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Judge Denies Bid in Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom's Murder Trial
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton ruled that federal prosecutors David Jennings and Tracy Stone have the legal right to use Eric Dewayne Boyd’s statement against him.
Defense attorney Richard Gaines had argued that the government was trying to use Boyd’s statement as proof that Lemaricus Davidson kidnapped and killed Christian, 21, and Newsom, 23, in January.
Boyd is charged in U.S. District Court as an accessory in the alleged carjacking, but not with murder. Boyd is accused of hiding Davidson since he knew Davidson was involved in the double murder.
Boyd is set to stand trial Sept. 19. Davidson and three others face trials next year in Knox County Criminal Court for the actual slayings.
Davidson is alleged to have confessed to Boyd the January slayings of Christian and Newsom, who were killed after a carjacking that turned into a kidnapping and rape.
Christian and Newsom had been out on a date in early January when they were confronted by armed suspects who forced their way into Christian’s Toyota 4Runner.
Authorities and court records show the couple was taken to a North Knoxville house where Davidson had been living.
Authorities have not alleged that Boyd was in the house where Christian and Newsom were slain.
Newsom was shot and his body set on fire. Christian was held hostage for several more hours before she was strangled, and her body wrapped in trash bags and dumped in a large garbage can inside the house.
The remaining three charged in the case are Davidson’s brother, Letalvis Cobbins; Cobbins’ girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman; and friend George Thomas.
Trials are pending for each in 2008. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will seek the death penalty in the case. All four murder suspects and Boyd remain behind bars pending their respective trials.
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