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.

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