On January 6, 2007, Channon Christian (21) and Christopher Newsom (23) went on a date. They were young, in love, and planning to attend a friend's birthday party.They never arrived. What happened to Channon and Chris over the next 36 hours is known as one of the most brutal crime sprees in Tennessee history. But before we discuss the horror, we need to know who they were, the real people behind the headlines, the beloved children whose families would spend 18 years fighting for justice.This four-part series tells their complete story: the victims, the crimes, the trials, the judicial scandal that forced retrials, and the lasting legacy. In this episode, let's learn who Channon Gail Christian and Hugh Christopher Newsom Jr. were. Not as victims, but as the vibrant, beautiful people they were.<br /><b></b><br /><b>Support ResourcesFor Survivors of Violence:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.rainn.org/</a> - RAINN (1-800-656-4673)</li><li><a href="https://www.thehotline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.thehotline.org/</a> - National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)</li><li><a href="https://www.crisistextline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.crisistextline.org/</a> - Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)</li><li><a href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://988lifeline.org/</a> - 988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline</li></ul><b>For Families of Murder Victims:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.pomc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.pomc.org/</a> - Parents of Murdered Children</li><li><a href="https://victimsofcrime.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://victimsofcrime.org/</a> - National Center for Victims of Crime</li><li><a href="https://www.ncvc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.ncvc.org/</a> - National Crime Victim Law Institute</li></ul><b></b><br /><b></b><br /><b></b><br /><b>Sources:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.newspapers.com/</a> (Historical archive - subscription required)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/</a> (Search "Christian Newsom" for extensive archive)</li><li><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://abcnews.go.com/</a> (Search "Channon Christian")</li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.cnn.com/</a> (Coverage of trials and scandal)</li><li><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.foxnews.com/</a> (Michelle Malkin coverage 2007)</li><li><a href="https://www.wbir.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wbir.com/</a> (WBIR-TV extensive trial coverage)</li><li><a href="https://www.wate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wate.com/</a> (WATE 6 On Your Side)</li><li><a href="https://www.wvlt.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wvlt.tv/</a> (WVLT Local 8 News)</li><li><a href="https://www.tncourts.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tncourts.gov/</a> (Tennessee State Courts)</li><li><a href="https://www.tsc.state.tn.us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tsc.state.tn.us/</a> (Tennessee Supreme Court opinions)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxcounty.org/criminal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxcounty.org/criminal/</a> (Knox County Criminal Court)</li><li><a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/</a> (Tennessee case law database)</li><li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://scholar.google.com/</a> (Search:...

Reverie True Crime

Paige Elmore

190. Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom: Two Stars Lost in the Tennessee Night (Part I)

NOV 22, 202529 MIN
Reverie True Crime

190. Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom: Two Stars Lost in the Tennessee Night (Part I)

NOV 22, 202529 MIN

Description

On January 6, 2007, Channon Christian (21) and Christopher Newsom (23) went on a date. They were young, in love, and planning to attend a friend's birthday party.They never arrived. What happened to Channon and Chris over the next 36 hours is known as one of the most brutal crime sprees in Tennessee history. But before we discuss the horror, we need to know who they were, the real people behind the headlines, the beloved children whose families would spend 18 years fighting for justice.This four-part series tells their complete story: the victims, the crimes, the trials, the judicial scandal that forced retrials, and the lasting legacy. In this episode, let's learn who Channon Gail Christian and Hugh Christopher Newsom Jr. were. Not as victims, but as the vibrant, beautiful people they were.<br /><b></b><br /><b>Support ResourcesFor Survivors of Violence:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.rainn.org/</a> - RAINN (1-800-656-4673)</li><li><a href="https://www.thehotline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.thehotline.org/</a> - National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)</li><li><a href="https://www.crisistextline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.crisistextline.org/</a> - Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)</li><li><a href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://988lifeline.org/</a> - 988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline</li></ul><b>For Families of Murder Victims:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.pomc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.pomc.org/</a> - Parents of Murdered Children</li><li><a href="https://victimsofcrime.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://victimsofcrime.org/</a> - National Center for Victims of Crime</li><li><a href="https://www.ncvc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.ncvc.org/</a> - National Crime Victim Law Institute</li></ul><b></b><br /><b></b><br /><b></b><br /><b>Sources:</b><br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.newspapers.com/</a> (Historical archive - subscription required)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/</a> (Search "Christian Newsom" for extensive archive)</li><li><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://abcnews.go.com/</a> (Search "Channon Christian")</li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.cnn.com/</a> (Coverage of trials and scandal)</li><li><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.foxnews.com/</a> (Michelle Malkin coverage 2007)</li><li><a href="https://www.wbir.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wbir.com/</a> (WBIR-TV extensive trial coverage)</li><li><a href="https://www.wate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wate.com/</a> (WATE 6 On Your Side)</li><li><a href="https://www.wvlt.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.wvlt.tv/</a> (WVLT Local 8 News)</li><li><a href="https://www.tncourts.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tncourts.gov/</a> (Tennessee State Courts)</li><li><a href="https://www.tsc.state.tn.us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tsc.state.tn.us/</a> (Tennessee Supreme Court opinions)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxcounty.org/criminal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxcounty.org/criminal/</a> (Knox County Criminal Court)</li><li><a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/</a> (Tennessee case law database)</li><li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://scholar.google.com/</a> (Search: "State v. Davidson" "State v. Cobbins" etc.)</li><li><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscourts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscourts</a> (Federal case records)</li><li><a href="https://pacer.uscourts.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://pacer.uscourts.gov/</a> (Public Access to Court Electronic Records - fee required)</li><li><a href="https://www.capitol.tn.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.capitol.tn.gov/</a> (Tennessee General Assembly)</li><li><a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/108/pub/pc0962.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/108/pub/pc0962.pdf</a> (Chris Newsom Act - SB 2552/HB 2658)</li><li><a href="https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/108/pub/pc0963.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/108/pub/pc0963.pdf</a> (Channon Christian Act - SB 2553/HB 2659)</li><li><a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.rainn.org/</a> (RAINN - Rape, Abuse &amp; Incest National Network)</li><li><a href="https://www.pomc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.pomc.org/</a> (Parents of Murdered Children)</li><li><a href="https://victimsofcrime.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://victimsofcrime.org/</a> (National Center for Victims of Crime)</li><li>University of Tennessee Foundation:<a href="https://www.utfi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> https://www.utfi.org/</a></li><li>"The Christian-Newsom Murders: 10 Years Later" - Knoxville News Sentinel Special Report</li><li><a href="https://www.aetv.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.aetv.com/</a> (A&amp;E "Injustice with Nancy Grace")</li><li><a href="https://www.oxygen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.oxygen.com/</a> (Oxygen Network coverage)</li><li><a href="https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/</a> (Investigation Discovery features)</li><li><a href="https://www.aafs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.aafs.org/</a> (American Academy of Forensic Sciences)</li><li><a href="https://www.forensicscienceeducation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.forensicscienceeducation.org/</a> (Forensic science education resources)</li><li><a href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.ncjrs.gov/</a> (National Criminal Justice Reference Service)</li><li><a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bjs.ojp.gov/</a> (Bureau of Justice Statistics)</li><li><a href="https://apps.tn.gov/foil-app/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://apps.tn.gov/foil-app/</a> (Tennessee Felon Offender Information Lookup)</li><li>Search names: Davidson, Cobbins, Thomas, Coleman, Boyd</li><li><a href="https://www.tn.gov/correction/sp/death-row.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tn.gov/correction/sp/death-row.html</a> (Tennessee Death Row information)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/</a> (January-February 2007)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/</a> (Trial coverage)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/</a> (March-December 2011)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/</a> (Coleman &amp; Thomas retrials)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxnews.com/archives/</a> (August 2019)</li><li><a href="https://www.tba.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tba.org/</a> (Tennessee Bar Association resources)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxcounty.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxcounty.org/</a> (Knox County government)</li><li><a href="https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/</a> (City of Knoxville)</li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Knoxville-Tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.britannica.com/place/Knoxville-Tennessee</a> (Knoxville history)</li><li><a href="https://www.utk.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.utk.edu/</a> (University of Tennessee)</li></ul><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reverie-true-crime--4442888/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reverie-true-crime--4442888/support</a>.<br /><br /><b>Keep In Touch:</b><br /><ul><li><i>Twitter:</i> https://www.twitter.com/reveriecrimepod</li><li><i>Instagram:</i> https://www.instagram.com/reverietruecrime</li><li><i>Tumblr: </i>https://reverietruecrimepodcast.tumblr.com</li><li><i>Facebook: </i>https://www.facebook.com/reverietruecrime</li><li><i>Contact:</i> [email protected] </li></ul><i>Intro &amp; Outro by Jahred Gomes:</i> https://www.instagram.com/jahredgomes_official