11 YEARS LATER, A FIFTH PERSON CHARGED WITH NEWSOM/CHRISTIAN MURDERS
Eleven years later, a fifth person has now been charged with the gruesome deaths of Chris Newsom and Channon Christian. Officials say back on January 7, 2007, the two were carjacked and taken to a home that once stood on Chipman Street, where they were tortured, raped and eventually murdered. Lemaricus Davidson, Latalvis Cobbins, George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman were later tried and convicted on charges related to the murders. Davidson was sentenced to death. Cobbins, Thomas and Coleman are serving prison sentences. Eric Boyd was convicted in federal court for being an accessory after the fact, and is serving an 18-year prison sentence. But Boyd may be looking at a lot more time. The Knox County Grand Jury now has returned a 36-count indictment charging Boyd with first-degree murder, first-degree premeditated murder, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated rape in the murders. Boyd was transported from a federal correctional facility in Mississippi to the Knox County Jail yesterday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond and no court date has been set.