UPDATE 5: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
SENTENCE OF LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR LETALVIS COBBINS
by Duncan Mansfield, The Associated Press
The first of four defendants to be tried in the carjacking, rape and murder of a young Tennessee couple was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday by the same jury that convicted him of murder.
Letalvis Cobbins, 26, had faced the possibility of two death sentences for conviction of first-degree murder and felony. He took a deep breath and then sat down after the jury announced its decision, following less than three hours of deliberation.
The jury convicted Cobbins of Lebanon, Ky., on Tuesday in the January 2007 attack on 21-year-old Channon Christian and her 23-year-old boyfriend Christopher Newsom, both of Knoxville.
Christian’s father grimaced as he listened to the sentence.
“The jury didn’t do their job. They didn’t render the verdict they should (have),” said Hugh Newsom, father of Christopher Newsom. “One consolation is he will not be on the street again.”
Earlier Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Leland Price had tried to persuade the jury of six men and six women — brought from Nashville because of extensive pretrial publicity — that the crime “cries out for justice and the maximum punishment this state can impose.”
Defense attorney Scott Green countered that Cobbins should be sent to prison for the rest of his life, “never getting out, sitting there to rot and think (about what he has done). He has earned it.”
Christian’s parents pleaded for a death sentence for the torture their daughter suffered. Cobbins’ sisters and cousins from Memphis begged for mercy.
The victims were white and middle class, and the defendants poor and black. Some conservative Internet commentators and white supremacist agitators accused the national media of reverse discrimination by failing to give the case the same attention paid to white-on-black hate crimes.
I’m very disappointed with this jury, and my heart aches for the Christians and the Newsoms. Latalvis Cobbins should have received the death penalty, and I can’t for the life of me think of one legitimate reason the jury could have used not to give it to him. Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom were tortured, raped, defecated and urinated on, and murdered in as vicious, cruel, and inhuman a crime as I’ve ever heard of. I don’t know what else to say, I really don’t.
I think the thing about this crime that this jury forgot is the same thing that scares me so much – That if it had been my wife and I who ran across Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins and George Thomas that night, the same thing would have happened to us. There not a God damned thing I could have done to stop any of it from happening. Not against three young, powerful men with guns. I would have been anally and orally raped, shot in the head, and my body would have been burned in some deserted area of town. My wife would have been ganged raped, beaten, pissed and shit on, and tortured for days, then stuffed into a garbage can so tightly that she would have ended up suffocating to death. If the jury had thought about that, and considered that Channon Christian and Chris Newsom actually lived and died through that horrible fate, they would have got this sentence right.
The bottom line is the 12 people that made up this jury failed. They failed Chris and Channon. They failed Gary and Deena Christian, Chris’s mom and dad. They failed Hugh and Mary Newsom, Channon’s folks.
Gary Christian:
“We are very, very pleased that the families in this community today got justice. Everybody that lives in this community got justice. We didn’t.”
“They took our daughter, they raped her, they murdered her and they tortured her. They didn’t just kill her. If there’s ever a case in this state that deserved the death penalty… What were they thinking?”
Deena Christian, holding a picture of her daughter Channon:
“This is what she’s supposed to look like and they took that away from me. They took that away from her brother. They took Chris away from the Newsom’s and they deserve to die for it, all five of them.”
“The jury let us down. They lied to us when they said they could consider the death penalty.
Mary Newsom:
“It wasn’t the way we wanted it. The jury let us down. They let Channon and Chris down.
“I feel like we let Chris down. We told Chris we’d get them all.”
Cobbins’ three sisters and two cousins who made statements in the morning didn’t stick around to hear the verdict. This wasn’t lost on Deena Christian:
“That’s how much they’re going to take care of their brother in prison. They left the minute they got through with their little sob story. They haven’t seen him in eight years and they won’t see him again. They got paid to come down here I’m sure. They have a little family photo and off they go back to Memphis or where ever they’re from,”
Last, but not least, here’s a video of the Christians and the Newsoms outside the courthouse immediately after Letalvis Cobbins was sentencing. Needless to say, they’re not very happy.
91 Comments »
Similar Posts:
- UPDATE 4: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE 8: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE 2: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE 6: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE 7: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
- UPDATE 3: Lamaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, Vanessa Coleman, and Eric Boyd
I had a sleepless night last night, thinking about Channon’s and Chris’s parents and what they must be thinking themselves. My heart sank when I found out that thing wouldn’t be put to death. What more does somebody have to do to in order to deserve the death penalty? It’s just not fair. Not fair at all. and there are still three more to go.
