The savage kidnapping, torture, and murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom actually made headlines for not making headlines. The possible reasons why sparked a great deal of debate that overshadowed the horrible crimes committed against them.
On the night of Saturday, January 6, Christian and Newsom went out on a date in Knoxville, TN. On their way home, their vehicle was hijacked by three men, Letalvis D. Cobbins, Lemaricus Davidson and George Thomas. The couple was blindfolded and taken back to Davidson's rented house. Aided by Vanessa Coleman, Christian and Newsom were both raped and tortured for hours, well into the next morning. Newsome was the first to be killed when he was dragged outside, shot multiple times, and his body set on fire. In addition, Christian was beaten savagely, had a chemical poured down her throat, and was bound and placed inside several trash bags and a trash can, where she suffocated.
With the help of her mobile phone provider, Christian's parents and police were able to find her abandoned vehicle. Fingerprint evidence led police to Davidson's unoccupied residence, where they found Christian's body in the kitchen, still in the trash can.
Following the arrests of Cobbins, Davidson, Thomas, and Coleman, the story failed to gain any coverage from the national media, despite the absolute savagery of the crimes. Many theorized it might have had to do with race, since the victims were white and the perpetrators were all black. Compared to similar cases where the races were reversed, such as Tawana Brawley and the Duke lacrosse case, it seems to be a reasonable argument. It certainly didn't help, though, when a group of white supremacists took up the charge.
Thankfully, everyone involved received stiff sentences. Davidson was the only one of the group sentenced to death. Cobbins and Thomas were both sentenced to life without parole. Coleman was sentenced to 53 years, and Eric Boyd (the lone accessory to the crimes) was given 18 years.
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