, he fled the country.

While he fought extradition and awaited sentencing, another two years passed. That was in 2005. The woman he was accused of hiring killed had been slain eight years earlier, in 1997.

The wheels of justice are slow, but, in most cases they are turning.

Blimeyhecks said...

Thanks for such an informative response, Vanessa!:)

Stacy Dittrich said...

Point well taken, V! I still feel the length of time to file the death penalty motion, as well as the hoopla surrounding the case is mind-boggling...

I also forgot to add the defense is warm to a plea deal. If a couple of the suspects are willing to do life without parole, the prosecutor should present this to the families, to spare them the added grief of sitting through 4 trials.

--Just a thought

Vanessa Leggett said...

I agree, Stacy. How long does it take to decide if a case is death-penality eligible and whether it's wise to pursue it? Shouldn't take a year. That was surprising. The defense objecting to the prosecutor's decision to seek death was no suprise at all. Thanks for the post, Stacy.

Anonymous said...

Interesting is that this case has been largely ignored by main stream media. Contrast this with the group from Jenna, Lousiana. What does Rev. Sharpton have to say about this case?

Levi said...

Kathryn Casey, Is the Temple case the one from Katy Texas, where the high school foot ball coach David Temple (???) murdered his wife? I think Nancy Grace did a show on it and I think it took 6 years for them to finally arrest him and 2 for it to get to trial.

I think he also had an affair... *SHOCKER... NOT

That is another subject for another blog post! I'll be sure to check out the book!

This case is SO HORRIFIC.
And I think the reason the media isn't covering this is because the only people that are really showing "outrage" over it, are a bunch of skin head, racists. And the above poster mentioned Al Sharpton, there is nobody like him to bring the case into national media territory.

And it really doesn't fit the WHITES KILLING BLACKS image of a "hate crime" (if you murder someone I assume you hate them regardless of what color the victim or perp is)

I think it all boils down to political correctness, the media isn't covering it because it doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a "hate crime."

Stacy Dittrich said...

Levi,

You are absolutely correct about the media's version of political correctness. It seems lately, a lot of attention is being drawn to the media themselves for their "picking and choosing" stories. And, no one is going to listen to the ignorance of white supremacists.

Had there been any question on whether or not these suspects were guilty, it may have drawn attention from larger civil rights groups. The "lack of" only tells me that everyone agrees they're guilty.

In the case of the "Jenna 6," it was thrust into the spotlight, not because there was a question of guilt, but because of the potential for such an outrageous sentence-several years for a simple assault. At least, in my city, one is lucky to spend 5 minutes in jail for a misdemeanor assault, let alone years. The attention in Jenna was deserved.

A hate crime has to fit the elements, actually proving that the victims were targeted specifically because of their race and, believe me, it is an extremely difficult case to build.

This is a phenomenal case that you brought attention to, Levi. Who knows? Maybe one us will pick it up as our next true-crime book. Please, keep us posted on the outcome!

Best,
Stacy

Kathryn Casey said...

It is the Katy, TX, case, Levi. Nancy Grace actually did her first show on it.

Pat would be a good one to weigh in on how hate figures into murder. My experience is that it isn't usually the primary motive. There's more often money, or love, or the person is inconvenient, in the way of some goal the killer has. Or that the victim is simply a casualty of the killer's obsession/desires. I don't know that I can think of a case where the main motive is simple hatred. Hmmmmmmm.

Pat, what do you think?

Anonymous said...

Where I live the Department of Forensic Sciences is so far behind that 3 to 5 years is average for a DP trial. That doesn't excuse the attorneys in this case though.

Jan C said...

I think I would rather have the wheels of justice turn slowly, than not at all. Which is sometimes the case.

Levi said...

Stacy, the case would be good for a True Crime book. Excellent blog post on this case. Great job hammering the DA's office!

I really don't care about the races of the victims or the killers. Murder is murder. Regardless of what the motive was, or what the races of those involved is.