There is not a day that goes by where I do not think about this story. I am completely appalled by this verdict. Where has our nation gone??! Letting murderes, rapists..the COMPLETE SCUM OF THE EARTH prey on the innocent and get away with it?! What the hell? Justice has not been served and my heart and prayers go out to both families of the victims. May the 4 (insert the most horrible word to describe a person) rot forever and ever and then rot some more.
Fucking bummer. What a letdown. Bastard hippies against the death penalty. This case should have been enough change anyone’s views on that.
Yes, those are my thoughts exactly. If what these people did isn’t enough to sway the minds of even the most staunch detractors of the death penalty, then there simply is no hope.
Of course I was hoping for death, but life without the possibility of parole is no picnic. Many think it’s worse than the death penalty.
I really hope his testimony had nothing to do with not getting death. Defendants have a constitutional right to testify. However, his lawyers refused to ask him questions, only asking him very open-ended narrative questions. They even told the judge they could not ethically represent Cobbins and asked to be removed as counsel, but the judge refused. Under the model rules of ethical conduct for lawyers in every state, lawyers only do this if they know their client will blatantly lie on the stand.
BTW, there is no doubt in my mind Davidson will get the death penalty. Although I am disappointed by this sentence, it would be devastating if Davidson is allowed to live.
I can’t see that any fellow inmate would not take some sort of happiness in making the defendents lives HELL in prison. If any inmate has a life without parole sentence, why would they want to be locked up with garbage like this. The simple facts of this case would even turn the most hardened inmate’s stomach, especially if he has children. Jeffrey DAhmer was taken care of in prison, and if there is any justice, Cobbins and his fellow vermin will pay.
How terribly unfortunate.
The eye-roll alone deserved it.
I was actually hoping this verdict would have come in tomorrow and was the opposite- it would have been a nice birthday present.
Ahhh well, I guess I can take a little joy in the fact that he will have nothing better to do with his life than sit in a cramped little cell and think about his last, albeit ill gotten, blow job from a woman. I hope it was worth his freedom, sanity, and anal virginity.
I hope Hubba and Bubba inflict the kind of terror on him as he inflicted on Channon and Chris.
I hope the victims know justice is finally being served for them.
Don’t turn this into a racist thing. Focus that energy on somehow extending life sentences to the father, uncle and mother who raped and killed a 5 month baby girl Baby Brianna. These men deserve life and so do they.
For the life of me I can’t see anything racist in that post. Forgive my stupidity.
You’re not stupid, that other reply was. Some people just don’t read carefully before they Blog, they just need attention!!! Idiots.
They deserve to die. I guess when they go to prison, they will be screwed big. We should have Randy Sylvester Sr. here. He killed two of his own children, Randy Jr. and Denim and put them in a suitcase. This guy is the definition of a sleazebag.
I’m really at such a loss with this one, sat here shaking my head in utter dismay.
For fuck sake…what else could this bastard have done to Channon and Chris ?
I find no solace in this sentence at all, and wonder how on earth could this jury reject death.
Anyways..HAPPY BIRTHDAY min_duhh….I am profoundly sorry that you couldn’t get a small b-day present in the form of this piece of shit getting the dp.
TY Maelstrom. I’m really glad to still be able to celebrate birthdays (even though I just entered into a new decade). (hows the lil bun in your oven btw?)
Anyways, even though he didn’t get the DP- I’m glad this monster was finally revealed to the world for what he really is (and the rest of them will be in his place soon enough). I’m sorry that the Newsom and Christian families had to make such a great sacrifice in order to prevent anyone else from feeling this kind of pain at this groups hand.
I know the jury made the one decision they didn’t want, in deciding to spare his life, but I hope they take a little solace in knowing they will be off the streets for the rest of their lives, knowing the jury made at least one good decision.
One more thing- about Vanessa Coleman, I bet that bitch is wishing right about now she had refused the gift of that purse (the victims) and went to the police instead. Hey there, Vanessa, was it worth it to be stylish for a few days? You greedy heathen cunt.
The little bun is doing quite well actually. I had an ultrasound last week at 12 weeks gestation, and that little one was swimming around like Michael Phelps. Excellent heartbeat, good activity…all is well. Now if only my nightmarish morning sickness would vanish.
I’m seething over the decision to spare this fuckers life, and I’m actually speechless. I got nothing but anger and disbelief. And such sadness for the families of Channon and Chris.
-On a totally seperate note, you share a birthday with a very special angel named Benjamin Sargent, who should have been celebrating his second birthday tomorrow.
For anyone who is reading this….please set aside some time to remember this beautiful boy. Light a candle, say a prayer, or just reflect upon a life snuffed out by the very same people who created him.
Happy Birthday Benjamin. We love you and we are thinking of you.
In case I haven’t said so before, a million congrats on the babe. Good luck with the morning sickness.
