Local jury to hear Knox case

A jury of Hamilton County residents should be picked by Wednesday for the death penalty murder trial of a man accused of helping carry out the gruesome killings of two University of Tennessee students in Knoxville.

The two alleged ringleaders of the crime, Lemaricus Davidson and Letalvis Cobbins, already have been convicted of the 2007 first-degree murders of Channon Christian, 21, and Chris Newsom, 23.

Mr. Davidson has been sentenced to death, while Mr. Cobbins is serving a life sentence.

George Thomas, also charged with first-degree murder and facing the death penalty, is expected to stand trial Dec. 1 in Knoxville with a jury from Hamilton County to avoid any bias from residents of Knox County, where the case has been highly publicized.

According to The Associated Press, the victims were carjacked late on Jan. 6, 2007, after leaving a friend's apartment in Knoxville. Authorities found Mr. Newsom's body the next day. He had been shot, burned and dumped along some railroad tracks in Knoxville.

Police found Ms. Christian's body two days later stuffed into a trash can in a house nearby.

Both victims had been raped.

About 170 local residents will face questioning today from the prosecution and defense regarding their feelings on the death penalty and whether they would be able to sentence Mr. Thomas to death if they found him guilty.

About 20 potential jurors were excused Monday, mostly for having extreme positions on capital punishment. One man said he thought the death penalty is not used enough, while another said he would have a hard time sentencing anyone to death for any reason.

During questioning Monday, Mr. Thomas' defense attorney repeatedly told potential jurors that he expects they'll "never get to (the penalty phase)" of the trial, a statement suggesting his belief that Mr. Thomas will be acquitted.

The panel of 15 will be bused to Knoxville for the trial. They will be sequestered in hotels for the duration of the trial, which is expected to last 10 business days, according to a representative from the office of Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner.