By HANA KIM
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- Prosecuting attorneys revealed Friday afternoon that they have a very strong case against Letalvis Cobbins and that's why they want to try him first for the 2007 murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.
The other three suspects are, Lemaricus Davidson and George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman.
Police say say the victims were kidnapped, raped then brutally murdered back on January 2007.
The defense for Cobbins' argued to judge Richard Baumgartner calling the case the most complicated case they've ever had to deal with.
"I don't believe that if this court compels us to move forward on July 6th that I can say he's going to receive a fair trial," said Cobbins' attorney Scott Green.
"Your honor, this is a very simple case. You've got the defendant's statement and you got the defendant's DNA on the victims. It's a simple case," said Knox County Assistant District Attorney Takisha Fitzgerald.
But according to Judge Richard Baumgartner it is far from simple and on Friday he told the court that he wasn't ready to rule yet on a motion by Cobbins' attorneys seeking a continuance.
The victims' families even brought a private attorney for the first time, hoping to push for a speedy trial.
The legal limbo was so frustrating it prompted the victims' fathers to walk out of the courtroom.
Afterward, Hugh Newsom said, "I was very upset over the fact that he wouldn't let the lawyer that we had retained along with the Christians present our case."
And Gary Christian asked. "What is speedy? It's been two-and-a-half years. We're still sitting here."
Theodore Lavit, an attorney for Coleman, filed a motion Friday to dismiss the murder charge and some others against his client.
His basis for the dismissal motion is that Coleman was subpoenaed to testify in this case in federal court on January 17, 2007, soon after all four defendants were arrested.
However, Lavit says by law, "no witness shall be indicted for any offense in relation to which the district attorney general has compelled a witness to testify before the grand jury."
The defense says the state worked in conjunction with federal authorities during the federal process meaning that Coleman should be immune from prosecution on the state level as well.
Judge Baumgartner once again voiced his concern on this issue saying it could possibly have a great impact on the case. He asked lead prosecutor Leland Price on whether the state did what the defense is claiming. Price said he wasn't involved in the process then and was not ready to answer the question.
The issue will play out in a courtroom on May 14.
In the past three months dozens of motions have been filed by the defense adding to this already complicated case. On Friday, the court heard the defense motion to pressure the state to pick a consistent theory in this case as well as the multiplicity of the charges. The judge will also deal those motions at a later date.
Meanwhile the victims' families also voicing concern of a closed door meeting meeting Coleman's parents and her attorneys had with the judge.
However, the judge says everything is on record and the meeting mainly concerned funding for Coleman's case.