I’m disappointed in the verdict as well, but I’m relieved they convicted him….one good decision is better than zero I suppose.
I just read Benjamins story about a week ago, I will send him special birthday thoughts all day. Such a beautiful boy- thanks for mentioning him :)
Yes Maelstrom, Thanks for reminding us all about little Benny’s Birthday. The victims are the only reason are the only reason I log on to this site and do my job some days – everything I do here is for them.
And congrats on your little bundle of joy to be. The only thing I dig more than cats is little babies – give my one to hold and you’ll watch a grown man turn into a babbling, rubber-faced clown. Oh wait, I always look like that….
Thank you very much Max, and I share your feelings concerning cats and babies. Best things ever ! Put a kitten or a baby near me and I turn into a dork as well….totally different person, and the unmitigated joy you feel when you give birth, well, that is difficult to articulate. But anyone with kids knows what I mean. It is thee greatest feeling in the world.
- I don’t know if you remember, but I wrote you a while back wanting to write something special for Benjamin on his birthday. Every time I sat down to write something though, I felt I could never type exactly what I wanted to say…and nothing I could say would ever do him justice. But I’m remembering him today and hoping that where ever he may be that he is finally at peace.
Ugh…speaking about him makes me way too emotional. Suffice it to say that he holds a very special place in my heart and always will.
Same here Max! I am a professional fighter and am supposed to be tough but nothing melts me like a newborn!
Maelstrom said:
“Now if only my nightmarish morning sickness would vanish.”
Have you tried Sea-Bands? I use them for motion sickness (I get it real bad even on the biggest, slowest boats) but it was actually a pregnant woman who first told me about them and she swore by them. They work really well for me, since I’ve never been pregnant I can’t vouch for how well they work for that but on boats and car rides where I wasn’t driving they were a godsend. They work on a pressure point in your wrists and they’re perfect for pregnant women since they have to be so careful about taking medications.
http://www.morningsicknesshelp.com/seabands.html
You know what else might work Maelstrom?
Coke Syrup. You can buy it at any pharmacy, you take a few tablespoons when you feel the nausea coming on. If worked for me, and my obstetrician swore by it.
You could also leave a glass of coke out to get flat and that seems to settle the tummy.
Hope it helps a little, I know morning sickness can be a bitch. Good luck, mama.
(Aside: I had terrible morning sickness with both my kids, which lasted all day and throughout the entire pregnany with both. But my OB/GYN told me that morning sickness is pretty much a sign that your body is producing the proper hormones for a viable pregnancy – which means, the sicker you get, the less likely you are to have fetal distress…. So do what I did, puke and smile!)
It’s good we can celebrate things like new life in a world like ours.
Why don’t they just save the tax payers money and just burn these worthless motherfuckers at the stake! Gasoline and firewood are much cheaper than lifetime incarceration!
I would love to relieve myself on this piece of shit.
i live in knoxville. everyone at work tonight was watching the sentencing procedure. everyone was completely shocked that he didn’t get the death penalty. when channon and chris asked that their lives be spared the answer was no, so why should the answer be yes when these murderers ask for their own lives to be spared? funnily they didn’t care about the sanctity of life until their own lives were threatened. at least he got the no possibility of parole sentence rather than just life. if this crime doesn’t warrant the death penalty i don’t know what does.
i read the transcripts of lemaricus davidsons interrogation and it’s interesting how he claims letalvis did it all and letalvis claims he did it all. there were at least 4 other people involved and rather than blame one of those 4 for being the ringleader, they each blame each other… these are brothers throwing each other under the bus when there are at least 4 other people they could pin this on.
i think eric boyd was much more involved in this than we have been led to believe.
a lady i work with actually knows the Christian family and she says there are many details about this crime that have not been released to the public. God knows what those details are.
this crime was a shock to our community. but one thing i can say is knoxville really isn’t a big haven of racists so i think that’s why the parents aren’t willing to say it was a hate crime. this is just not the kind of thing anyone would have expected to happen here.
I have heard it is big news there. It is not national news for us outside of Knoxville. Truly disturbing crime. I can imagine it is more gruesome that what we know. Quite frankly, I don’t want to be know. These monsters deserve to rot in the worst layer Hell along side with the 9/11 Terrorists and Joseph Stalin.
