ORLANDO, Fla. – A jury will begin deliberations Friday morning in the attempted murder trial of Jim Martin, who's accused of shooting and stabbing his then-wife, champion boxer Christy Martin, in 2010.
James Martin, 68, is charged with attempted murder after prosecutors say he shot and stabbed his ex-wife in November 2010 after learning she was leaving him for a woman. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a weapon.
The jury heard closing arguments on Thursday afternoon before being sent home for the night.
In closing, the state told jurors it was "the biggest fight of Christy Martin's life."
"The decision she made was to live for herself," said prosecutor Ryan Vescio. "She wanted out of the drugs, the marriage, the debt, she wanted her life back."
The defense presented a different theory in closing.
"Christy Martin wants Jim Martin out of the way," said defense attorney William Hancock. He said Christy could have used her gun in an alercation with her husband and the injuries came from a mutual combat.
The defense has used witnesses to suggest the injuries could have been caused during a mutual struggle, or even possibly as Jim Martin tried to defend himself.
Senior Judge Emerson Thompson Jr. ruled there is not enough evidence in the record to allow the defense to argue self defense, or justifiable use of force.
Vescio noted Martin denied shooting or stabbing his ex wife, producing not a "scintilla" of evidence that Jim Martin even admitted harming Christy, much less doing so in self defense.
Therefore, Vescio argued, "He should not be given the legal safe harbor of self defense. In order to have the protections of self defense, you are admitting you committed a crime, however you claim that crime was justified. And we do not have that in this case."
Hancock noted Christy Martin twice admitted pointing a gun at Jim, evidence of a struggle at the home, and Jim Martin's claim to his neighbor that he had been shot and stabbed. All that, Hancock argued, justified allowing the jury consider self defense.
But the judge disagreed, so the jury will not be allowed to consider that defense.
James Martin chose not to testify and the defense rested just before noon Thursday after calling two witnesses.
Christy Martin, who now uses her maiden name Salter, returned to the courtroom Thursday, accompanied by her attorney.
One defense witness, neighbor Scott Selkirk, said Jim Martin came to his door "leaking blood" the night of Nov. 23, 2010 and claimed he had been shot and stabbed.
Selkirk followed Martin back to his house and found a bloody scene, but no signs of Christy Martin, he testified. He soon lost track of Jim Martin, who was found by police a week later after, Martin claimed, he hid in a shed on Selkirk's property.
The state's last witness on Thursday was lead investigator in the case, Detective Tara Evans. Evans said she spoke to James Martin for hours after he was discovered hiding in a neighbor's shed a week later.
Jim Martin told Evans he was "hurt" when his wife of 20 years told him she was leaving him for a woman she has known since high school.
Evans testified James Martin said to a neighbor "I feel bad, Scotty, I don't know how I'm going to live without her."
But, Evans testified, he denied shooting or stabbing his then-wife, who has recently divorced him.
Evans testified that James Martin told her he followed the couple to Daytona Beach and sent threatening text messages, including one containing an image from a sex video he had been threatening to release if Christy Martin ever tried to leave him.
"Christy, it would be real nice if these pictures hit the market," one text read, Evans testified.
On Wednesday, the state had the neighbor who Christy Martin flagged down to take her to the hospital testify. The jury also heard from the emergency room doctor who treated Christy Martin and the Orange County deputies who responded to the Martin household.
On Tuesday, Christy Martin testified her husband of 20 years attacked her in November 2010. Jurors got to see photos of the weapons she said he used.
Watch Local 6 for more on this story.