Accused Killers of Chris Newsom and Channon Christian on Trial #10 - G. Thomas Trial

[Muffet]

George Thomas Trial Begins

Previous trial threads:

#1

#1

#2

#2

#3

#3

#4

#4

#5

#5

#6

#6

#7

#7

#8

#8

#9

#9

Watch live here:

http://www.wbir.com/video/breakingvideo.aspx

Or here:

http://www.wate.com/global/Category.asp?c=173163

(These are unedited video feeds of the trial, likely to contain graphic testimony, images, and descriptions of a violent crime. Please be advised.)

Full Coverage and Background info:

Murders of Channon_Christian and Christopher Newsom - Wikipedia

Murders of Channon_Christian and Christopher Newsom - Wikipedia
Murders of Channon_Christian and Christopher Newsom - Wikipedia

.
.
Channon Christian, Christopher Newsom murders - Knoxville News Sentinel
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/news/lo...ewsom-murders/

Case documents:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/au...urders-knoxvi/

WATE Coverage

WBIR Coverage

Videos:

At Knox News Sentinel

16 minute video on the murders produced by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. (Thanks to William N.)

Twitter links:

Jamie Satterfield - Knoxville News Sentinel:
http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

WBIR:
http://twitter.com/wbirymartinez

WATE:
http://twitter.com/gpatterson12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Names for reference:

Victims:
Chris Newsom
Channon Christian

Judge:
Richard Baumgartner

Attorneys for Prosecution:
Takisha Fitzgerald, AKA "TK"
Leland Price

Defense attorneys:
Thomas Dillard
Stephen Johnson

Parents:
Hugh and Mary Newsom
Gary and Deena Christian

[JulieR]

Hi all,
I have appointments all day tomorrow, I will try and stop in to say hi between appointments. I wish I could be around to help, and thank you to all that post the updates..........I sure hope the jury gets to see it all. Praying hard for the families tonight, I just can't imagine the pain and then having to sit through so many trails. (((hugs)))

[SuziQ]

The new thread looks great. Thank you so much. So maybe we will have access to GT's transcripts in the morning?

[Muffet]

Good morning, everyone.

I dunno if or when they'll put it up, Suzi, but yeah - dying to see it.

The courtroom is starting to come alive. 2 attys and a couple of aids...

[Muffet]

Judge Richard Baumgartner:


Defense attorneys:
Thomas Dillard & Stephen Johnson


Defendant, George Thomas:

[Muffet]

ADA Leland Price reading the presentment - all counts against GT (there are forty-something counts)

[Muffet]

Families:


Gary is sitting to left of Deana, and he's staring down GT. I'm not sure who the tall man is, sitting between Deena and Mary.

[cassiusleuth]

OMG everyone I totally almost forgot the trial was starting on Dec. 1. I'm here now

[Muffet]

Jaimie's twitters:

- Jury coming in and we're off to the races in Thomas trial

- State will read indictment which takes 4ever and a day and then judge will m st elements of each charge

- Purpose of this snoozefest is give jurors elements state must prove so they can judge evidence accordingly

- Me? I'm wishing someone would pull up Thomas' sagging pants. For security reasons he's not allowed to wear belt

- Clearly the laws' crafters never met some of more undignified legislators

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

[Muffet]

Gary and Deena - GT and defense team, as Price reads charges:


So far, I have seen no camera views from front of courtroom. I hope we aren't going to be stuck with these views from back here the whole time.

[Muffet]

Good to see you, Cassie!

[cassiusleuth]

Any luck on his transcripts at this point, would love to read them! He looks so young?

[Muffet]

Price is finished reading counts - I think there were 46 or 47. Now judge is instructing jury about their notebooks, the offenses, etc...