(reply to HillJilly…)
I live in Canada and I just thought I would reply to what you said, “but one thing i can say is knoxville really isn’t a big haven of racists”…because here the media has made out that the reason why the media in the states is hesitant to give this case attention is BECAUSE there is racial tension in Knoxville. So I there must be DIFFERENT reasons behind Channon and Chris’s case not getting attention…
Either way this is one of the worst crimes I have ever heard of in my entire life. The only cases that compare in their vileness, lack of compassion, severity and ferociousness (words cant describe what Channon and Chris ent through) are crimes against children. I think these animals proved that hell on earth does exist and they should experience what they put those kids through. If Channon or Chris were my children the only way I would be able to sleep is if I knew they would feel the pain that Chris and Channon felt. Sadly…I really dont think LIFE or the death penalty will serve justice because both outcomes are a walk in the park compared to the torture those kids had to go through…
The punishment should fit the crime and NO punishment will be able to fit this crime. Sad.
I also agree that Davidson and Cobbins were pretty quick to throw eachother under the bus and were probably BOTH the ring leaders in this crime. Acting together and the other 3 went along; mob mentality. All 5 are each as guilty as the next…Anyone who just watched or KNEW what Channon and Chris were being subjected too and did NOTHING to stop it…should burn at the stake. Where is the humanity? The compassion?? Were they raised by wolves??? It’s sickening. The woman who sat in THAT house, even SHOWERED in that house while Channon was being raped and tortured is a disgusting, vile, monster. As a woman, I cant imajine, EVER ever ever letting another woman go through that hell and NOT stopping it. I cant even grasp that kind of evil. Again, sickening.
I hope that someday, somehow, all 5 of these monsters will have to endure the pain and suffereing that Channon and Chris went through…maybe by the hands of other inmates? Who knows.
At least, at the very very very least…the victim’s families can feel some peace with the knowledge that Channon and Chris are definitely angels in heaven after the nightmare they went through.
While Cobbins, Davidson, Thomas, Coleman and Boyd will surely burn in hell.
this is a college town, and to be honest it’s fairly racially diverse compared to other places in east tennessee, clearly there are some racists here, there are some everywhere, but there is no blatant racism going on around here on a daily basis wide out in the open like skinheads running rampant and klan meetings down the street on a friday night, so for the media to claim that they aren’t covering this because of racial animosity in knoxville is ridiculous and an outright lie. i mean, for proof just look at the people who helped these dirtbags move around the city after this happened – the vast majority of their circle of friends were white. from what i understand, and i am only going by hearsay i don’t/didn’t know them, channon and chris were not racist people they had friends of all races and their families don’t want to say this was a hate crime because channon and chris weren’t the kind of people who would have wanted that kind of thing to be stirred up in their names.
We watched the movie “An American Crime” recently (based on the case involving Sylvia Likens), and for hours afterward, my husband kept saying that he just couldn’t believe that the neighborhood kids were even in on the torture of the girl and didn’t report it or do anything to stop it. He thought that part was made up for the movie. I said based on what I’d read about Likens, the movie was pretty accurate (if rather cleaned up for mass consumption, as what actually happened to her was even worse than portrayed).
It just makes me think about what Tommy Lee Jones said to Will Smith in “Men In Black,” about one person or another being smart, but people as a whole are dumb, panicky animals. Sometimes you get people together in a group and they can also be incredibly cruel. One only has to look at school bullying to see this. I can totally believe that the woman was capable of taking a shower and being in the house while the torture and rape was going on. I cannot imagine MYSELF in that place and doing nothing, but unfortunately everyone wasn’t raised like I was, and even wolves raise their young better than that.
P.S. And all women don’t have an automatic negative reaction to rape. I’ve mentioned before in another thread that I personally know of a woman who, when confronted with the information that her husband had, as a teenager, raped a girl, simply said that the girl “could have said no.” This same woman claims to be a Christian.
You are referring to Gertrude Baniszewski. She a psychopath of the worst kind. Baniszewski is no different from Wanda Holloway and Lori Drew. She called herself a Christian and is a church goer. Holloway was a the church organ player. As for Drew, I have no information on her. Don’t take this that I am knocking on Christians. I am pointing out how people like to call themselves Christians and good people by going to church. That is not entirely true as I learned in church of all places.
If Gertrude Baniszewski did this today or if they had Internet back than, I am sure she and her accomplices would get a lot of vicious non-stop pillioring that befell Lori Drew and Ashley Grills. She be compared with the likes of Lee Oswald and Charles Starkweather, like Drew was compared with the likes of Osama bin Laden and Charles Manson.
Here is the State of TN website about death row in TN.
http://www.state.tn.us/correction/deathfacts.html
There is someone in TN that has been on death row since 1978. Something is obviously wrong with our system here. We should al write our representatives. If Cobbins had gotten the death penalty, there is no telling when he’d actually be executed.
yeah i must be stupid too, because I dont see it…
Just fry him.
In time he will become an old man and he might qualify for “compassionate release”, yet he showed no compassion for either victim.
