Jury convicts Vanessa Coleman in kidnapping, murder of Channon ChristianBy News Sentinel staff
Posted November 20, 2012 at 1:12 p.m., updated November 20, 2012 at 5:12 p.m.
KNOXVILLE — A Jackson, Tenn., jury reached a compromise verdict today in the re-trial of torture-slaying suspect Vanessa Coleman.
The jury convicted the Kentucky woman on charges of facilitation of the felony murder of Channon Christian, 21. They found her guilty, however, of lesser facilitation charges related to the kidnapping and rape of Christian.
For instance, Coleman was charged in Knox County Criminal Court with facilitation of especially aggravated kidnapping. The jury, however, found her guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated kidnapping.
The jury also declined to convict her of facilitation of aggravated rape and instead found her guilty of the lesser charge of facilitation of rape.
In all, the panel, which deliberated over two days, convicted her of 13 of the 17 facilitation counts she faced, and some of those guilty verdicts were for lesser-included offenses.
The panel was brought in from Madison County, Tenn., because of heavy local publicity.
The jury acquitted her outright of facilitation of felony murder in the kidnapping of Christian’s boyfriend, Christopher Newsom.
After the first trial in May 2010, Coleman received a 53-year sentence.
Prosecutors estimate the most she could face at sentencing would be 40 years.
...more at linkhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/nov/2 ... econd-day/