Fed. charges dismissed in Knoxville double murder case

Fed. charges dismissed in Knoxville double murder case

February 9, 2007

By ERICA ESTEP
6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A judge has cleared the way for quicker murder trials by dismissing federal charges against 3 suspects in the double murder of a Knoxville couple. 

Judge Tom Varlan dismissed the charges without prejudice Friday, meaning they could be re-filed at a later time.

The dismissal involves the charges against Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins and George Thomas. They had faced charges of carjacking, possessing ammunition as a felon and being an accessory.

Now the state can prosecute the murder, rape and kidnapping charges more quickly.

Federal charges against a fourth suspect, Eric Boyd, are not dismissed. He's charged as an accessory to the murders. But Boyd is not charged by Knox County in the case.

The other three men are charged in Knox County with the murders, as well as a woman, Vanessa Coleman, said to be Cobbins' girlfriend.

Also, Thursday the federal judge designated the case against Davidson, Cobbins Thomas as complex. That allowed attorneys for the three to ask that the March 28 trial date be delayed.

Eric Boyd's case was also designated as complex and his trial date has been pushed back to July 9.

The location of the carjacking that began the series of charges in the investigation and why it happened is still being kept quiet.

The murdered couple was last seen on a date on the night of January 6. They were carjacked by sometime early the next morning.

Christopher Newsom's body was found the next day. It was bound, shot and burned, along the railroad tracks near 9th Ave.

Investigators say Newsom's body smelled of gasoline.

Channon Christian's body was found three days after the couple disappeared. Investigators say it was in a large plastic garbage can in Davidson's house on Chipman Street. Her body was in five separate dark trash bags.

There was evidence that Christian had been bound, physically assaulted and raped. Also, the Knox County medical examiner found apparent carpet fibers in her hair.

Vanessa Coleman told investigators she was at the Chipman Street house while Christian was being held there. She said she witnessed Christian's mouth being cleaned with a bottle of some type of cleaner.

Coleman also told investigators she saw clothes that were stained with blood and smelled of gas being put in the washing machine at the house.