Vanessa Coleman Trial Coverage: Christian-Newsome Murders

GUEST ENTRY by David in Tennessee

David attended two-and-a-half days of Vanessa Coleman's murder trial. Sprocket.

The Christian-Newsom Trial by David From Tennessee

On Wednesday morning, I drove 270 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee. Upon reaching Knoxville, I left the interstate for Kingston Pike. This becomes Cumberland Avenue which runs through the University of Tennessee. The road then turns into Main Street where the courthouse is located inside the Knoxville City County building.

After a couple of turns, I pull into a parking garage and park my car. I walk to the courthouse. At the front door, there is the first security check. You have to empty your pockets and undergo a scanner to see if you have a concealed weapon.

I then proceed to find the courtroom where the trial is held. I've been told something about the layout, but it takes some searching. I spot a bench alongside one of the courtrooms. I see some witnesses sitting on it whom I recognize from watching the live stream of previous trials. I then spot Chris Newsom's family, whom I also recognize. The trial is on the 2:30 PM break. Everybody is moving toward the courtroom. I follow in behind them.

Three Knox County deputy sheriffs are checking everybody who goes in the courtroom. Every time you go in whether morning, break, after lunch, you have to be checked. I empty my pockets again and am scanned for a weapon. I then walk into the courtroom. Every full day, I was checked 5 times, as was everyone else.

Although I have been a true crime junkie for decades, I had never attended a trial in person, only watching on television. It was surreal. The jury is brought in. On TV, I never saw the jury. They looked serious, but noncommittal.

Daphne Sutton had testified earlier that day, so I missed it. Stacey Lawson, ex-girlfriend of the now-convicted George Thomas, was the witness. Some of her friends follow her on the stand. Theodore Lavitt, lead defense attorney, tries to trip up the witnesses but rambles on and on and is boring. Judge Richard Baumgartner looks as bored as anyone. Once, he looked asleep. His tie is askew.

There are seven benches on each side of the center aisle. The victims' families sat on the second row from the front on the right side. I sat three rows behind them on Wednesday, two rows behind the next two days. I estimate the courtroom could seat around 125 spectators. I counted 40 on Wednesday afternoon. The number always fluctuates, but stays close to this number all three days. The judge lets people come and go while testimony is taking place as long as they make no noise.

Prosecutors Takisha Fitzgerald and Leland Price have the case cold after three trials. Toward the end of the day, the prosecution brings out tape that shows the dimensions of the Chipman Street house. No one in this small house could have been unaware of what was happening.

The jury is made up of 6 white women, 2 white men, 3 black women, and 1 black man. The four alternates are 2 men and 2 women, evenly split black and white. I have read that half of a jury is what the prosecution wants and the other half what the defense desires. This jury panel fits that description.

At a bench conference, I hear the judge tell the lawyers, "My attitude has always been to let it all hang out."

The overall atmosphere is relaxed. The victims families are used to being here and are good friends with the court employees. I want badly to tell them I am here to support them but don't know what to say. I am a shy person who doesn't speak to strangers unless spoken to. The Christians and Newsoms are very likable people.

Before court on Thursday morning, I saw Gary Christian talking in a hallway with a local TV reporter who is sympathetic to the parents of Vanessa Coleman. Vanessa's father wanted to meet the victims' families and tell them his sympathy for their loss. The trouble is that the Coleman's insist their daughter is an innocent victim who was raised to know right from wrong. That nigh, back in my motel room, I saw the Christians asked about this on TV. Gary walked away from the camera and refused to talk. Deena, Channon's mother, said, "If she was raised to know right from wrong she didn't learn." The respective parents avoid each other.

Thursday is spent playing the tape of Vanessa Coleman's interview with law enforcement. She has a little girl voice. Vanessa claims to have seen and heard very little. She never saw Chris Newsom. Lemaricus Davidson took Channon into his room and had sex with her several times. She didn't see any others go in the room. Channon was tied up. Once, Vanessa snuck in and gave Channon a glass of water. She wanted to call the police but was afraid.

Davidson took Channon and snapped her neck. He then told Vanessa to check her pulse. She didn't know how but held her wrist. Channon was dead. Davidson and the others then tied up Channon and put her in the garbage can. This is the gist of the story Coleman has been telling the last three years. The interviewing police told Vanessa they didn't believe her as this story does not fit the horrible torture inflicted on the victims. For one thing, Channon's neck was not broken. Also, the house was too small not to know what was going on. Coleman claims to have seen and heard little.