Send him to judgment NOW. Can’t say hell because I do not make the decision, but we can send him to be judged and the smart money is on the act that he’s going to ride the down escalator!
As some of you may or may not know, I am against the death penalty. But I totally understand the rage most of you feel and the disappointment and betrayal the families feel at the life in prison verdict.
All four of these sumbags DESERVE to die. They don’t just deserve to die, they deserve to be raped, tortured, mutilated and slowly allowed to rot to death. However, as much as the emotional, empathetic side of me would love nothing more than to see that (I’d even love to have a few whacks at each of them myself), the objective, logical side of me just can’t see that being okay.
Life in prison with no hope of ever getting out is fine with me. But these aren’t my children/siblings/friends who were savaged. I can stand at arms length and objectively, logically look at it.
I’m sure if it was my son or daughter, I’d feel differently.
Justin,
I understand your feelings and totally respect them.
I have always said that no matter what if the family of the victim (s) is happy with the verdict then who the hell am I to complain ? Though in this case the families are not happy, and it’s just a huge failure all around.
This entire case makes me sooo sad!! I feel so bad for the parents and everyone involved. Can someone please tell me why they didnt get death? layman’s terms please….
Sin,
I can’t get into the heads of the jury, but I’m guessing that they were swayed by the family members of Cobbins and their endless sob stories concerning his oh-so unfair childhood, and made the decision that past trauma should be a mitigating factor.
I’m sure Jason can and will answer this better than me, or perhaps the jury themselves if they decide to talk.
I think the prosecutor needed to sell this one. This is armchair quarter-backing, but I think something like this needed to be said.
Jason,
I think it also should have been mentioned that Cobbins couldn’t even remember the names of the two people he killed. When asked on cross he seriously could not even remember.
Remorse ? No
Regret ? Perhaps that he got caught.
Empathy ? Certainly not in any way shape or form.
So what is left ? What possible benefit can this person contribute to society ?
Fine fine, we’ll let him rot away in jail…with three meals a day, visitation from whoever decides to visit him, access to a television, books, magazines, porn,and the internet I’m sure. He will still get to sleep at night and wake up in the morning despite being “confined”. But honestly, is that a just punishment for the absolute obliteration that he has caused ?
Imagine also the smug satisfaction he got from this verdict and that alone is enough to smoke his ass and be done with it. This verdict was a epic failure, and the decision this jury made was a disgrace.
http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/55186682.html
nevermind I understand why now…..still DONT AGREEE!!!
Letalvis Cobbins looks quite the dapper gent in his cream jacket – like he’s on his way to a party. Shame he will never ever go to a party ever again in his life nor mix with civilised humans.
Being sentenced to death is no biggie…… Lawyers would drag it out for decades with appeals. At least this way he will be in general pop where I am sure he will learn what HELL really will be like. Rapists are only one rung above child molesters on the inside.
And maybe he will discover what it’s like to be violated, again and again.
Personally I think that a life sentence should come with no visitors, mail, TV, radio or any other contact from the outside, other than a priest.
Truely only GOD can fix these people.
Freakin’ heart breaking!
If the death penalty is not going to be utilized properly (and we can see that it often isn’t) we should push for prisons to become prisons and not get aways…no tv, no exercise, and so on. These fucks cannot be rehabilitated. They don’t even understand the gravity of their crimes. Why send them on a tax paid vacation?
Richardson just pushed to get rid of the death penatly in NM and we need that penaly here more than a lot of states. Darren White is pushing to get it reinstated but we’ll see how that goes. I won’t hold my breath!
I am going to throw something out there about possibly what the jury might have been thinking. Possibly they did not give the death penalty because for a guy like this being in the general population may be worse then being segragated on death row. This guy has been proven to have raped a man so in prison terms he is gay. When they release him with all of the bigger men that are pure evil he is going to become someone’s ‘bitch’ very quickly. He is going to know what it is like to have give oral sex and to receive anal sex whether he likes it or not. I think that he is going to receive a death sentence and it is not going to be the humane way that the state would have provided for him. He is a thug that thinks he is big stuff. That doesn’t set so well with hard core criminals. He is going to resist his role in prison and he is going to eventually be killed. So, in one way I kind of agree with the punishment. He is going to be tortured, raped, and eventually slaughtered. Sounds to me like that punishment might fit that crime. Not to mention how the prison guards are going to treat him. I do not see how they run to man like this being raped to protect him. I diffently think in this case those prisoners are going to become very loud to cover this scumbag’s screams.
It took me a while to get a chance to log on to this site today, and now I see why. God was protecting me from the heartbreak he knew I was sure to feel.
I am LITERALLY sitting here crying.
I can’t believe this. Utterly at a lost.