But I'd bet all the money I have, that if the races were reversed, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would be as busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly time calling these "hate crimes" and pimping the case so he could get some face time on national TV. If someone says the word "ho" those two get all riled up. Man, they would be yelling like a stuck pig.

But they see things things in terms of black and white, literally.

Regardless of the race, regardless of the motivation. Those of us that care about justice should be outraged that such brutal crimes happened and ruined the lives of Channon and Christopher. Channon was a sociology major and worked at local hospitals. She had a bright future ahead of her and so did Christopher. Their lives were taken SO SOON by these evil freaks.

They need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Levi said...

Kathryn, Speaking from the perspective from the killers and what their motive could have been and what factored in on why they did it... From what I've read the victims did not know those involved. It could just be, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe they would have murdered if they seen a black couple, purple, or green couple? I don't know.

The crimes are so brutal for strangers to commit on a random couple. They had to have had the intention of MURDERING before they even seen Channon and Christopher. It doesn't seem logical for them to say out of the blue when they seen Channon and Christopher, to say: "oh look, a good looking couple, let's torture, rape, shoot and then burn their bodies." And then the rest say "yeah that's a good idea!"

You are right this is a good one for Pat Brown to weigh in on.

Anonymous said...

There are three dynamics interacting here.

1). The press doesn't want to show the black on white nature of the crime to the nation, since it would open up a discussion of what percentage of interracial crime is committed by whom.

2). The prosecution is scared to death of getting this one wrong. Sentiment is so deep and so bottled up that anyone making a significant mistake, even if it doesn't lead to acquittal, is going to lose his job and reputation.

3). This is being kept on the QT so that the silent white majority isn't wakened to the indescribable double standard that it represents. This country is very close to civil insurrection over the racial divide so that this might be the spark to light the tinder

The biggest reason therefore, that this is being kept under wraps and delayed, is to defuse the time-bomb that it represents. The folks at the top want time to pass in order to let the white citizenry calm down, and to give the press the distance from the event that it needs to be able to call it old news when the trials actually occur.

It is a disgrace considering the case of the sociopathic Jena hoods, and the unbelievably ubiquitous and piss poor coverage of Natalie Halloway and Anna Nicole in the same time frame.

BTW, a gang of kids of one color attacking a kid of another race or ethnicity from ambush, just because of his difference, is a hate crime if there is such a thing. It is certainly not simple assault.

Kathryn Casey said...
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Kathryn Casey said...
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Pat Brown said...

I finally made it here!

My thoughts are this: all crime is really a combination of self-hate and hatred of society. In other words, one hates oneself and blames society for feeling that way. All crimes stem from this combination no matter what the action is (unless it is some kind of revenge as in killing off the perpetrator of the rape and murder of your daughter in which case their is probably directed hatred of the offender and also a good portion of hatred for the society that left him on the street to commit the crime - but retaliation crimes are extremely rare). Even supposed crimes of passion are a combination of self-hate and societal hate.

As to the racial issues in this crime, it is possible that the four men who committed these heinous crimes were more inclined to target whites and be more callous in their abuse of them because they represented the society they hate and the society they blaming for making them the way they are. However, I have always thought labeling something a hate crime is pointless (because we can never really know motive), inflammatory, and unnecessary. Brutal murder is brutal murder and any target is a victim and can be hated by the perpetrators. One can hate little children because they are still young (Mr. Wish-I-were-Peter-Pan Pedophile), hate gays (because they threaten your masculinity), hate women (because they always refuse to date the creep), hate men (like Aileen Wournos because she says they treated like a whore ::laughs:: Are these all then hate crimes?

Let's all just hate murderers and put them away. How is that for simplicity?

Anonymous said...

