Kriti Mehrotra
CBS’ ’48 Hours’ premiered in 1988, and ever since then, it has been dominating the newsmagazine, investigative journalism, genre with its in-depth analysis of true-crime cases that touch on all aspects of the human emotion. Over its long run, it has covered numerous stories, examined various people, and changed countless lives.
So, of course, its latest episode, ‘Christy Martin – The Fight of Her Life,’ chronicling the boxer’s career along with the horrific attack that nearly ended her life – through various interviews, old footage, and narration – is no different. Curious to know all the details of Christy Martin’s attempted murder? Well, let’s find out.
How Was Christy Martin Attacked?
Born on June 12, 1968, Christy Salters Martin grew up in Mullens, West Virginia, playing all kinds of sports, which eventually led to her attending Concord College on a basketball scholarship, from where she earned a degree in education. Subsequently, she pursued the path of a professional athlete and ended up becoming one of the most successful and prominent female boxers in the United States of America. And by her side at every step of the way was her husband, James Martin, a trainer 24 years her senior.
Unfortunately, though, on November 23, 2010, Christy’s seemingly idyllic life turned upside down in the worst of ways. It was around 5:30 p.m., and after a day of fighting off a bad migraine, that Christy decided to go on a run. She tied one shoe on, and before she could get on the second, she got stabbed, right in her own home. As Christy felt three puncture wounds on her side and the fourth one on her left breast, she stumbled back towards her bed, which her perpetrator took as an opportunity to slice into her leg, dragging the knife along her calf muscle, detaching flesh from bone.
The ensuing struggle only stopped when Christy got shot with her own pink 9 mm Taurus, with the bullet getting lodged into her chest, 3 or 4 inches from her heart. Thankfully, Christy remained conscious. And as soon as her attacker was out of her room, about 30 minutes later, she took her chance, dragging herself out of the front door with the gun in her hands as evidence, and hailed a passing car, whose driver aided her survival and took her to the emergency room.
Who Attacked Christy Martin?
James Martin, Christy’s husband, was the man behind her brutal attempted murder – all because he found out about her hidden sexuality. Ever since Christy was a teenager, she knew that she liked females, but because she was worried and not ready to accept it for herself, she got into a heterosexual relationship with James. But unfortunately, Christy’s two-decade-long marriage with him was riddled with domestic violence and mental abuse.
When Christy realized that she was out of her prime, career-wise, all of her secrets and worries turned into depression. She says that she even attempted suicide by putting a gun in her mouth on several occasions and swallowing various pills. Christy eventually found an escape in cocaine, which James always supplied her with, and soon, it became her entire life. She stopped paying any heed when James hit her or threatened to kill her if she ever left him, having already given up on the possibility of ever having the chance to live a happy life as who she was.
Her breakthrough came, though, in 2010, when she reconnected with a female high-school lover on Facebook. Their spark was still there, and Christy, inspired by that feeling, cut her drug addiction and filed for divorce. On November 22, she decided to meet up with her lover at a nearby inn, but little did she know that James had followed her and seen them kissing. The next day, when Christy returned home after spending the night away, James made good on his threats and promises.
It was almost as if he had decided that he would rather have blood on his hands and a murdered wife than face the fact that she would leave him for another woman. But because his plans failed, on November 30, 2010, seven days after the initial attack, James was arrested and taken to the hospital first, having stabbed himself. More than a year later, in 2012, he stood trial, which resulted in the 12 member jury finding him guilty of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Two months after that, he was sentenced accordingly.
Where is Christy Salters Now?
Christy Salters, now 52, resides in Austin, Texas, with her wife, Lisa Holewyne, whom she married on November 25, 2017. According to a report, their courtship was just four months long, and they had both proposed to one another in a hotel parking lot without any fanfare. Christy is also deeply involved in running Christy Martin Promotions, a boxing advertising, and development company that she founded. It’s clear that Christy has not only moved on from the gruesome attack she had to endure, but she is also leading a happy and prosperous life.
Read More: Where Is James Martin Now?
