TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #10

[Muffet]

Jenkins worked at Waste Connections as a driver, starting in 2006.. in Jan 2007, he was promoted to a commercial drive.. so that early Sunday morning, Jan 6, he was working.

WC is located between Chipman and Mitchel. (I'll get a map)

He got there between 12:30 and 12:35... He parked in front of the building, and sat there waiting... (he was early.)

He noticed a porch light on at LD's house, and the 4-runner, with it's lights on... things were unusually busy on the street that morning...

Guys didn't show for work as expected, so he went down the street to the "Marathon" store to get a pepsi.. this was around 12:50. It was walking distance.

He got nuts and a Pepsi and headed back - arrived back to his car at 1-ish.

Car facing building.

As he sat there, the 4-runner came from the house, and drove by him ... there were 4 people in 4-runner - all black, and he is sure they were all male...

The driver was one of the tallest in the truck (4-runner)..

As they drove by, they gave him a dirty look, like ,"what are you doin here" - he returned the look.

This was just after 1 am.

They drove past him slowly, drove to back of building --- went to stop sign, made a right, then got to back of building.. sort of doing a U-turn - like they were backtracking 0 it all struk him as weird.

Then his supervisor got there and they went inside and clocked in, etc...

 

[Muffet]

Shift ended around 6:30 - 7..

They clocked out and left the building...

He noticed that the 4-runner was facing the railroad tracks.. told supervisor that somethin wasn't right...

So they got in a car and shined lights on the 4runner... the glare made it hard to see.. so he then lit up the back.. noticed the knox county tag...

He thought the 4-runner was way out of place - thought it was stolen... a nice vehicle, with university tag, etc..

She has him marking a map - Can't make anything out of it from this distance, but I'll try to find one from last time...

Here's a google version to zoom on:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=...&cd=20&cad=docsearch,cid:17070073529394241547

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Tallest dude in this bunch was Davidson #cntrial
1 minute ago from txt

Jenkins says rolled events over in head many times now and is certain hoodie wearing driver tallest dude in SUV #cntrial
2 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

The map, fwiw:

 

[Muffet]

TK has him ID the 4-runner... lets him go.

Defense cross now...

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

State contends Chris bound in back of SUV #cntrial
1 minute ago from txt

Dillard trying show no proof Chris in SUV enroute to his death, Jenkins antcipates ? W/ his response. #cntrial
2 minutes ago from txt

Dillard to Jenkins - u didn't see any "white people" in SUV? "Not in sight," Jenkins says #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Defense asks about the time ... confirms

Asks about the tint - that he can only see silhouettes .. but Jenkins says he could definitely tell none were white...

Def asks about the dirty look - asks if window was down - J says yes... def says it was cold...

Now goes back over the weird U-route they took as drawn on map... has J mark the RR tracks...

shows that they wound up about a block away from RR tracks...

notes that there are many businesses on Mitchel...

No further questions.. atty's at the bench...

Judge asks if there are 3 lights on Chipman (jury question?)... Jenkins says yes, that's how he saw the silhouette of the 4 men through the windows...

Next witbess:

Adrienne Mathis

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Boyd's cousin says loaned Boyd Sunbird Jenkins saw at Chipman, later found bag of bullets in it. She tossed 'em #cntrial
less than 5 seconds ago from txt

Jury asks 1st ? - were there streetlights on Chipman. Jenkins says yes, that's what helped him see into SUV #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

Dillard pointing out SUV headed onto Mitchell away from tracks where Chris slain #cntrial
5 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Adrienne Mathis:

Says she had a white Pontiac Sunbird.

Her cousin is Eric Boyd... He borrowed her car.. she didn't get it back because LE confiscated it. But wait - she saw it parked at her aunt's... (lost chronology there)

anyway, when she next drove it after Boyd had it, she found about a sandwich bag of at least 10 bullets in there.

She ran out of gas, happens a lot and unexpectedly because somethin wrong w/tank.. so she keeps the can in the trunk.

She doesn't know any of the defendants or victims (TK listed them)

NO more questions - defense cross now..

 

[Muffet]

Defense asks if she knew of any significance to the bullets at all - she says no.

No more Questions. Jury has no Qs.

Calling next witness.

 

[Muffet]

Jerome Arnold:

Lives about a block away from LD's home.

Saturday, Jan 6, he was home all evening.

Sunday morning at about 1:45, he heard 3 pops in a row...

He thought it was firecrackers - looked at watch, annoyed they'd do that at such an hour.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

I still don't know what that show is #cntrial
less than 10 seconds ago from txt

"Outer Limits" watcher Jerome Arnold again tells of three pops state says were shots that felled Chris #cntrial
half a minute ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Price has him marking location of his house on the map...

Marks an arrow for direction sound was coming from.. circles it...

He was watching "The Outer Limits"

No further questions..

None from defense .. none from Jury..

Calling next witness...

 

[Muffet]

brb - Bathroom break.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Defense doesn't challenge Arnold #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

JD Ford - train engineer - gave his work history, hours..

Now describing his noticing what looked like a burning log by the track.. He thought it might be a man... so he stopped and went back ... found Chris...

He was about 10-12 feet up from the ground, looking down... through window...

Severely burned ... could see by legs and genitals that it was a male.. Called police... then he left..

Showing images of warehouse and general area...

 

[Muffet]

Damn. Camera forgot to cut away before they showed a photo of Chris' burned body.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

It doesn't get any easier to see Chris' bound burned body discarded along those tracks #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

 

[Muffet]

Ford marking map and trying to describe exactly where body was... you can't tell from here.

Defense cross...

Body was on north side of track.. on his right - the side he was sitting on.. and there's a big window next to him..

No idea what Dilard's point is...

Witness excused..

 

[Muffet]

Next witness Robert Watson - Special Agent canine officer from 2000 - 2008, for fire marshal's office.

Giving credentials... his own, and those of his dog, Yvonne... she could sniff out stuff related to arson - chemicals, ect...

He's accepted as expert witness.