You know KC. The person who wrote the blog about the murders here in Knoxville doesn't really have all her facts straight. The couple were carjacked, raped, murdered and torched, but the poor girl was stuffed into a trash can. The murderers fled and couldn't be found for quite some time, and had to be extradited back to Knoxville, which is precisely the reason it has taken so long to get them to trial. Not to mention she didn't say anything about the 5th person involved, Eric Boyd, who is being represented by a defense attorney I serve 3 times a week. They can't pin any of the murders on him, because they say he was only the wheelman. They have had to indict him on the Federal charge of Grand Theft Auto, just to be able to prosecute him. It took forever for the judge to come back with the answer of whether or not they could have a change of venue due to the outrage here in Knoxville. I happened to know all of the attorneys involved in this case, and regardless of what Ms. Dittrich thinks about our legal system, there are certain steps and procedures that have to be taken in order to ensure a "fair" trial. as much as we all think that these murderers should be fried and left to rot in hell, they are entitled to a fair trial. That is our law. The outrage in Knoxville hasn't diminished in the 2 years it has taken to get these bastards into court. we all know that there are criteria that have to be met legally to ensure that there will be no mistrial, due to an error in judgement, a lack of care in handling evidence, and all the pussy-footing around that has to be done with the legal system to make sure these murderers get what they deserve. No one wants to make a grievous error and allow these jerks to be set free due to a technicality. I don't feel that her blog was very objective, and it certainly doesn't contain all the facts about the case. My friend is the legal secretary for the defense attorney of Eric Boyd, and I had invited her to check out the blogspot on this past Friday. She and I are huge TC fans and talk about books we've read and cases they've handled in the past. Which is why I invited her to your new site. As a matter of fact, I loaned her "Die, My Love" and she is reading it right now. I also know the AG and a few ADAs who are on this case as well, and I can assure you that every step they make is measured, metered and well thought out. We all know how long it takes to bring someone to justice. Justice is never meted out quickly, and I can assure you that these 5 people will never get out of jail again, once our AG gets through with them. I just wish that Ms. Dittrich hadn't been so nasty about the legal system here in Knoxville. I understand that she is a cop, and as a cop, she should understand the importance of gathering a good, water-tight case in order to make sure that the accused doesn't get off the hook on a technicality that had been mishandled. we have extremely intelligent attorneys here, and I feel that she belittled them and made everyone on the blogspot think that we have an incompetent legal system down here. That is not the case at all.
Also, Christian and Newsome were barely even a couple. They had only dated a few times when all of this happened, and weren't officially a couple at the time. Only a few people here think it was a racially-motivated crime. More tend to think it was a wrong-place wrong time-situation.

Kathryn Casey said...

Fascinating stuff, Pat. I'm glad you weighed in on this.

Thank, anon, for coming forward and giving a contrasting view. You've obviously followed this case closely. It sounds like the initial motive was the carjacking. Were the alleged killers looking for someone in particular to murder that night? That seems less certain.

Anonymous said...

"Also, Christian and Newsome were barely even a couple. They had only dated a few times when all of this happened, and weren't officially a couple at the time."

That's a piece of trivia that smells of a hidden agenda by the person relating it. Tell me, how many times two people have to go together before they are a couple?

Also, tell me just what the point of such a virtual non-sequiter can possibly be. Do you mean the evil was less evil because they weren't so much in love? Perhaps they are not as innocent as we believe them to be because they were not so much in love. Maybe the little attention this is getting in the blogsites(as opposed to the enormous attention it should be getting in the mainstream media) is wrong about other, more important things, and this proves it by showing they got the description of the relationship slightly wrong.


"Only a few people here think it was a racially-motivated crime. More tend to think it was a wrong-place wrong time-situation."

I think that there may be some overcompensation going on here if so many lean toward dismissing the racial motivation. Does anyone really think these animals would have done the same to a black couple? Also, did anyone here read any of the racist rants on black blogs at the time, virtually cheering on not only these perpetrators, but any blacks who make whitey pay this way in the future? I realize that this is not the type of site to post those, but the gist is that the black community from the area actually lauded these crimes.

Now legally that doesn't prove anything, but you said that this was the personal opinion of the majority. I say that's either a naive, uninformed, or politically motivated statement. I don't believe in "hate crimes" legislation either, but let's call a spade a spade. This was most certainly black on white crime and not just another 'robbery gone wrong' statistic.

Anonymous said...

