KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In 2007, Channon Christian, 21, and Chris Newsom, 23, were kidnapped and killed in Knoxville.
The murders left a mark on the city, and their families pushed for years for policy changes to protect other people. Over more than a decade of trials and re-trials, juries convicted a group of five people — Coleman, Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas and Eric Boyd — with crimes relating to their deaths.
Every year, their families also host a memorial ride in their memory. The annual Channon and Chris Memorial Ride is meant to honor their memories. This year, dozens of riders drove down Lovell Road to honor them.
"It means an awful lot to those families because we want the kids to be remembered," said Mary Newsom. "Because they were good kids, and they should have something that people remember."
Organizers said they planned to continue the event every year too, raising awareness about what happened for everyone in the community. This year was the 15th annual ride, organizers said. Last year, they said they had 300 people participate.