Shivangi Sinha
In July 2021, Christie Holt had not contacted her family in a while, which was concerning but not entirely unusual. One day, the police received a report about suspicious activity on the outskirts of Indianapolis. When they arrived at the scene, they found her body. She had been stabbed 51 times and had numerous defensive wounds, indicating she had struggled before her death. Catching the killer and bringing him to justice became of utmost importance to her family. Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster’ episode titled ‘Love is Deaf’ delves into the details of the killer and the evidence that highlighted the brutality of his crime.
Christie Holt Was Stabbed More Than 50 Times
Christie Lynn Chase-Holt was born to Steven L. and Barbara Ann (Fox) Chase on June 7, 1991. Raised in a loving home in Beech Grove, Indiana, she had four siblings: Tiffany Keeton, Nathanial Chase, Stephanie Smith, and Steven Chase Jr. The house was always bustling with energy from these vibrant children. Christie was the quiet among them, often spending her time on arts and crafts projects. She enjoyed making things pretty, and when she got her hands on a computer, she would spend hours on it. In high school, she met Marcus Garvin and believed she had found the love of her life. They began dating and stayed together in the years that followed.
At around 5 am on July 30, 2021, a desk employee at Always Inn, located just on the outskirts of Indianapolis, Indiana, called the police. Christie had been staying at the motel for almost a year. The employee reported seeing something suspicious and contacted the authorities to check on it. When the police arrived, they discovered Christie’s body near a creek in the woods outside the motel.
The autopsy revealed she had been stabbed 51 times in the neck, head, chest, and thighs, with fatal injuries to her left and right jugular veins. Defensive wounds on both her arms and a deep cut on her lower leg suggested she had struggled fiercely and that someone had attempted to dismember her. The brutality of the attack shocked everyone, especially Christie’s family, who could never have imagined such a horrific fate befalling their beloved daughter.
CCTV Footage Captured Christie Holt’s Killer Moving the Body
When the inn employee called the police early in the morning, he reported seeing a man dragging something heavy wrapped in a bedsheet. That man was Marcus Garvin. When he returned to the inn, he was sweating, and the bottom of his black sweats and shoes were wet. Marcus was still in room 210 when the police knocked on his door at 8:55 am. He opened the door and claimed he had been asleep. He was wearing a GPS monitoring device as he was out on bail for a murder case, but the band had been cut off from his ankles.
The room had no bedding, and Marcus claimed he had removed it long ago. The police also found two knives near his bathtub, which he explained were there because he was doing dishes. The side of the door also had a dolly placed near it, and a smell resembling human decomposition prevailed in the room. Marcus had been living with Christie in the motel room, and as all evidence pointed to him, he was taken into custody for questioning. The police secured the CCTV footage of the inn and saw Marcus dragging something in the bedsheet, just as the employee had reported. Initially, Marcus denied all accusations against him, but he confessed to the crime when confronted with the footage.
Christie Holt’s Killer Kept Her Body For Six Days
Marcus confessed that on July 23, 2021, he discovered through Christie’s phone that she had been cheating on him with another man. The messages revealed they had been mocking him and his lack of plans. This enraged Marcus, and on July 24, he confronted Christie, who denied the affair. His anger intensified, leading him to grab a small knife and stab her twice in the neck. This hindered her from screaming, but she still fought for her life for over 30 minutes. Struggling to dispose of the body, Marcus found himself at a loss for what to do next.
At first, Marcus moved Christie’s body to the bathtub, turning the shower on in hopes that it would mask the smell of decomposition. He then attempted to use a grocery cart to transport the body but could not fit it inside. Next, he brought a dolly into the room, which proved unsuccessful. He even used a sickle knife to try and dismember her body but could not cut through the bone. When all else failed, he dragged her body, wrapped in a sheet, to the creek by the river and disposed of it there. Friends of Christie revealed that she had been a victim of domestic violence and had suffered severe physical abuse at Marcus’ hands. Despite efforts from those close to her to help her escape, it was challenging to break the cycle as Marcus would not let her go.
Marcus Garvin is Serving a 45 Year Sentence Today
Marcus Garvin was charged on December 26, 2020, with battery for using a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily injury for stabbing someone else. Initially, his bail was set at $30,000, but it was reduced to $1,500, which was paid by The Bail Project, leading to his release in January 2021. He returned to live with Christie in the motel room after his release. In July 2021, Marcus was charged with Christie’s murder.
Days before his trial, which was set to begin in June 2023, Marcus Garvin entered into a plea deal with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to a single charge of murder, and in exchange, his previous charges from 2020 were dropped. He was handed a 45-year sentence, which he is currently serving at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Indiana. Now 35 years old, he will be eligible for parole in 2055, subject to the discretion of the parole board.
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