48 Hours on ID is investigating the attempted murder of famous boxer Christy Salter-Martin who was brutally attacked in her home in Apopka, Florida, by her husband, James “Jim” Martin.
Christy became famous across the world in 1996 when one of her fights was featured on a pay-per-view event headlined by Mike Tyson. The Tyson match finished early, meaning 30 million people watched Christy defeat Irish boxer Deirdre Gogarty. Christy had put women’s boxing on the map.
Despite identifying as gay, Christy had married her trainer, Jim Martin, who was 25 years her senior. Jim reportedly became very dependent on his young wife, who financed their lifestyle and looked after him when he struggled with poor health.
Christy later spoke about how she had always known she was gay but had encountered disapproval from her family. She said her marriage to Jim was more a business deal than a declaration of love. She claimed that Jim knew she was gay and used the information to control and regularly threatened to ‘expose’ her.
Jim Martin attacked Christy Martin when she tried to leave him
In 2010, their marriage ended when Christy announced she was leaving him for a woman. On November 23, Jim responded by stabbing his wife with a 9-inch blade, and he also shot her with a .380 handgun.
Christy was on the phone with her girlfriend when her husband crept into the room and attacked her. Despite her injuries, the tough 42-year-old boxer managed to escape the house. She flagged down a passing motorist and shouted, “He stabbed me.” The motorist took her to a hospital.
Thankfully, Christy survived her injuries. Meanwhile, Jim had fled the crime scene. The cops found the 67-year-old a week later hiding in the bushes of a nearby abandoned house. He had been injured in the fight with Christy and was taken to a hospital.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelJames Martin was subsequently found guilty of attempted murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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48 Hours on ID airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.