Johnia Berry News/Christian-Newsom Murders
Knoxville News-Sentinel: Johnia Berry walk kicks off ‘07 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
Metro Pulse: The House on Chipman Street - Has some information about the Johnia Berry case and interviews Remonda Swafford. I met Remonda at the Cokesbury Johnia Berry meeting a few months ago. She’s been an outspoken, effective voice for the crime problem in the West Knoxville neighborhood where Johnia was killed.
Beyond that, I found parts of that Metro Pulse article incredibly offensive. The reporter, Leslie Wylie, goes out of her way to minimize and conceal the horrific crime that was at the center of the story.
The opening sentence is “You don’t need another rehashing of the grisly details.” But perhaps you do, since she omits them. The defendants have been charged with the double carjacking, kidnapping, rape and murder of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. It’s believed Newsom was raped and killed early on, then his body burned. Christian was gang-raped for several days before being murdered. One of the defendants, Vanessa Coleman, who was in the house during that time has stated that while Christian was alive her mouth was rinsed out with cleaning chemicals, presumably to hide DNA evidence.
Wylie implies that interest in the case is largely due to race (Christian and Newsom were white, their accused murderers were black) and includes this quote without disapproval:
“It’s a tough question,” says Kelly Johnson, a local criminal defense attorney, “because the media is in a position where they have to report those things, and what they have is two young, white people allegedly killed by three African-American gentlemen and an African-American woman. Does the media take more interest in a case when there are white victims? I don’t know. Maybe.”
I’m not sure that people who have been charged with robbery, kidnapping, rape and murder need to be described as “gentleman” without protest from the reporter. Particularly when the fingerprints of one of the defendants, Lemaricus Davidson, were found on materials in the carjacked vehicle, according to news reports. That clue lead police to 2316 Chipman Street, where Christian’s burned body was found in a kitchen trash can.
Wylie goes out of her way to make the issue race, as opposed to sticking to the simple facts of the nightmarish crimes that occurred. Googling for information about the Christian-Newsom murder I did find racist sites that are making hay of the case, but do Wylie and her editors seriously believe that an average person wouldn’t be offended and frightened if the victims and accused were of the same race? You have a pair of innocent young UT students going about their lives and being carjacked, raped, murdered, and mutilated by a gang of drug-induced criminals. If that doesn’t offend someone then it seems to me that that person’s moral compass is broken beyond all repair.
The same article has counterevidence that interest in the Christian-Newsom murders is racially motivated. Johnia Berry was white. We know that her murderer was also white, based on the eyewitness account of her roommate who survived the attack, as well as the DNA obtained from the killer’s blood left at the crimes cene. Yet despite Berry’s murder being a white-on-white crime there has been tremendous interest in the case. Wylie would have done well to stick to the facts, as Ellen Mellarnee did for her incredible Metro Pulse feature about Berry’s murder.
Instead, Wylie and her editors hide the facts from the reader, assuming that either the reader is a racist or that someone will use the facts to racial advantage. I don’t have any use for a newspaper that keeps the facts from its readers for fear that some people are too stupid and racist to handle those facts.
- WVLT Special Coverage of Christian-Newsom Murders
- Wikipedia entry for Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom Murder
No - the media takes more notice when vistims are minorities - white victims are generally ignored.
As is the case with most politically-correct-overly-fearful columnists like Wylie there is a trend to try to sugarcoat acts like this and delve into them with some sort deeper conscience. This American Class War phrase is another bogus attempt to try to get at the underlying matter without offending “certain” individuals.
It will not be until Americans of all race and creed step up to the plate and learn to actually call “a spade - a spade”… not just think it. These crimes were committed by evil opportunists that systematically picked out the easiest prey, a non-threatening white couple. If you were these African American criminals, would you choose some street smart ghetto victims in their souped up, boon-box blaring ride? I thought not! So by simply following this protocol, the headline for anything relating to this story should include “HATE CRIME”. Because we all know that’s exactly what it was. I am NOT surprised by the vicious assault on these two poor individuals (God rest their souls)… Why? Because it is a Hate Crime. It has all the reverse implications of a bunch of Good-Ol-Boys 50 years ago, getting drunk, going out and preying one a poor, innocent, negro young couple and lynching them to the highest tree…They are all Hate Crimes.