When cross-examining the law enforcement officials, defense attorney Lavitt keeps bringing up Daphne Sutton. Once a juror sent in a question (In Tennessee, jurors can ask a question if the judge and lawyer approve it) asking why Sutton wasn't charged with murder. Sutton came by while Channon was still alive held in a closet or bathroom. Davidson also gave Sutton some of Channon's things. The defense strategy is to portray Vanessa Coleman as a victim who was held hostage by the gang of killers, had nothing to do with the murders, and tricked by the police detectives who questioned her.

Theodore Lavitt spend hours Thursday cross-examining ATD agent Bernard Waggoner. He shouts and asks the same questions over and over. It goes on and on. Finally, some spectators voiced their disgust with Lavitt's tactics. Judge Baumgartner then said, "I don't want any editorializing from the audience. that's my job."

Outside, the jury's presence, handwriting expert Larry Miller takes the stand to authenticate Vanessa Coleman's journal.

Coleman's federal grand jury testimony is entered and reenacted by Price and Fitzgerald.

On Friday, the rest of Coleman's statement is played for the jury. Many pauses and stops for Coleman's little girl voice. She sits at the defense table with little emotion. Sometimes she takes notes. Coleman didn't hear Channon scream but heard Eric Boyd talking to the others when he came to the house. She said she heard boyd whispering while taking a shower.

ATF agent Waggoner is back on the stand and Lavitt keeps on with the same questions. Waggoner keeps testifying that Coleman's story was unblievable. Coleman's letter to her parents is introduced. It is the same story. Davidson and her boyfriend Cobbins threatened to kill her if she went to the police.

Knoxville police detective Todd Childress testifies. On cross, Lavitt accuses Childress of tricking Coleman and not tellinng her she was about to be arrested.

Jennifer Millsaps, a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation DNA and forensic expert, takes the stand. She gives a clinic on DNA. Millsaps then tells where the DNA was found. Coleman's DNA was found on some strips binding Channon's wrists. the defense says Coleman had slept on the sheet torn into strips. Remember that Coleman said she checked Channon's pulse? She said that in case her DNA was found on Channon Christian. the DNA testimony is boring.

Finally, handwriting expert Larry Miller testifies before the jury about the journal. It was found at the house where Coleman fled with Cobbins and Thomas. It was in a purse that had items from Christian. There is no doubt Coleman wrote it. She has a distinctive style of forming some letters. As the journal was flashed on the screen, the spectators were on the edge of our seats. It is a very dramatic moment. No one is bored now. Miller reads the entry:

1/8 & 1/9

Wake up! And look around! Whats really going on! I don't really have a clue or at least I use to be able to say I don't know, but as much as I've seen and observed and learned. I know exactly whats goin on. Although alot of this is new to me. Life is a trip but its amazing how things play its own role. Life is interesting & full of surprises even very unexpected things happen that you don't expect.

Nessa

1/9/07

last night was one of a kind we stayed w/a crackhead that was cool as hell. It snowed a little bit but its already melted. Lets talk about Adventures! I've had one HELL OF AN ADVENTURE

since I've been in the big T.N. its a crazy world these days! But I love the fun adventures & lessons that I've learned. Its going to be a long intgeresting year!

HA! HA!

Day two The ride home! Ha, Ha,

We had a crackhead bring us back. the whole way back she was complaining b/c she didn't have any drugs.

She was drivin kinda crazy but it was str8 tho.

Let us remember what Vanessa Coleman called a HELL OF AN ADVENTURE. Chris Newsom was beaten and raped anally. He was dragged by a dog leash around his neck and naked from the waist down to a railroad track. His hands were bound and his mouth gagged with his own socks. Chris Newsom was then shot three times as the killers inflicted as much pain as possible. His body was then set on fire.

Channon Christian was found bound in a fetal position in the trash can. Five bags were around her body. A smaller white bag was around her head. She suffocated in the trash can. Channon was raped repeatedly, then kicked repeatedly in the vaginal area before she was stuffed alive in the trash can. She also suffered blows to the head.

Does anyone care to guess who administered a good part of this beating. The above is only a brief description of the agonizing torture two decent and likable young people were subjected to.

On Friday morning, I was seated on a bench waiting for court to begin. Hugh Newsom, Chris' father, spoke to me. He had seen me the previous two days. I told him I was there to support the Christian and Newsom families and hadn't spoke to him before because I didn't know what to say. Hugh put me at ease and we talked for a few minutes.

Later that day at a break, I held the door for a lady. She said, "Thank you sir." It was Deena Christian. When the day ended, I talked with Hugh and Mary Newsom. I told them, "God bless you and I hope everything works out for you."

They are wonderful people. It gives you a good idea what their children were like.

Thank you so much David. I hope you will consider sharing more of your courtroom observations and what you were feeling with T&T's readers. Sprocket.