I thought it was supposed to be “JUSTICE FOR ALL”…. Channon and Chris didn’t get theirs!!!! :-(
lost = loss…
Sorry – my typing’s off ’cause I’m upset. I mean, REALLY thrown…
Those four sick, rabid f*cking dogs and that rotten bitch get the chance Channon and Chris didn’t. I don’t why this breaks my heart so, but it really, really does… This goes down in my book as a crime against humanity itself.
If this were Ancient Greece, our whole country would be cursed by the gods until we shed the blood of the murderers. NOW I see their point exactly.
IMO, that jury just sent a loud and strong statement to Tennessee.
“You are free to do whatever you want to as long as you have had a miserable upbringing.”
The victims and the slow, methodical way that they were murdered are forgotten, in favor of the less priviledged.
Why bother with the death penalty? They get to sit on death row for years & years and get appeal after appeal…this wastes more money.
I feel that these dirt bags all earned a death sentence, but it should be carried out immediately…take them outside the court and shoot them, then bury them in the suit they came to court in. Saves money.
.
Oh, how sick this makes me.
IF THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN ….
[and I believe there is] I hope that while in prison Letalvis Cobbins is visited by the biggest, no bathing, hairy, make your skin crawl jus’ to look at him (you know the type) man that is in need of a “girlfriend”.
I hope that Letalvia Cobbins will have done to him what he did to Channon Christian, day after day after day. No more No less
Absolutely my wish exactly for the whole lot of em! For the female, there are some equally scary, non bathing, females in prison, so she wont be left out!
I’m not really sure how to feel about this guy not getting the death penalty. I have mixed feelings. He does deserve to die, but death is to easy and good for him in the prison system. A simple flip of a switch or a simple injection and there’s no more life. Not a very harsh punishment. If we knew what was in the afterlife and what awaited him, I could make a decision on whether he deserves that. In a perfect justice system he would be repaid with what he dealt. He doesn’t deserve such an easy death as he would receive in our prison system. I can understand how many people believe he should just be put to death, but with our system its just a waste. It’s not a punishment, its just an easy escape for pieces of shit. Being imprisoned for the rest of his life is probably the best punishment he can receive in the US system. I hate that us tax payers have to pay for him for the rest of his life, but I find solace in the fact that the rest of his life will be utter shit. Once any white supremacists find out what he and the rest of his posse has done, that will probably be the beginning of their torture. Even if they seek protection from whites in prison, the blacks they turn to will not treat them well either. They will be raped, they will feel the pain of what their victims have gone through. In a year, if their faces will ever be shown to the public ever again, I doubt you will see any eye rolling, any laughing or taunting. I’m sure you’ll see a broken person who wishes the death sentence was handed to them, that’s even if they make it a year. I wish the worst for these pieces of shit.
I’m looking for the eyeroll… can someone tell me when it happened?
Somehow, I imagine the number of people who also had miserable childhoods, yet DON’T grow up to become sadistic rapists and murderers, far outweighs pieces of excrement like these.
a case of reverse discrimination, of course.
i am very grateful to pysih for all these updates; i sincerely hope that we will be able to effect change, SOMEHOW … recidivism alone is a massive problem where i live in california. toleration of murder is another thing altogether … why do we allow murderers to live? they do not rot, they figure out ways to thrive in prison.
Sentencing FAIL. *sigh*
Why do I get the feeling this is going to set the tone for the trials of the others involved here and all of them are going to be spared the death penalty?
Letting any of them keep breathing is a BIG mistake.
The death penalty is too good for these people. This is truly a special case that has hit me harder than anything I’ve ever heard before.
I would be happy to watch all five of them suffer in a very slow and painful way.
How was that a racist statement?
I just want to say that I was disappointed in the verdict simply because its what the families wanted. Race hasnt a thing to do with it. Its unfortunate that some people hate blacks because of this, but I’m black and couldnt have been more appalled and sickened by the whole thing! I think about it everyday and wish I could express my feelings to the families. We’re not all rapists and murderers and we dont all support these monsters just because they are black. They are not even human to me! I read that Coleman girls interview and was further sickened by her apparent nonchalance that a girl was held a few feet away from her, no doubt begging for her life, and she says she ‘cooked breakfast and showered, etc. Even ‘took a ride’ in Channon’s SUV!!!! Disgusting! I havent heard everything, so I wonder if this girl participated. her doing nothing to help is bad enough.I bring her up just cause she is another female, but obviously she’s subhuman just like the guys. Death for them will mean a painless end to their suffering for life. Thats how I look at it. No torture, just a needle. Let them get gang raped and beaten in jail! Im sure it will happen when fellow inmates find out! They should suffer like those kids suffered and the death penalty will just excuse them painlessly from the whole thing. On another hand I see what some mean- that people like this are used to jail and will have 3 meals, etc. No real punishment. I wish punishments could mirror the crimes. I just really think death by needle is way too easy for what they did to this couple. They should have to face it every single day with the same agony and fear.