Why can’t our American Media have the fortitude to stand up and address this, or for that matter, how come this story barely leaked out any further than the state of Tennessee? I was only made aware of this by my cyber-searching friend and would not believe it true until I read it straight from the Sentinel News itself. A Lacrosse rape story in North Carolina ran national headlines for months…why not this story?
Has our regressive guilt filled our head so full that we now distort a story such as this as to not “offend” someone that could represent a larger group as a whole? Maybe offending is exactly what we need. Maybe we need to rebound to our former national glory in defense of everyone’s freedom and not just our present policy of reporting only stories of minority victims, backed by loud-mouthed extortionists like Jackson and Sharpton.
Maybe she needs to write a follow up article on this and try an approach that appears to have been shelved long ago in the guilt-ridden “Accountability” file and get back to calling “A Spade - A Spade”!
I agree. Since Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson hold the entire white race accountable when there is some local injustice against an African-American, maybe we should hold THEM personally responsible for this heinous crime…Afterall they Do claim to represent ALL of Black America!
I’m neither black or white, but this tragedy has deeply ashamed those of us that go through racial altercations daily. There isn’t a punishment that can make up for the pain and suffering of these two beautiful individuals and thier families. Now, will Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson hold their head up for their “BLack America” after the gruesome and torturous crime these five perverts have commited?
This case is bound to be a media circus in spite of how much it’s being downplayed at present. Big media never loses the scent of the almighty dollar; when the conglomerates see how much interest there is in this story nationwide, they will be on it like a dog on a ragged sock. In the meantime, it’s a shame these five are alive.
Regardless of race — based merely on the atrocity of the crime itself, for this, the death penalty is a perfectly acceptable punishment. And all five of them should get it, regardless of their separate trials. If there’s a god in heaven, let’s also hope there’s a devil in hell so these five sacks of crap can roast there through eternity.
I agree with a lot of what has already been stated above but would further like to drive home that the national media continues to fear the pressure that is being placed on them regarding race reporting. What the national media won’t say is that Jackson and Sharpton are huge racists and an embarrassment to Dr. King. They ought to have enough courage and call them what they are.
As far as the families of these two poor young adults, may God give them comfort in their horrible loss. One of the family members said they didn’t think it was a hate crime but how could you call it anything else? It would be a horrific crime regardless of the race of the victims and should receive national coverage to show balance.
The NC Lacrosse story is a prime example of the national media selecting the national ’story’ that will win them points with the liberals and drive up ad revenues. I wonder when the national media is going to wake up and realize that there is a reason their credibility is declining on a daily basis. I sincerely believe it is because they fear boycotting by the NAACP if they truly covered the whole race issue in a fair and impartial manor. There is no doubt that we still have problems in our great country but hiding from the truth does not help solve the problem and our media outlets have a moral and constitutional responsibility to report on the social problems that exist.
As far as the punks that committed this atrocity, may you get the justice you deserve by God’s hand. Wouldn’t an eye for an eye form of punishment be fitting in this case?
Don Imus, in a poor attempt at humor calls the Rutgers womens Basket ball team “nappy headed hoes” and for 2 weeks that is all anyone hears on the radio or tv.
Two white college students are brutally tortured, raped and murdered by 3 black guys and a black girl and no one outside of Knoxville has even heard about it? I live in Nashville and I just today heard someone talking about this horrible tradgey.
Where are Al and Jesse? YES this is a Race issue. Because if the victims were black and the ANIMALs were white, Al and Jesse would have the DA fired because the trial hasnt yet begun.
This Horrible crime should have made national news but it didnt because the victims are white. Plain and simple.
Very sad case. However I dont believe there was a media cover up. Just people would rather read about a bimbo like Paris Hilton. Says a lot for humanity.
An eye for an eye is exactly what is deserved here. The atrocities inflicted on these human beings, regardless of color, warrants the use of this old adage. In order for justice to be completely served, the underlying reasoning behind these heinous crimes should be on trial as well.
Regardless of race this case needs National attention. No one’s child is safe with this kind of brutality lurking in a community.
Whether it is Oprah, Paris Hilton or Al Sharpton, this is the time for voices to be heard that can demand legislative changes, stiffer penalties, citizens rights to bear arms…anything at all that will bring the attention needed to juxtapose this crime with terrorism.
