KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — The August trial for a man charged with helping murder a young Knox County couple will take place in Knox County, a judge ruled Thursday.
Eric Boyd is already serving a federal sentence for harboring the ring leader, Lemaricus Davidson, in the 2007 kidnapping, rape and torture-slayings of Chris Newsom and Channon Christian.
A Knox County grand jury indicted him on murder charges last year. He will be tried by a Knox County jury in this trial, too, Judge Bob McGee ruled Thursday.
Four people have already been convicted in the case.
Trial will be in Knox County
Boyd's attorney filed a motion earlier this month asking to move the trial outside of Knox County or bring in jurors from another county.
In the motion he claimed, otherwise "a fair trial will not be possible" because of the publicity the case received.
In court Thursday, Boyd's attorney argued he didn't want jurors to be influenced by the reports. He asked if they don't allow a change of venue, for the judge to at least use a jury from out of the county.
The state argued most of the coverage had very little information on Boyd, especially recently. They said the reports are focused on the victims and on how the case will move forward and said the public didn't know much about Boyd personally or his alleged involvement.
Judge McGee ruled the jury will be from Knox County and said he wanted to conduct a questionnaire and schedule special procedures during jury selection. Jury selection will be held on the first day of the trial.
Judge McGee said three things factored into making his decision: the age of the case; court standards that trials are conducted where the crime occurred and juries are selected by people of that community; and Davidson, another person convicted in the case, had his trial here.
Three of the four other defendants involved in this case, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, and Vanessa Coleman, have had trials that had juries from outside Knox County.
Medical examiner's photos will count
During the hearing Thursday, the defense began by objecting to several images in the case that came from the medical examiner. The defense specifically objected to both images of Chris Newsom's body at the crime scene arguing the gruesome nature of the photos.
The state said the photos are relative because it shows how Newsom was found and the condition he was in.
Judge McGee said both images will be allowed in trial and shown to a jury.
A second objection from the defense was to images of Christian's vaginal and anal area. The state argued they should be shown because they establish the aggravated rape counts. Judge McGee ruled that both photos are different and may be used in the case.
The state then called to the stand the medical examiner, Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, who performed the autopsy. She explained the images and how DNA samples were taken.
The defense attorney cross-examined her and argued that both pictures are not needed. Mileusnic-Polchan said the photos are different and show the depth of the trauma.
A third and fourth objection by the defense was to five more images but Judge McGee said the photos were admissible and will be shown to a jury. A total of nine images were shown in court Thursday.
The hearing began at 12:34 p.m. and finished at 1:26 p.m.
Boyd still has to appear for one more status hearing on July 29 before the trial begins on Aug. 5, 2019.
Victims' families prepare for another trial
Christian and Newsom were on a date in January 2007 when they were carjacked and brought back to Davidson's small Chipman Street rental home.
Newsom was raped, shot to death and burned along nearby railroad tracks. Christian was raped and tortured before being left to die wrapped in trash bags in a trash can in the home's kitchen.
This will mark the eighth trial the families of Christian and Newsom will have to go through.
Christian's father, Gary, said in court Thursday he wants to see justice.
“Seeing the things we have to see and hearing the things we have to hear is going to be horrific forever," he said. "I don’t see that we will ever not be dealing with this.”
He agreed with Judge McGee's decision and said since the crime happened in Knox County, that's where it should be tried and where the jury should be picked from.
“When the trial starts I’m going be here every time like I have been in the past," he said. “What they did they all deserve to be put away so they cant hurt anyone else.”