KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The jury in the George Thomas murder trial sentenced him to life without parole Thursday, after finding him guilty of killing Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. Thomas arrived at the Charles B. Bass Correctional Complex in Nashville around 3:45 p.m. EST, where he'll be housed for up to two months until his classification level is determined and prison officials decide which penitentiary he'll be housed.

The jury ruled Tuesday that Thomas was guilty on all charges against him, including the murders of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. Today, the jury decided in less than two hours that mitigating factors outweighed aggravating factors in the case, preventing them from returning a death sentence for killing the couple in January 2007.

"He's going to get what's coming to him in his new life," Gary Christian, Channon's father, said after the sentence was announced, "but in my life, there is nothing, nothing, that is adequate except the death penalty."

When Thomas was convicted, Channon's mother Deena Christian said she'd be OK with a sentence of life without parole.

"You got to be happy," Gary Christian said. "The community's got to be happy, because they're safe, at least from him."

"We can't help but be greedy," Deena Christian said, referring the both families' hope that Thomas would get the death penalty.

"We're a little disappointed," Christopher's mother Mary Newsom said Thursday, "because there are some things that we know he did that the jury didn't get to hear."

Both families say they don't feel like they got justice for their children.

"Not for our kids. For you, for the community, yeah," Gary Christian said.

"He's raised his standard of living by getting the sentence he got, but it's acceptable," Christopher's father Hugh Newsom said. "The main objective was getting him off the street so that he can never do anything like this to someone else ever again."

Thomas' defense attorneys Tom Dillard and Stephen Ross Johnson released the following written statement after the sentencing phase of the trial:

In the penalty phase of Mr. Thomas' trial, a Hamilton County jury has just returned a verdict sentencing Mr. Thomas to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

There are no winners in this case. The Christian and Newsom families have gone through unimaginable pain and loss. The Thomas family is forever saddened. Our thoughts and prayers are with all three families, whose lives have been permanently changed by this tragedy.

We will continue to pursue the significant legal issues with Mr. Thomas' convictions.

Eric Boyd

Throughout the Christian-Newsom case, both families have said they wouldn't be happy with anything less than the death penalty for those involved in the couple's killing.

"When you look at those autopsy pictures, and you see how mutilated both of those kids were, we were dealing with animals, not human beings," Hugh Newsom said, "and they deserve the maximum penalty, all four of them."

"They raped and tortured my daughter," Gary Christian said, "and I hope, if there is a God in heaven, that they spend the rest of their days being raped and tortured."

"I guess we've just got to be content with what we got," Mary Newsom said.

Both families often point to Eric Boyd, the convicted carjacking accessory, saying he'll likely be tried for the murders, as well.

"He's getting away with murder," Deena Christian said. "He deserves to be punished, just like the rest of them."

"They did not walk to the Washington Ridge apartments," Hugh Newsom said. "They did not have transportation (without Eric Boyd)."

Vanessa Coleman

Judge Richard Baumgartner set a trial date for the only female suspect charged in this case Wednesday.

Vanessa Coleman is set to stand trial for the killings in May 2010.

"When they came in there yesterday and started setting the date for Coleman, what when through my mind was, 'so much for a speedy trial,' " Gary Christian said.

Dec. 10, 2009 timeline

4:07 p.m. -- Thomas has arrived at the Charles B. Bass Correctional Complex in Nashville.

11:20 a.m. -- Thomas gets life without parole for all four counts before the jury.

10:40 a.m. -- The George Thomas jury has reached a sentencing decision. It's up to them whether Thomas should live or die for killing Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom in January 2007. Their decision will be read in court soon.

10:00am--Volunteer TV's legal expert says that this is a sign that the jury is close to a verdict. Judge told the jurors, yes, they must fill out a form for all four murder counts (2 counts premeditated first degree murder, and 2 counts first degree felony murder, 1 per victim).

Also, the judge said the jury will have to read the aggravating circumstances aloud in court, if they find they exist beyond a reasonable doubt.

9:55am--Jury's two questions: Do we need to fill out four sentencing forms (for the 4 murder charges)? Do the aggravating factors need to be read in court?

9:45am---Jury has a question. We're waiting for all the attorneys to come into the courtroom.

9:00am--Court officials say the jury started deliberating at 8:36am. Jurors will deliberate this morning; however, the judge will have his regular docket. We will be alerted when jurors have decided on verdict.