Forget the town Media, I live in Illinois and yes I just heard about this. But if everyone would just get on their E-mail and send copies of the newspaper clipping to everyone they Know ( I DID)Eventually it will get to someone who will bring it out to the National media and hopefully before these animals go to trial E-MAIL does work wonders!!! God be with the families of Christian and Newsom.
6. Pittsburgh (2-0) did not play. Next: vs. Akron, Friday. 7. Texas (1-0) vs. Tulane. Next: vs. Saint Joseph’s, Monday. 8. Notre Dame (1-0) did not play. Next: at Loyola Marymount, Friday. 9. Gonzaga (1-0) vs. Idaho. Next: vs. Oklahoma
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Death to the disgusting orcs who did this. Awful, bloody, painful death.
I’m African American. I’m really ashamed about this. I suffer for “people” that do these types of things and I’m no criminal. I am shocked I never heard about this. The only way I found out about this YEARS later was looking up websites and blogs on the Sean Bell Case, in the comments sections. A much less gruesome case but more media coverage for that. Why did we not hear about this at the national and international level? Where is the outrage from the Black community on this? Legitamate outrage that these individuals did something so horrendous and it affects us because we all get judged by their actions. And I hope no one tries to say years of slavery and injustice and poverty and blah blah blah made them do this. This was a choice, nothing more. Slavery did not make them get high. Injustice did not make them plot and plan to torture. Poverty did not make them kill. They CHOOSE to do this and they will have to reap what the sow. I’m speechless…
If Wylie’s intentions were to reveal the latent racism in the people following the Christian/Newsom murders, she succeeded in most of you who have responded to this ridiculous blog.
How idiotic does one have to be to say that the media doesn’t care about white victims of crime? Anyone ever hear of Elizabeth Smart? Lacy Peterson? Kaylee Anthony? Jaycee Dugard? A pretty, young, white, blond woman goes missing or turns up dead and the news media falls all over itself. Sometimes, we eventually learn that the woman hasn’t even been harmed — “runaway bride” Jennifer Wilbanks, anyone? This, of course, is always after days upon days of speculation and opinions and heresay.
Meanwhile, how often does the story of an abused, murdered or missing black or latino woman make national headlines? Unless they’re famous, like Rihanna, it doesn’t, and you never hear about it.
Personally, unless you’re related to Christian or Newsom, why the hell do you care? Sure, it’s a tragedy, but tragedies like this are personal matters. You don’t know them … and don’t hand me the “everyone in the community has been effected by this” tripe. I’m white, and I work in the very same area that the crime happened in, and I don’t feel any more or less safe than I ever have. This hasn’t effected me in anyway other than now I have to see all the stupid, pitiful imagery on the local news … and by the way, just because the local news calls them “monsters,” and you agree with that, doesn’t make the news unbiased.
No, the only reason you care is because it gives you the opportunity to say hateful things about people of all races. It’s okay to hate black people when you can justify it by directing your hatred toward four defendants in the murder trial of two white college students who were probably on the East side looking to score some weed - that’s what college students go to the East side for.
So go ahead and blog about how the news media is racist. Blame Leslie Wylie for not recounting at length the details that everyone in town can recite by heart. Just remember two things as you do so: 1. This case is, really, none of your business, and 2. If you think this case is about race, it’s probably because you want it to be about race.
Period, end of line.
dear Mike, first off enough with the name calling.
If the blog is so ridiculous why respond?
Why are you so well informed when it comes to white, missing women?
Do you have any compassion for your fellow man?
Did you think the imagery from haiti was also stupid and pitiful?
You wrote in your second to last paragraph, “It’s okay to hate black people when you can justify it by directing your hatred toward four defendants in the murder trial of two white college students who were probably on the East side looking to score some weed - that’s what college students go to the East side for.” Are you advocating that because the victims put themselves in that situation should harbor half the blame?
Mike you also said,”1. This case is, really, none of your business,” Can you show me in the Constitution were it says that this case is none of our business?
Article IV - The States
Section 1 - Each State to Honor all others
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.
Also Amendment one gives us freedom of the press.
Finally, you wrote,”2. If you think this case is about race, it’s probably because you want it to be about race.” Are you implying that it isn’t? Just because these individuals are racist doesn’t mean that everyone in that race is. Can you not say a person is a racist without offending the group they belong too. Why does the fact that it could possibly be about racism frighten you so much?
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