WARNING – This story features the horrific events of an unspeakable crime. The details in this story are extremely graphic in nature and will be disturbing to many readers. Sensitive readers are strongly cautioned from proceeding any further. There is no shame in turning back now, once you read something, you cannot unread it.
Reader’s discretion is advised.
Tennessee (The Gaslamp Post) – The U.S. Attorneys office announced Friday, that they have launched a federal probe into the misdeeds and outright violations of state law by a criminal court judge. Ex-justice Richard Baumgartner, pled guilty to one count of official misconduct under a plea deal in 2011. Baumgartner was photographed buying prescription drugs from a paroled felon that had gone before him in criminal court.
According to the investigation, Baumgartner also repeatedly had sex in his chambers with another individual who had gone before him. The woman, who was a graduate of a Drug Court program, had sex in the courthouse with Baumgartner, in exchange for leniency. The special judge who has been put in place to review many of the cases decided by Baumgartner, Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood, spared him a felony conviction as well as jail time, thus leaving his pension eligibility intact.
Among many of the cases that are being reviewed by Blackwood, is the 2007 rape and murder trials of 5 people, who were convicted by Baumgartner, in 2009.
This is where we have more evidence of media bias and coverup. This story which was labeled simply as a “torture-slaying” case, never made the networks and I stumbled upon it purely on accident.
In 2009, then Judge Baumgartner convicted 5 black individuals, sentencing them; one to death, two to life in prison without parole, one to 18 years in prison, for the 2007 rape and murder of a young white couple. The final defendant in the case, a female, was sentenced to 53 years.
Deena and Gary Christian, parents of slain Channon Christian
As it stands now, all 5 defendants in the case have been granted new trials because of Baumgartner’s incompetence. This means that the families of the slain couple are going to have to relive the horror of the case, all over again.
The court case which shocked the city of Knoxville, surrounded the events of the early morning of January 7, 2007.
Channon Christian (left) and Christopher Newsom (right) were both raped and murdered in early 2007. The 5 animals convicted in their rape and murder are all facing new trials because the judge in the case was believed to have been under the influence when he convicted them.
According to reports, the young couple, 21-year-old, Channon Christian and 23-year-old, Christopher Newsom, had gone out to dinner and were never seen or heard from again. The two were reportedly carjacked while on their way to a friend’s house where they had planned to watch a movie. Their families had called police the next morning when the two failed to return home.
The body of Newsom was found near railroad tracks, wrapped in a piece of carpet and still burning. His body was set on fire and then abandoned.
Cell phone records helped locate Christian’s vehicle, where police obtained a fingerprint which led them to their first suspect, 25-year-old, Lemaricus Devall Davidson, aka, “Slim.” Her body was found mutilated in a trashcan, inside of Davidson’s residence. This is where the entire story came out.
Five animals (for lack of a better word and unfortunately insulting to animals), were all arrested and tried for their role in the horrific crime.
After the couple was carjacked and kidnapped at gunpoint, they were both blindfolded and taken to the home of Lemaricus Davidson. Once there, the couple was raped and murdered. Yes, you read that correctly.
The assailants anally raped Newsom in front of his girlfriend, before cutting off his penis, and then shot him several times. His assailants wrapped his body in carpet and took it to some nearby railroad tracks, where they set it on fire.
Once Newsom was out-of-the-way, the perpetrators then turned their sick rage onto Christian. She was raped vaginally, anally, and orally, over the period four days. According to the report; she was beaten, mutilated (they cut off one of her breasts), urinated on, had bleach poured down her throat and on her face, and eventually shot and killed. Like Newsom, her body was wrapped up and set on fire, but instead of being abandoned, her body was stuffed in the trash.
