Couple raped, tortured and murdered in crime so horrific police needed therapy

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom were kidnapped before their bodies were discovered days later in one of America’s most horrific crimes

A YouTuber famed for delving into true crime said he’s encountered one of the “darkest” cases he’s ever investigated – with countless details proving too disturbing for him to share publicly.

Adrian Stewart runs Coffeehouse Crime, which commands an astounding 2.9 million subscribers who regularly watch his weekly content examining the globe’s most spine-chilling incidents.

Yet his latest instalment proved especially distressing, prompting him to name the footage ‘Tennessee’s House of Secrets – America’s Most Horrific Case?’ The episode came after Daily Star revealed the evil monsters who died behind bars.

Within the video’s summary, he penned: “The murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom is one of the most horrifying stories I’ve covered. Their killers were not only barbaric, but extraordinarily brash with their decisions.”

Here, we revisit the savage killings and reveal what happened to the five perpetrators behind their unthinkably torturous deaths.

Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom

Channon, 21, and Christopher, 23, had been dating for three months when tragedy struck. The pair lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Channon was studying sociology at university.

She shared a home with her parents and elder sibling and was described as vivacious and sociable. Her partner earned his living as a carpenter and was recognised as a passionate baseball fan with a relaxed demeanour.

Vanished

The young pair disappeared on the evening of January 6, 2007. They had planned to share dinner before meeting friends at a gathering – but never turned up. The next morning, neither could be reached, prompting their anxious families to alert authorities. Both of their phones had been turned off and Channon had failed to appear for work as expected.

Yet just one day following their disappearance, a railway worker made a horrific find near Chipman tracks.

Murder

The discovery proved to be Christopher’s naked corpse, which showed he had been sexually assaulted, shot in the spine and torched. His wrists were tied and garments had been wound around his skull and secured with bootlaces.

Christopher’s remains were in such an appalling state that his heartbroken parents were urged not to view them – forcing them to only hold the body bag.

While the shocking discovery, which required some constables to seek counselling afterwards, defied belief, one pressing matter persisted – what had become of his partner Channon?

Heartbreakingly, this question was resolved merely two days afterwards, when police found her corpse stuffed inside a wheelie bin at a house displaying a sale notice. A post-mortem examination later revealed she had been encased in plastic sacks and dumped in the container while breathing.

Authorities were led to her remains after locating her deserted car, which revealed fingerprints from Lemaricus Davidson. Her body was found near Davidson’s residence, leading to the identification of additional suspects including his brother, Letalvis Cobbins, and their associate, George Thomas. Eric Boyd, a fourth suspect, was subsequently apprehended, while Vanessa Coleman, Cobbins’ girlfriend, emerged as a person of interest.

The investigation revealed the harrowing truth that Channon and Christopher had been carjacked, kidnapped, sexually assaulted, tortured, and ultimately murdered.

While Christopher was taken to a railway track, shot and set ablaze, his partner suffered two days of unspeakable torment.

The aforementioned individuals repeatedly assaulted her, tied her to a chair, and subjected her to sexual abuse. They poured bleach into her body, wrapped bags around her, and forced her into a bin, all while she was still conscious. She eventually suffocated to death.

Adrian, addressing his followers, expressed: “I have to say those details push the boundaries of this case beyond anything that I’ve ever covered before. What these five monsters did to Channon and Christopher was cruel, degrading, and utterly inhuman.

“And all of this was done towards two people who had never even wronged any of them. And I think that’s why this case still makes people so furious because Channon and Chris weren’t merely killed. They were humiliated, tortured, and literally treated like garbage.”

Justice

It subsequently came to light that Davidson, Cobbins, Boyd, and Thomas transported Christopher to the railway tracks where his life was ended.

This occurred after he endured sexual assault at a residence where both he and his girlfriend had been forcibly taken. During the early morning hours, he was forced into a vehicle while gagged, blindfolded and bound with a dog chain and lead fastened around his neck before being dragged to the tracks.

Thomas was compelled to shoot first, the bullet piercing his neck, before a second round struck his back. Davidson then discharged a third shot, hitting the victim in the head, before the assailants doused him in petrol and ignited him.

The gang then returned to the residence, where Channon endured a ruptured membrane in her mouth following oral rape by Cobbins. She was additionally raped by Davidson before the perpetrators attempted to eliminate evidence using bleach.

The matter led to multiple trials and retrials, with Davidson, Cobbins and Thomas found guilty on numerous counts including murder. Davidson, thought to be the ringleader, was sentenced to death while the others received life imprisonment.

Boyd was later convicted of murder, robbery, kidnapping and rape-related offences and handed two life sentences.

Coleman received 53 years for her involvement in Channon’s death. She had stayed with Channon while the others escorted Christopher to the tracks. A later retrial saw her sentence reduced to 35 years behind bars.