375. Knoxville Nightmare: Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom

375. Knoxville Nightmare: Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom

Author: Our True Crime Podcast September 2, 2026 Duration: 1:25:07
On a cold Saturday night in January 2007, 21-year-old Channon Christian and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Christopher Newsom, set out for a party. They never arrived. By the following afternoon, two families were desperately searching Knoxville, unaware that their children had crossed paths with a group of strangers whose actions would leave behind one of the most disturbing crime scenes Tennessee had ever witnessed. This is not simply a story about extraordinary cruelty. It is also the story of two deeply loved young people, the families who refused to stop fighting for them, and a pursuit of justice that would take more than a decade to complete.  Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Knoxville Nightmare: Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.’ Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS All music by our executive editors @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://web.archive.org/web/20070522111056/http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0%2C1406%2CKNS_347_5277265%2C00.html http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/37878832/fifth-person-charged-in-gruesome-2007-murders-of-young-knoxville-couple https://web.archive.org/web/20070522111056/http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0%2C1406%2CKNS_347_5277265%2C00.html http://web.knoxnews.com/pdf/0202body_presentment.pdf https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/04/christian-newsom-torture-slayings/485812002/ http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20210201085000/https://apps.tn.gov/foil-app/details.jsp http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/transcript-davidson-says-he-told-christian-he-would-make-sure-she-got-out-ep-409812679-359308971.html https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/10-years-later-remembering-christian-newsom/51-381967577 https://web.archive.org/web/20210423085932/https://casetext.com/case/us-v-boyd-6 http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/37878832/fifth-person-charged-in-gruesome-2007-murders-of-young-knoxville-couple https://web.archive.org/web/20120526114132/http://www.wate.com/story/18618771/tennessee-supreme-court-overturns-new-trial-rulings-in-christian-newsom-murders http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/judge-sentences-vanessa-coleman-to-35-years-ep-358988293-356193051.html/ https://web.archive.org/web/20130607191130/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jun/04/judges-order-ensures-george-thomas-will-die-in https://web.archive.org/web/20070605040843/http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0507/0301_channon_christian.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160116071346/http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/051707/D8P6ED601.shtml https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16599622 https://web.archive.org/web/20101117170807/http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=11412794 http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/lemaricus-davidson-gets-80-more-years-in-torture-slaying-case-ep-408272924-358681941.html https://www.oakridger.com/article/20090825/NEWS/308259998 https://web.archive.org/web/20100909110136/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/aug/26/torture-slayings-trial-day-9-jury-weighs-life-deat https://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/the-verdicts-in-the-george-thomas-trial-ep-409259416-359047901.html/ https://web.archive.org/web/20101117170809/http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=11646588 https://web.archive.org/web/20101003193339/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jul/30/coleman-gets-35-years-judge-rejects-innocent-defen https://web.archive.org/web/20220428212455/https://casetext.com/case/us-v-boyd-2 https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/boyd-trial/judge-cannot-rule-on-george-thomas-sentence-deal-until-scope-of-agreement-determined/51-df8fa369-639b-4a5a-a279-cc9394b94ffe https://web.archive.org/web/20220609144811/https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/list-heres-what-eric-boyd-was-found-guilty-of-in-deaths-of-channon-christian-chris-newsom/51-b089fe1e-94a1-4e46-af85-1751efff1eaa State v. Lemaricus Devall Davidson, Tennessee Supreme Court, 2016. State v. Letalvis Darnell Cobbins, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 2014. State v. George Geovonni Thomas, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 2015. State v. Vanessa Coleman, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 2014. State v. Eric Boyd, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 2021. United States v. Eric Boyd, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2011. Tennessee General Assembly, Public Chapter 694, the Chris Newsom Act. Tennessee General Assembly, Public Chapter 713, the Channon Christian Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a whole world of strange and unsettling stories that rarely make the headlines, and that's exactly where you'll find Our True Crime Podcast. Each episode digs into one of those bizarre, lesser-known cases from any corner of the globe, stories that often defy easy explanation. Hosts Jen and Cam guide you through these peculiar narratives with a genuine sense of respect for those involved, balancing the darker details with their own conversational chemistry and a bit of well-timed humor. You might even get a smidge of song along the way, because real life, especially the strange parts, rarely follows a single tone. This isn't just a retelling of facts; it's a shared exploration of the oddities hidden within human behavior and society. Tuning into this podcast feels like pulling up a chair with two friends who have a knack for finding the most compelling, offbeat tales. You'll hear the careful research, the thoughtful discussions, and the personal touch that Jen and Cam bring to every story, making even the most obscure case feel immediate and fascinating. If you're looking for a true crime experience that ventures far beyond the usual cases and does so with character and heart, you've found it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Our True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
376. Ultimate Betrayel: The Fort Leonard Wood Murders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:53
In October 1976, two teenagers took a late-night drive near a remote military base in the Missouri Ozarks and simply vanished into thin air. Months later, a second carload of kids was pulled over by a figure of authority…
The Disappearance of Danielle Bell with Ash from F**k That [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:48
In this special episode, Cam and Jen join forces with Ash from F**K That to unravel the haunting disappearance of Danielle Bell. Fourteen-year-old Danielle Arion Bell went missing on Friday, September 28th, 2001, from a…
374. What the Raven Knows: The Alaska Highway Murders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:54
Thank you to Mary and her partner for the request! Picture an endless stretch of highway surrounded by thick forests where there's no cell service, and towns are hours apart. Back in July 2019, that quiet part of the Ala…
373. Someone Else's Daughter: Anita Cobby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:04
It was a quiet summer morning in Prospect, New South Wales, when a farmer noticed his cows gathered around something in his paddock. At first, he thought it was a mannequin. Then he realized it was the naked body of a yo…
Introducting The Final Trace Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:36
Today, Cam and Jen are thrilled to share a special episode from our friends at The Final Trace, a true crime podcast that digs into chilling disappearances, cold cases, and mysteries that still leave us searching for ans…
372. The Mile High Murderer: Vincent Darrell Groves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:13
In March of 1987, Sheila Washington was walking near East Colfax Avenue, which was once dubbed the “longest, wickedest street in America," when a stranger in a blue Concord offered her a ride. That afternoon turned into…
371. Philly House of Horrors: Linda Weston [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:56
It started with two dog bowls. On the morning of October 15, 2011, in Philadelphia's quiet Tacony neighborhood, 71-year-old landlord Turgut Gozleveli descended into the basement of the brick building he helped maintain.…
370. Bloodlines: The Murder of Yara Gambriasio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:01
Thank you to Fabi, our fantastic tour guide in Italy, for suggesting this case. I apologize in advance for any mispronunciations. When 13-year-old Yara Gambirasio vanished on a freezing November night in Brembate di Sopr…