This is information I know due to the fact that I work with a friend of Channon's, that's how I know. They had only dated a few times, and hadn't considered themselves a couple yet. However many times it takes for them to consider themselves a couple is how many dates it takes.

The murderers were looking for a car to jack, and whomever drove by at that point in time was going to be the victim. Don't make this into a black/white thing, we have enough of that garbage to choke on. This wasn't racially motivated, regardless of you wanting it to be that way. Not every white person is a secret KKK, and not every black person is a secret Black Panther. These murderers might have done the same thing to a black couple, you just don't know enough to presume that they were trying to get back at "whitey". Yeah, what they did was heinous and barbaric, and downright disgusting. They wanted a car, Christian and Newsome happened to come along at the wrong time.
Anyone who reads blogs on racist rantings of any color is just looking for trouble to stir up. Or they happen to believe the philosophy.
If you think that all the black people in society actually cheered these actions on, you are sorrily mistaken. Maybe you might have been, considering you were reading hate blogs. You never know about people.

I never stated that their evilness wasn't as evil because the couple weren't in love, don't assume to put words in my mouth. All I said was that the info wasn't entirely correct, as Christian and Newsome had only just started dating, and didn't really consider themselves an item as of yet. Unfortunately, they never got the chance to find out.

Stacy Dittrich said...

Anonymous #1,

While I certainly can relate to what are perceived as "nasty, vicious, attacks," by others, I don't feel that pertains here. They key point was not to attack the legal system in Tennessee, but about the totality of the case in general. Which, unfortunately, does include questionable errors on the part of the attorneys. The subject of Eric Boyd was not included as he is not being charged with the murders, but as a "getaway" man. The requests to focus on this story mainly came residents inquiring as to why the case has failed in the mainstream media. The subject of the death penalty motion and the DNA testing was my own opinion, and I stand by it. Whether or not the men had yet to be in custody would not have prevented the motion being filed at the time of the indictments. Considering the local focus on this case, one would think all parties involved would tread carefully, and correctly. Granted, death penalty cases historically take longer, specifically when there are four defendants. No one wants to see these animals released on a technicality, but as I've stated before, any error that moves the trial so much as one month further, is one more month for the families of the victims to have to endure more grief.

I would like to touch on a couple of things you wrote:

The person who wrote the blog about the murders here in Knoxville doesn't really have all her facts straight. The couple were carjacked, raped, murdered and torched, but the poor girl was stuffed into a trash can.

I wrote:

For the next several hours, the couple was beaten, raped, tortured and sodomized before ultimately being murdered. Newsom's body was set on fire while Christian's was thrown into a dumpster.

If not-getting-my-facts straight narrows down to "stuffed into a trashcan" as opposed to "thrown into a dumpster." I apologize.

I also have to agree with Anonymous #2 regarding the relationship of the victim couple. I'm not sure what bearing that had on this case at all. Whether Channon Christian picked up Christopher Newsom at a bar five minutes earlier or they had been madly in love for 5 years is irrelevant. They were brutally murdered.

Only a few people here think it was a racially-motivated crime. More tend to think it was a wrong-place wrong time-situation.

Not from what I've read in the Knoxville blogs. Definitely, more than a few. Personally, I don't feel the couple was specifically targeted because they were white. These animals were out to brutalize someone that night, and Christian and Newsom were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Whether we disagree, we can all agree these monsters need to be punished.

Best,
Stacy

Soobs said...

I think the fact that the couple was white, made it all the "better" for these animals. Yes, they were out to get "someone or something" (the car?) but once they had two young white kids, that was the excuse they needed.

The fact that the media has not been as outspoken about this heinous crime as they have been about others (Duke Lacrosse Hoax, anyone??) DOES have to do with the fact that it was a black on white crime. Of course, the media pays less attention to black on black crime, or white on white crime as well, unless it also happens to be male on female crime. ALL crime should be reported, and ALL murders should envoke the outrage that THIS case should have.

BTW, I agree that ALL crime is hate crime. How do you "love" someone, and brutalize them??

Anonymous said...

