Christian and Newsom had gone on a date at a local restaurant on Saturday, January 6, 2007, but did not return home. During their drive, the couple was "hijacked, bound and blindfolded and taken back to Lemaricus Devall "Slim" Davidson's rented house on Chipman Street."

At Davidson's house, Newsom had apparently been raped in Christian's presence. According to Officer Todd Childress, "Newsom's body was wrapped in a 'sheet and/or comforter,' and that the victim had been shot at least three times. He also notes that Newsom's shoes, socks, identification, and iPod were missing. His body had been burned."

Christian's parents found her abandoned Toyota 4-Runner two blocks away from the Chipman Street house on Monday, with the help of her mobile phone provider. Because the killers ditched Christian's SUV just a few hours after it was stolen, it has been suggested that the primary motives of the perpetrators was their desire to kidnap, torture, rape, and murder, instead of a simple hijacking. An envelope recovered from the vehicle yielded fingerprint evidence that led police to Lemaricus Davidson and 2316 Chipman Street. When police went to the address on Tuesday, January 9, they found the home unoccupied and Christian's body in a trash can in the kitchen. "They did some really nasty things to this lady," said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Rich Knighten of the Western District of Kentucky. She had been dismembered, her body found in five separate trash bags. It has been alleged that for four days she had been gang raped multiple times, beaten, and urinated upon. The Knox County medical examiner found evidence that Christian had been "bound, physically assulted, and raped."According to the Grand Jury Presentment, Christian was raped vaginally, orally, and anally, and Newsom was raped anally. "She (Vanessa Coleman) said she witnessed Christian's mouth being cleaned with a bottle of some type of cleaner," in an attempt to remove DNA evidence." Coleman also told investigators she saw clothes that were stained with blood and smelled of gas being put in the washing machine at the house." "Newsom's body was found adjacent to railroad tracks in East Knoxville the next afternoon.

One media report has suggested that prior to their deaths Newsom's penis was severed and one or both of Christian's breasts were cut off. "Claims made over the Internet that the couple were sexually mutilated are "absolutely not true," John Gill, special assistant to District Attorney Randy Nichols.

Police Chief Sterling Owen IV has stated that there is no indication that the crimes were racially motivated, and that "It appears to have been a random violent act."