The 5 animals found guilty in this unspeakable crime; (left to right) Eric Boyd, George Thomas, Lemarcus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, and Vanessa Coleman
Originally, Davidson was sentenced to death by lethal injection for his role in the robbery, rape, and murder of the couple. His brother, Letalvis Cobbins, and accomplice George Thomas both received life sentences for their roles. Vanessa Coleman received a sentence of 53 years, and unindicted accomplice Eric DeWayne Boyd, was sentenced to 18 years as an accessory in the carjacking.
They are all now awaiting a retrial.
It is curious that given the magnitude of just how horrific this crime was, that it got as little media coverage as it did. A junkie judge getting kicked off the bench? A white couple being raped and murdered? A body set on fire and abandoned by railroad tracks? A female gang-raped and having one of her breasts cut off before she was killed?
What more is necessary in order for something to become newsworthy? Why did this case not get more media coverage than it did? Even now, as the judge in the case was removed from the courtroom, the recent coverage only labels it in a benign way, not granting the story the attention that it should.
I agree with Snopes on this one; where is Jessee Jackson? Where is Al Sharpton? When they’re done milking the camera for every possible second of media coverage that they can cash in on, will they touch this subject? Of course not, because only black victims that they can use to further their careers are what matters to them.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident… “
(h/t: Knoxnews.com)
Related content: http://gaslamppost.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/white-teenager-set-on-fire-by-black-teenagers-why-is-it-not-a-hate-crime-if-the-perps-are-black/
Sources for story: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/24/ex-judge-richard-baumgartner-under-federal-probe/ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/news/local/channon-christian-christopher-newsom-murders/ http://silentconsort.wordpress.com/2008/10/ http://silentconsort.wordpress.com/2009/08/ http://snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp
Annie Birdseed
July 6, 2012
What is most disturbing is that there was such a large group of sickos hanging out together like that. What are the odds that all those psychos would find each other?
Perhaps the reality is that there are a LOT MORE hateful people just like them. Perhaps the real question is how did this horrid monsters get that way? What was it? Brain damage?
Mental illness running in the family? How could they do that to someone else? Did someone do those things to them?
I don’t believe in the death penalty but none of them should ever see the light of day again.
We should have underground prisons where you have to earn the right to see the sky. They should be kept alive on the most bland, tasteless food possible and nothing liquid except water.
They don’t deserve a soft bed or pillow or any pleasure what so ever. They shouldn’t even be allowed to masturbate.
the gaslamp post
July 6, 2012
Hi Annie, thanks for posting. This story has to be one of the most disturbing things I have ever read, and it’s for so many reasons.
The legal system failed these two kids, the media covered it all up, and now the NEW judge in the case is screwing around and may not even retry some of them.
I was not able to keep up on it as closely as I wanted to due to work, but another blogger I read has followed it quite closely and has done a superb job of staying on top of it.
For more details on this story, go to Nicholas Stix Uncensored, he tells it like it is no matter how ugly the details. The truth isn’t pretty.
Barbie
August 12, 2012
The death penalty is TOO easy for them. They all need to be torturned and burned and raped as they did to this innocent couple. Disgusting that our judicial system even GAVE them a new trial! What the hell is wrong with our Country? Any other Country would have hung them!! Shame on Americas judicial system!!! May those two innocent victims rest in peace for their life was one of torture.
the gaslamp post
August 12, 2012
Hi Barbie, thanks for posting. I can’t tell you how much sleep I lost over this story. Being a parent myself, after reading and researching into what all happened I was once again reminded that pure evil still walks amongst us and it scared the crap out of me.
So many things run through your head and seemingly paranoid “what if’s” suddenly seem logical.
The injustice and outright gross negligence of former Judge Baumgartner literally brings my blood to boil. This is the guy who was entrusted with the power to hand down the penalty of law but was a criminal himself.
Proverbs 17:22-24 says, “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time. Corrupt judges accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done. An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.”
For me it is difficult to say exactly what those animal’s punishment should have been, although my own opinion does not stray too far from your own. I think it would be best to let the parents of the victims decide.