And I'm not gonna settle as a promoter. Christy Salters-Martin: From the stand One time the judge told me to be quiet and I just kept talkin' cause what's he going to do, put me in jail? And he insisted that the evidence showed, Christy never even had a chance to defend herself. Martin appeared fearless in the ring. Prosecutor Ryan Vescio says it took the police seven days to find Jim Martin. Jim Martin addressed the court at his sentencing. So she got off the floor, like so many boxing mats. DEBORAH BARRA: You, you remember saying that? David Begnaud: So it's pretty plausible that she might beat the hell out of her husband. He was exiting the bathroom in search of a clean shirt when he discovered that the woman he believed he'd murdered was gone. All evening Martin continues to mingle, keeping one eye on the fights, offering a running commentary. She carries a running list of questions on her phone that she'd like to ask him, questions like, "When was the exact moment you decided to kill me?". Webbryce hager wife. Jim manipulated Martin in other ways too, belittling her accomplishments, taking credit, placing blame. They're grown, they explain, thus the lack of clichd romance. The life and near death of prizefighter Christy Salters-Martin. Both of Martin's grandfathers had black lung. It was just the opposite. I'm gonna lay down. byu men's volleyball 2022 schedule; blangolden golden retrievers. "Jim controlled every aspect of Christy's life," says Florida state attorney Deborah Barra, a specialist in trying sex offenders and domestic abusers who prosecuted Martin's case. Jim Martin, who had been denied bail, was doing everything he could to discredit his wife. I told him that I was leaving to go see Sherry. Selkirk pushed back when Barra asked about a trail of Jim's blood that led to Selkirk's front door and beyond. Isolated and gaslit, it didn't take long for Martin to lose her bearings. Martin thinks for a beat before answering. Jim was sentenced to 25 years, the mandatory minimum sentence, which would make him 93 years old at his scheduled release. ", Martin values nothing as much as putting in the work. David Begnaud is the lead national correspondent for "CBS Mornings" based in New York City. ), "I'm much smarter than people give me credit for as a fighter," Martin says, pushing a piece of steak around her plate. "I don't think anybody says, 'I'm happy my child's gay.'". Moments later, he fired one shot into her chest, missing her heart by just inches. Martin can't recall exactly how long she lay on the bedroom floor, only that when she heard the water running she knew instantly it was her last chance to escape. The tapes never sold. Martin paused a beat, then slowly, defiantly walked away. CHRISTY SALTERS-MARTIN: He stabbed me three times under, under my left arm. When Christy Martin finally tried to end the marriage she says Jim went on the attack, beating and stabbing her, before pulling a gun. ESPN's Allison Glock joins to talk about Christy Martin's career, her harrowing fight for survival, and how she has moved forward with her life and love, a decade later. And while she tries to stay in shape, doctors have recommended no more competing or she may die. "I've been hiding who I truly am since I was 12," Martin says. MARTIN MET SHERRY LUSK in eighth grade, 1979. "She portrays being tough and all that, but she's a gentle soul.". It was me against the world in a lot of ways.". Former world champion Christy Salters-Martin is credited with legitimizing women's boxing. She says Jim should be glad that Christy's daddy and her brother never got ahold of him, that they didn't find him before he went to jail. From everybody, really.". "A tiny little speck of a nothing town. The waiter drapes a napkin on her lap solicitously, teases her about her order. I just need you to know that I'm not him.'". ), Jim pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted first-degree murder, attempted manslaughter and aggravated battery. Christy Salters-Martin: Finally, I have been able to come with-- to terms with I got the 50th win when I got up off the floor November 23rd, 2010 and got outta my house. Martin's ear snags, nearly ripping off. Every time Martin missed the basket, her daddy would toss the ball back a bit harder, the leather stinging her hands. She promotes boxing matches through her company, Christy Martin Promotions, and also supports survivors of emotional and physical abuse through her program Christys Champs. Listen. And Christy said, 'Who do you think it was, Mom?' She was screaming." Bill Hancock: It doesn't mean that he wasn't defending himself. A look inside her turbulent marriage and evidence used in the attempted murder trial of her ex-husband, Jim Martin. She described Jim's only significant wound -- that cut on his hand. Explore. Over time, Martin turned out to be a great fighter for all the usual reasons and some unexpected ones. I grabbed the knife blade. "In 115 trials I've done, the victim has never done that. An expert boxer is a master of pace and technicality. I, like, lean around And I see that he has a knife stuck down his shorts. David Begnaud: So, in the days leading up to the attack, you saw Sherry several times, right? Martin liked basketball most, but -- topping out at 5-foot-4 -- she had something to prove, on and off the court. But it's worth it to her to keep her hand in the game while the virus runs its course. I should have just turned, walked off and whatever happened, what happened. She did not stop from staring down Jim. It feels like truth. She pleads for him to call 911. The two faced each other in the ring in 2001 and were married in 2017. "We're just a plain family," Joyce explains. In March 2010, Christy Martin, right, and her high school girlfriend Sherry Lusk connected on social media. In November 2010, Christy told Jim Martin she wanted a divorce. Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida David Begnaud: Do you believe he loved you? CHRISTY SALTERS-MARTIN: Judge Thompson, Jim threatened my life for over 20 years , CHRISTY SALTERS-MARTIN: He would also tell me that he knew people that could "make me disappear.". And I apologize. This is what he told the police: JIM MARTIN [audio]: I saved that knife on purpose cause I know Christy's fingerprints got to be on that knife. Prosecutors Ryan Vescio and Deborah Barra were worried that the jury would have their doubts about this matchup. The stranger took one look at her condition, nodded for Martin to get in. Then, Hancock surprised everyone and rested his case after calling just two witnesses. "For 20 years, Jim told me he was going to kill me if I ever left him. And right now, that's Christy Martin Productions. JIM MARTIN: I'm very sorry for that day. what happened to sherry lusk what happened to sherry lusk. "I didn't want to be a good woman fighter. Martin stood up, dragged her lacerated leg across the floor and limped out the front door, down the winding driveway, past the palms and oaks swathed with Spanish moss. "My mom didn't want me to be gay. As Martin bleeds out, Jim hastily wipes down the knife with a T-shirt. Mountains and hills and everyone you knew, they're either miners or railroaders or teachers. I have to live. Their whole marriage, he'd left her alone for two nights. Christy Martin was planning to leave her husband for Lusk, prosecutors said. BILL HANCOCK: Had Mr. Martin brought his gun collection to your house before? It just seemed like it was easy. Didn't cut her calf. Jim Martin finally took the stand, turned to the judge and once again, claimed he was the victim. "I don't think people realize how sensitive Christy is," Joyce says. ". By 2007 her career was on the ropes and, according to Christy, Jim had spent all of their money. He's like, "no, she had it. He said he'd disseminate them to everyone who mattered to her or her career, reveal them to her mother, her daddy. BILL HANCOCK: Whose blood is on the blade? "I wonder why?". She'd been sitting on the edge of the bed, fighting off a migraine, lacing up her sneakers in preparation for a run. She was happier to believe what Jim said than to hear the truth from me. That a gun misfired during a struggle. Their fetishization in popular culture as evil geniuses belies a far more pedestrian truth: Their one real skill is sniffing out anguish and capitalizing on that discovery. Martin saw herself as a puncher first. Yeah. The blade's that sharp. Martin's extended family, like so many in factory towns, lived within a mile of one another, kitty-corner or down the block. Other times, Jim would follow Martin to the La Ti Da, sit in the parking lot and stare through the car window as she got her cut and color. After five hours of deliberating, the jury in the trial of Jim Martin had a decision. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He had been hiding in a friend's shed, across the street from the crime sceneand with the buck-knife used to stab Christy. "He would tell me, 'I'm going to make you the best woman fighter ever and make myself lots of money,'" Martin remembers. But I've come to the conclusion that it is between her and God. CHRISTY SALTERS-MARTIN: When he stabbed me, I think it was one of the times of the three on my side, his hand slid up the knife and it cut his hand. Her wife, Lisa Holewyne, 54, tries to soothe her, but the nightmares make her sad. "I didn't really have a choice.". Christy Salters-Martin: Just, you know, got hooked. He also sensed a unique opportunity about what this particular woman could do for him. Later that evening, he says Jim showed up at his door, bleeding. When she held a gun to her head, Jim would say, "Chicken, go ahead, pull the trigger." But Hancock pointed out that when police interviewed Christy, she asked if Jim was dead. Christy Martin Is A Member Of . She wanted the judge to know that she was still terrified. Christy Martin flagged down a passing driver. Christy Salters-Martin: But I get to the car It's the wrong keys. Defense attorney Bill Hancock insists that his client Jim Martin was a loving and devoted husband. Christy Martin says she knew she was signing up for a life-or-death battle with her husband Jim Martin when she reunited with her high school sweetheart Sherry Lusk in November 2010. Quickly arriving at Jim's seat, Martin leaned over, her nose inches in front of Jim's gaping mouth, eyes locked on his. "I remember being in the casinos in Vegas so many times, walking and imagining how awesome it would be to be on this ride with somebody I really love, somebody that cared about me," she says. Round-by-Round coverage: How Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul played out, Inside the creation of Jake Paul's 'Stardust Warriors' trunks, WBO orders Crawford title defense vs. Rocha, Serrano injured; rematch with Taylor postponed, Fury wins split decision to hand Paul first loss, Davis-Garcia bout finalized, moved to April 22, Sources: Taylor, Lopez agree to June 10 title bout, British officials looking into Lara spitting incident, WBC clears popular Benn of intentional doping, Women's boxing divisional rankings: Thorslund, Fundora solidify spots after dominant performances, Divisional rankings: Lara still No. After she ultimately reached them, she told John, "Sis and Jim have been in a fight.". Her younger brother, Randy, also found employment (and suffered grave injuries) in the mines. 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