This isn’t a black on white thing. This is an animal on human thing. Animals come in all colors.
If anyone holds this against black people, that person was just looking for a reason to hate. These guys aren’t black people any more than Charles Manson is a white person. They’re offal, plain and simple.
AMEN!! Monster animals attacking human beings. These people may be the same color as me,..ew, I dont even like making that comparison! These ‘beings’ are the epitome of evil and I cant even bring myself to say we share the same race no matter how obvious that fact is. I was gonna say that is where the similarities end. I have always been interested in the minds of monsters,as in what do they think when they commit these crimes, and WHY!! I cant get this case off my mind!There were so many times at least Channon could have been saved! Why???? Are people really this evil and disregard human life this much? I read something that described Channon’s lower body as being “ripped by the brutality of repeated rape” I cried when I read that. Our death penalty is too easy for them. Painless and quick. They should go through days of torture, ongoing, just like they did.
You don’t share the same race. You are of the human race. They’re of some entirely other race that has nothing to do with human.
It is ridiculous that anyone should be judged by the horror of these monsters (Noelegy is right) just because they’re the same skin color. With any luck and enlightenment, prejudice is one of those things people will look back on many years from now and think “Wow, I can’t believe my ancestors were so primitive and ignorant! What an asinine thing to believe in! I’m so glad we evolved!” and it will be recorded in the Museum of Historic Human Embarrassment for all to laugh at because it is so ridiculous. OH yes. It will happen.
If I recall correctly, Charles Manson has bright green eyes. I have bright green eyes. Aside from making me look insane when they turn yellow or white in certain light, does that mean ole Charlie and I share any other traits? It’s an unsupportable prejudice. The people who cling to it like it’s their lifeblood simply aren’t worth the breath it would take to argue with them. But hell, it can be fun anyway!
So yah. Green eyes like Charlie. And I’m a musician. Like Charlie. And I don’t fit in with the ‘normal’ crowd. And I spent a lot of time hanging out at Spahn Ranch as a teenager many years ago… I think I need a doctor. ;)
How can anyone say race did not effect this case? As a non-racist white male I am appalled at the lack of media coverage for this case. Especially here on the west coast. Just think about it seriously without bias, if the victims in this case were black and the suspects white I know for a fact without a shadow of a doubt , this case would have played out much differently.
A life sentence is only justified if the animals are forced to do hard labor every day for the next 60-80 years. Otherwise, it’s not punishment.
I agree with that, College Dean (I commented as ‘Nette” earlier, then registered under customfit1, both me:-)
Completely shameful.
I don’t think it’s fair to call them “animals.” It’s not fair to animals. “Monsters” might be a better word.
Very well said,VC!! I hope I am around to see that day come. The way you put it, it seems silly to hate all for the actions of a few. I hope others see that also. The focus should be on the victims and the lifelong punishment of these folks. I sometimes think I need a doctor too! lol! I bet we’d fit in just fine together. Nothing wrong with being a little different from the mainstream. That’s me. Thanks for your comment. What’s so funny is that my kids’ dad is black but has green eyes and he looks real crazy when his eyes do that!! That yellow-green thing! I was crackin up at that! Green eyes are beautiful, BTW. Manson could be, or could have been handsome if he wasnt crazy as all hell! lol! Have a great day, VCBecky
Mmmm… dark skin with bright colored eyes… mmmm ;) You have a great day too, darlin’! Don’t stress out over the idiots and dregs! *HUG*!
The death penalty should have been given in this case, but even that would have still be too humane for this asshole. All five of these people that committed this crime should be forced to endure the same exact things that they inflicted upon their victims……that would be true justice! But unfortunately, that will never happen even though it is what should happen!
Blaming a bad childhood for your problems is like blaming a pencil for misspellings.
I only learned of this case today…what a travesty. These low life vermins definitely deserve the death penalty (although lethal injection is way too lenient).
Seriously, i wanted to vomit after reading what the victims went through. This whole notion of giving these killers a break because of their upbringing is absolute crap.
R.I.P. Christopher and Channon
I’m black too
I’ve said this before but am I the only one who finds this case more than a little erotic?
I’m sorry, did you say EROTIC? So you mean being raped, tortured and murdered turns you on?!?!? WTF!
If so, perhaps you should seek help before you do something that would make YOU wind up in prison on a death sentence, and destroy the families of those you choose to victimize.