One thing that has come to light in this situation is that the woman who is named on the lease of the house where all this took place is a white woman. There is significant proof that this woman was, indeed, in the house at the time that Channon was being held in the bathroom. Not only that, but this woman ( can't remember her name right now) was also the girlfriend of Lamaricus, the ring leader. This woman is not being charged with anything. Some people think it is because her uncle is a police officer for KPD. Eric Boyd is on trial this week for his involvement in the crime. Loaning Lamaricus his cell phone, and allowing him to use his vehicle. This woman also helped to hide Lamaricus after the murders, as she is his girlfriend. Why this woman isn't being charged is beyond me.
This woman was often the "wheelman" on robberies. She would drive the 4some around, looking for either businesses to rob, or homes to rob. Then she would drop them off, and pick them up later, after the fact. She was also found to be in possession of various articles of clothing and jewelry that had belonged to Channon. Yet, she is still not being charged with anything. makes me wonder if the DA is actually working to solidify a case against this woman and just biding their time until they have enough evidence to accuse, or what.

Stacy Dittrich said...

Anon,

Interesting about the family connection to KPD. Trying to keep positive about my brothers in blue, I doubt the uncle has anything to do with the lack of charges.

It boils down to 2 most likely scenarios:

1. Your theory. They could be waiting to try the most public cases first, see what is said during the trials, and are slowing building their case against her.

2. They could have offered her a deal in exchange for her testimony. If she is willing to testify against all 4 suspects, her testimony would be extremely damaging to the defense, and hard to argue....

I'm following this case the best I can, but keep me posted!!!

Best,
Stacy

Anonymous said...

Well, the jury is deliberating starting today, on Eric Boyd. The ADA has brought in all the testimonies about what happened that night, and I'm not sure why. Jurors had to sit through all the gory details of what happened that night. Boyd is charged with Accessory After the Fact. They said Daphne Sutton( the lone woman not charged yet) said on the stand that Channon was forced to shoot Christopher Newsome. She also stated that Eric Boyd has less involvement with this heinous crime than she did! She says this ON THE STAND! Her boyfriend was Lemaricus Davidson, they resided at the same address, the house on Chipman St. where all this happened. I don't understand why the AG brought out all this testimony about what happened that night, other than to get the jury's heads so filled up with the gruesome details that they could only feel justified in returning a guilty verdict. Defense Attorney Phil Lomonaco has tried his hardest to provide the best defense he could for this guy, that is his job. However, he isn't on trial for murder, so why does the AG bring up all this? To influence the jury, IMHO. The trials on the 4 charged with the murder of the couple won't be on trial until much later. I'll keep you all posted as to what the verdict is, and when the trial dates are set for the others involved. I'll also keep you posted on whether or not Daphne Sutton gets charged with anything. Come on! It makes no sense to me why she isn't charged already! It's like on an episode of COPS, when they bust someone for dealing drugs out of their home, and the wife says she had no idea! How can you NOT have any idea of what's going on in your own home? Guilty by association, right? Not for Daphne Sutton, apparently. I can only hope that the AG is assembling a water-tight case against her before trying to bring charges.

Anonymous said...

Eric Boyd GUILTY of : Accessory after the Fact to Carjacking.
GUILTY of knowing about the murders. His sentencing is in August. I expect he'll get the max sentence of 15 years.

Stacy Dittrich said...

Anon,

Accessory after the fact to carjacking? Huh? What about tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, accessory to murder, possession of criminal tools, the list could go on and on and that's what they came up with?

As for bringing out the details to get him convicted, I'm all for it...the prosecutors need to earn the sympathy of the jury and will do what it takes. I say good job to them on this trial!

Channon was forced to shoot Christopher? Makes my stomach turn..

Like you, I hope to see Ms. Daphne on the stand as a defendant and will further enjoy seeing her thrown in the slammer with the rest of the animals. But, again, if she took a plea and they feel her testimony will solidify the case against the 4 murderers, this is one of those times that justice leaves a bad taste in your mouth--even if it garners a conviction. Sometimes it's the only way to get the "main monsters."

Keep me posted on the trial dates, I'll be following!!

Best,
Stacy