Meanwhile, a new article is up:

Coleman denied reprieve
Judges say no to pretrial appeal on fed immunity deal

A three-judge panel has hit torture-slaying suspect Vanessa Coleman with a double whammy, casting aside her pretrial appeal request and casting doubt on a post-trial appellate victory.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday issued a six-page ruling denying Coleman a reprieve from trial in the January 2007 torture slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. The chief reason? She likely won't be able to convince the appellate court that state prosecutors should be bound by an immunity agreement inked by federal prosecutors.

[...]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/de...nied-reprieve/

[Muffet]

Jaimie's Tweets:

Defense Dillard - "ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Thomas pleads not guilty 2 each and every one of counts"

So u'll get my shorthand: defense will be ID'd as Dillard and Steve (Johnson btw), prosecutors Price and TK

[Muffet]

Originally Posted by cassiusleuth

Any luck on his transcripts at this point, would love to read them! He looks so young?

Nothing up on either site so far. Crossing fingers.

Judge is going over the counts with the jury now.

[Muffet]

• Coleman - still waiting for trial
• Davidson - Death by lethal injection
• Cobbins - life w/o parole
• Thomas - current trial
• Boyd - found guilty and sentenced in February. Just lost an appeal, so he's still down for the 18 year fed sentence for aiding and abetting (getting them out of town after the murders).

[Muffet]

Judge still instructing jury... explaining criminal responsibility and facilitation.

[SuziQ]

Woo hoo on Coleman!!! Breakfast cooking pulse checking piece of........

[Muffet]

Jamie tweet:

# Looks like we have a college class here to observe, hope they aren't expecting Law n Order

[SuziQ]

Ok. Going to run over to see what's up with my computer. Bbl.

[Muffet]

TK starting opening arguments.

Talking about Channon's 4-Runner, how among all the friends, it was the girls' ride, and Chris's was the guys' ride.

OTOH, Cobbins & Davidson et al have no ride - all they have are guns and ammo.

Davidson tells Cobbins and Cobbins tells GT that they and Boyd are gonna carjack...

Says the three - LD, LC, and Boyd - left GT at home with Nessa Coleman...

They - GT and Coleman - are still there when the three return with Chris and Channon.

[Muffet]

Explaining that GT is old friend of Cobbins' - both had been living in Kentucky.

They rode in GT's girlfriend's (Stacey Lawson) car to Tennessee (to visit Davidson) for a weekend in early December... then return on Dec 28, and they bring 'Nessa Coleman.

Now showing the floorplan of Davidson's house (I'll post it in a bit.)

Jan 2, Stacey goes back to Kentucky. So now the only car they have is Daphne Sutton's (Davidson's girlfriend.) She breaks up with him on the 5th and leaves, taking the car and furniture.

Boyd shows up on Saturday with his car, and the plan is to go carjacking to get Davidson, Cobbins, and GT a car of their own.

[Muffet]

TK Now describing Chris and Channon's plans for that night...

Chris left the party their friends were having, to pick up Channon, go out to eat, then bring her to the party.

11:00, they still had not returned - friends were wondering.

12:30 - Channon calls her dad to says she'll be home around 3.

12:45 Witness Xavier Jenkins, who works in a place across street from LD, notices the 4-runner and the defendants in it, driving suspiciously down & around Chipman.

1:45, A neighbor, Mr Arnold, hears a pop pop pop.

7:30, neighbor

My sound just went way up, then normal, then died... checking other site...

[Muffet]

Waiting for feed to return...

Here are Jamie's tweets:

TK starts w/ pic of Channon's jacked SUV titled "proceeds of crime, she's gotta show Thomas shared in proceeds

TK - Thomas admitted being in Chipman, riding in Channon's SUV after carjacking

TK - Chipman house "tiny" no doors. Unfortunately state let waste connections tear house down so jurors can't c

[Muffet]

Back up...

TK is now telling how Channon's family, out looking for her the next day, finds her 4-Runner there on Chipman st.

Her stuff was all gone, but mud was in floorboard, and seats were pushed all the way back...