Suvechha Sarkar
In November 2010, Christy Martin faced a horrific experience in her home in Apopka, Florida. She was attacked by her then-husband, James V. Martin, AKA Jim, which nearly took her life. Fortunately, she escaped in time, and the investigation eventually led to his arrest. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Christy Martin — The Fight of Her Life’ revisits the crime that not only changed the life of Christy, but also exposed years of turmoil that had stayed behind closed doors. It also features in-depth interviews with the prosecutors, the defense attorney, and Christy herself.
Jim Martin’s Alleged Jealousy Escalated After Christy Reconnected With an Old Girlfriend
James V. Martin, also known as Jim, was born sometime in 1940. As he grew up, he gradually built his professional life as a boxing coach. Around 1987, he had met Christy Martin as her coach. According to Christy, he was aware of the fact that she is a lesbian. So, when he found out that she had a girlfriend, he allegedly told her that he had called her father and informed him about everything. Christy claimed that after Jim told her that her father had allegedly asked her not to come back, she married Jim in 1991. They eventually moved to their new residence in Apopka, Florida. According to court records, Christy reconnected with her high school girlfriend, Sherry Lusk, in November 2010.
On November 22, she went to meet Sherry in Daytona, but Jim reportedly followed her there and texted her the entire day. By the following day, Christy returned home to Jim and had told him that she wanted a divorce. According to police reports, shortly after, he attacked her with a buck knife and stabbed her multiple times. Christy stated that she had allegedly seen her own 9mm gun in his pocket during the attack. As per her statements, when Jim allegedly stopped the attack to tend to his hand, which was cut, she claimed to have begged for her life. That was when Jim reportedly shot her in the chest.
Jim Martin Was Found Hiding Near the Crime Scene a Week After the Attack
Court records state that although Christy lost consciousness for around an hour, she reportedly rushed outside with car keys and her gun as soon as she regained consciousness. According to Christy, Jim was in the shower during that time. Shortly after escaping from the house, she reportedly sought the help of a passerby. Christy was reportedly rushed to the nearby hospital, and then she was airlifted to a trauma center. By the time the officials were notified, and they arrived at Jim’s home, he was already gone. After a thorough search, he was reportedly found near the crime scene in an abandoned house on November 30, 2010.
Investigators reportedly discovered that he was still in possession of the knife that he used to attack Christy. Although Jim initially refused to surrender, he was later arrested. Reports state that since Jim had self-inflicted stab wounds, he was transferred to the hospital. According to investigative reports, when he was questioned, Jim admitted that he had initially been hiding in the shed of his neighbor, Scott Selkirk. He claimed that he had hurt Christy in self-defense since she was allegedly the one who attacked him. Jim was ultimately charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Jim Martin Passed Away at the Age of 80 While in Custody
After Jim was released from the hospital following his arrest, he was held in custody without bail at the Orange County Jail. The jury selection for his case commenced on April 23, 2012. As his jury trial finally began, the prosecution presented several pieces of evidence, such as the gun and knife used during the crime, before the court. They emphasized that Jim wanted to kill Christy to allegedly stop her from leaving him. Furthermore, the prosecution pointed out that he had admitted to following her to Daytona when she went to meet Sherry. It was reportedly confirmed by Sherry’s testimony. On the other hand, the defense claimed Jim followed her that day because he was concerned she was allegedly going there for drugs.
According to court records, the defense claimed that Christy was the actual aggressor while Jim acted in self-defense. They further alleged that he was always in fear of attack from Christy. Official reports indicate that the defense emphasized a statement that Christy had made in the hospital. In that statement, she reportedly told detectives that she had taken the 9 mm gun from Jim’s pocket during the attack but was afraid to shoot him. They also presented Scott as a witness, who reportedly testified that Jim had brought his gun collection to his house on three separate occasions. Scott further testified that Jim did so because he was allegedly afraid that Christy might take him hostage or harm him. Ultimately, the jury found Jim guilty of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault.
On June 26, 2012, Jim was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. He later appealed the judgment, claiming that there was a trial error and his convictions should be overturned. However, the Appellate Court found there was no reversible error to change the verdict. Yet, they noted that the written judgment accidentally listed a conviction for attempted voluntary manslaughter, which had already been dismissed in the trial court because it violated the principle of double jeopardy. The state reportedly agreed that it was an error. While his original convictions were upheld, the court ordered that the paperwork be fixed on April 11, 2014. Jim was serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility in Graceville, Florida, when he passed away on November 26, 2024, at the age of 80.