Stormy is being SARCASTIC. Lighten up a little, anon. SW always does that on the rape and pillage stories.
Ya, well…tell the poor girls parents that it’s “erotic” that their daughter was raped, tortured and murdered, and see what kind of response they give! It’s fine to lighten up the mood, but not with something so offensive.
You and I both know it is far from erotic. However, I know not to take SW seriously. That’s all.
Poor black people ? middle class white people? and this crime makes a difference how? its people commiting a horrible tortuous acts against another but its “OKAY” because they were poor blacks and they shouldnt be held responsible???? WTF????? I would peel their F#@%in skin off with acid and a veggi peeler. Send them to HELL If one of those victims were my child … those responsible wouldnt make it to “COURT”
This murderer will be happy in jail.
For him its a place where he will be happy raping and murdering more people.
This jury deserves to go to hell for not sentencing him to death.
i’m only half joking ;)
Hey stormy, how’s it going buddy? Good to see you around, you sick SOB…*laugh*
*whispering* I know you were half serious…. I was just defending your brand of humor. I love it
This is all terrible. Now they are doing jury selection for Davidson, and it is very difficult to find people who have not heard about the whole thing (dang, it was horrible and of course we’ve heard about it).
The worst part for the Cobbins trial is that the victims families weren’t allowed to cry in court, and the prosecution could not show pics of the victims while they were still alive. How messed up is that?!?! All the while the defense was allowed to show baby Cobbins, the family sob, and witnesses got to talk about wonderful he is. Come on!!!
Lemaricus Davidson guilty on all murder counts
The jury finds Lemaricus Davidson guilty on all counts against him, except the three aggravated rape counts involving Christopher Newsom. On those three charges, the jury found Davidson guilty of the lesser-included offense of facilitation of aggravated rape.
_________________________________________________
Update: State rests in Davidson’s sentencing hearing
Convicted killer Lemaricus Davidson will be back in court on Thursday morning to put his life in the hands of a Knox County jury.
On Wednesday, 12 jurors found Davidson guilty of first degree premeditated murder of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom.
The jury found Davidson guilty of 38 different charges. However on the 2 counts of aggravated rape of Newsom, the jury found Davidson not guilty. However, they found him guilty of facilitating that crime.
Those two verdicts led to the dismissing of two charges against Davidson.
Prosecutor Leland Price said to avoid an appeal, he would dismiss two charges linked to the aggravated rape of Newsom.
Price told the court he would dismiss count 9 which is first degree felony murder of Newsom during the rape of Newsom. Price also dismissed count 11 first degree felony murder of Christian during the rape of Newsom, since the jury did not find Davidson guilty of Newsom’s rape.
Christian’s and Newsom’s family members will testify in front of the jury about the young lives lost.
The state also plans to call a prosecutor in a 2001 case against Davidson. That’s when he pleaded guilty to a carjacking and aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He served more than 5 years in the West Tennessee State Penetentiary.
Judge Richard Baumgartner will limit what prosecutors can ask Jody Pickens about Davidson’s previous conviction. Earlier this year, the judge ruled the state can not present Davidson’s carjacking conviction, but they can talk about the aggravated robbery of Catherine Hall.
Defense attorney David Eldridge is planning to call 8 witnesses to talk about Davidson’s background and mental state.
Eldridge said at least one expert will testify. Davidson told officers during his interrogation on January 11, 2007 that he was bi-polar.
Jurors will have 3 choices for a sentence for Davidson. They can sentence him to death, life with the possibility of parole, and life without the possibility of parole.
Come on jury kill this SOB!!!!
i agree that these monsters should get life in prison or death if the jury decides; however, i do not believe it should be considered a ‘hate crime.’ why??? think about it…they sleep with white women. coleman had a white woman; davidson had a white woman. incidentally, why aren’t they charged also. they are involved too.
That?s about the rudest thing that happened during my pregnancy, but I chalk it up to her being from a hillbilly and not knowing any better.
I really wanted to write down a simple message in order to express gratitude to you for some of the magnificent guidelines you are showing at this site. My rather long internet lookup has now been rewarded with reliable strategies to go over with my colleagues. I ‘d tell you that most of us visitors actually are really lucky to exist in a perfect network with so many brilliant people with helpful solutions. I feel somewhat lucky to have seen the webpage and look forward to many more exciting times reading here. Thanks a lot once more for all the details.
Thanks for every one of your hard work on this website. Kate delights in getting into internet research and it is obvious why. A lot of people learn all regarding the powerful mode you offer simple guides by means of your website and therefore welcome contribution from others on that content while my daughter is without question starting to learn a lot of things. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the new year. You’re performing a pretty cool job.