Christian-Newsom Murders: Lemaricus Davidson Guilty on 35 of 38 Counts, May Face Death Penalty
Lemaricus Davidson has been found guilty by a Knox County jury on 35 of 38 counts in the brutal kidnapping, rape and murder of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.
Returning guilty verdicts on all murder counts, the five-woman, seven-man jury set the stage for the state’s bid Thursday to seek Davidson’s life as punishment for the January 2007 deaths of Christian and Newsom.
“The people of Knox County are the ones who took care of our kids today,” said Deena Christian, mother of Channon Christian.
“We finally have the justice our kids deserve,” said Mary Newsom, mother of Chris Newsom.
Jurors also found Davidson, 28, guilty of kidnapping and robbing the young couple. The jury also returned a verdict of guilty on several counts of rape of Channon Christian, 21. With no DNA evidence to directly link Davidson to the rape of Christopher Newsom, and forensic evidence that suggested the rape was committed with an object, jurors opted for convictions of the lesser charge of facilitation of aggravated rape.
With sweeping guilty verdicts returned, the jury now faces the task of deciding whether the convicted ringleader in these heinous murders receives a life sentence or the death sentence.
Read complete trial coverage by Jamie Satterfield at knoxnews.com:
I THINK THAT ALL OF THE BAD SOULS IN THIS CRIME SHOULD GET THE DEATH PENTLY. I AM A RAPE VICTM THAT SURVIOVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD. I HAB BEEN RAPED AND MOLESTED FROM THE AGE OF 6-13. MY STEP FATHER IS THE ONE THAT DONE IT. HE WAS AN ABUSISE AND DRUG ATTTIC HEARTLESS SOUL. I STILL HAVE TO GO TO COULSHING FOR IT TILL THIS DAY AND I AM 28 YEARS OLD. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILES WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES THIS WAY, THAT WAS A HORRIABLE WAY TO DIE