Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, the victims of the January 6-7, 2007 Knoxville Horror.

[NS: My reader-researcher David in Tennessee sent the following update on the Knoxville Horror case Thursday.Letalvis Cobbins had already been sentenced to ”life without parole” in August for murder and aggravated rape, but had additional convictions outstanding, for the Horror.]

Letalvis Cobbins at Thursday’s sentencing hearing, with a new perm.

Today, Judge Baumgartner sentenced Letalvis Cobbins to life, plus 100 Years. You will recall that the Judge brought in a jury from Nashville for the trial of Cobbins last August.

From Jamie Satterfield's twitter reports, we learn that Judge Baumgartner said that Cobbins can't blame his half-brother, [Lemaricus] Davidson. The judge said that even if he had a rough childhood, Cobbins' sister overcame it. Baumgartner ”can't comprehend how someone could commit crimes like this.”

You could explain it to him, couldn’t you?

Judge Baumgartner finally said it was the "worst of the worst."

As you wrote, he didn't want them found not guilty, he just opposed the death penalty.

Judge Richard Baumgartner at Cobbins’ sentencing hearing.

[Later, David sent the follow-up message below.]

Here is Jamie Satterfield's KNS story on today's sentencing. The commenters believe that "life in prison" means life.

"KNOXVILLE - A Knox County judge today stacked 100 years to convicted killer Letalvis Cobbins' life without parole sentence.

The time was for crimes committed leading up the deaths of Knox County couple Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, in January 2007.

”This is the worst of the worst,’ Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner said. ”If ever there was a case that deserved maximum sentencing, this case deserves maximum sentencing.’

[NS: If that’s his true opinion, i.e., that Cobbins deserved the death penalty, then why did he tamper with the jury’s potential demographics, in order to preclude that possibility?]

The decision came after a hearing to determine whether Cobbins should receive additional punishment for crimes that preceded the deaths of the University of Tennessee student and her boyfriend, a trim carpenter.

Newsom's father had made an extraordinary appeal to his son's killer during the hearing.

”All you have to do is testify in a grand jury hearing stating who participated in grabbing Chris and Channon ... all you have to do is make arrangements before you go back to prison to testify before a grand jury and at Eric Boyd's trial,’ Hugh Newsom told Cobbins.

Cobbins answered him with silence.

Boyd is serving a federal prison sentence for hiding out Cobbins' brother, Lemaricus Davidson. He has long been suspected in the slayings, but so far authorities have not been able to gather enough evidence to bring murder charges against him.

Cobbins had testified at his own trial that Boyd and Davidson killed Chris Newsom….”

Judge stacks 100 years to Cobbins' life-without-parole sentence by Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel, February 25, 2010.

The 100-year sentencing enhancement is meaningless and, along with the original sentence of ”life without parole,” can be reversed with the flourish of a governor’s pen.

Channon Christian's parents, Gary and Deena