Posted on 08/25/2009 9:07:19 AM PDT by jessduntno
KNOXVILLE — Jurors this morning convicted Letalvis Cobbins of first-degree murder in the torture-slaying of Knox County couple Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.
-snip-
Description of crime (Wikipedia);
According to the testimony of the Knox County Acting Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan at the subsequent trial of Eric Boyd, Newsom was repeatedly raped and then blindfolded, gagged, arms and feet bound and his head covered. Barefoot, he was either led or dragged outside the house to a set of nearby railroad tracks. He was shot in the back of the head, the neck, and the back, and his body then set on fire. Christian's death would come only after hours of sexual torture, medical examiner Mileusnic-Polchan testified. Christian suffered horrific injuries to her vagina, anus and mouth.
She was not only raped but savaged with "an object," possibly a broken chair leg, the doctor testified. She was beaten in the head. Some type of chemical was poured down her throat, and her body, including her bleeding and battered genital area, likely scrubbed with the same solution - all while Christian was alive, the forensic expert said.
She was then "hog-tied," with curtains and strips of bedding, her face covered tightly with a small trash bag and her body stashed inside five large trash bags before being placed inside a large trash can and covered with sheets. Christian died slowly, suffocating, the medical examiner said.
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
Ditto
Ick. Psych. now on stand trying to make Cobbins sound sympathetic due to horrible upbringing. BARF. I can understand the court not allowing his record of previous armed carjackings during the trial, but I think the jury should be allowed that information before they decide on his fate AFTER the verdict. He’s been through the system repeatedly. Learned nothing from the experience. He’s a serial lawbreaker. Fry ‘em. (unfortunately that “ain’t” gonna happen — he’ll die of old age in prison on death row or not.)
“I can understand the court not allowing his record of previous armed carjackings during the trial..”
###
I can’t. Seems most relevant to me, But then, common sense often doesn’t apply when it comes to the law.
He’ll get “life”, which means a “compassionate release” when....well, when the liberals say so.
Among a certain...ahem...demographic, there is a LOT of “bad upbringing” going on....
The jury gave him life without parole. Sh*t. Oh well, as I said earlier Tennessee has the death penalty, but doesn’t carry through.
Number of Death Row: 87 males and 2 females (48 White, 38 African Americans, 1 Hispanic, 1 Native American, 1 Asian)
Oldest on Death Row: John Henretta, 2/12/43, 66 years old On Death Row since April 2002
Youngest Female on Death Row: Christa Pike, 3/10/76, 33 years old On Death Row since March 1996
Youngest Male on Death Row: Devin Banks, 8/2/83, 25 years old On Death Row since April 2005
Longest Time on Death Row: Donald Strouth, 1/9/59, 50 years old On Death Row since September 1978
Last Person Sentenced to Death Row: Henry Jones, 8/23/63, 45 years old On Death Row since May 2009
As of June 2009, 275 inmates are lifers without parole at a cost of $63.90 per day.
RE: Letalvis Cobbins. Yet, Misha Davidson admits that Christian’s and Newsom’s killings were so savage, Cobbin’s late mother backed off helping him hire a lawyer.
“She didn’t want to get herself involved in it and not really know what happened.”
Beyond his murder and rape convictions, Cobbins faces new charges leveled while in custody; of assaulting Knox County Corrections officers.
February 2, a guard alleges, Cobbins attacked him as he was being removed from his cell and pulled him to the ground.
July 24, another guard alleges Cobbins struck him with a drinking cup after refusing to go into lockdown.
Court clerks say Cobbins faces hearings on the “behind bars” charges next Monday.
Family members say Cobbins father lives close by, but he was not in court Tuesday to hear his son pronounced guilty,.
Nor Wednesday, to help make the case for sparing his life. http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/55186682.html
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