Where is Marcus Garvin now?

In July 2021, Christie Holt had not contacted her family for some time, which was disturbing but not entirely unusual. One day, police received a report of suspicious activity on the outskirts of Indianapolis. When they arrived, they found her body. She had been stabbed 51 times and had numerous defensive wounds, indicating that she had struggled before her death. Catching the killer and bringing him to justice became of paramount importance to her family. Investigation Discovery’s “American Monster” episode, “Love is Deaf,” delves into the details of the killer and the evidence that underscored the brutality of his crime.

Christie Holt was stabbed over 50 times

Christie Lynn Chase-Holt was born on June 7, 1991 to Steven L. and Barbara Ann (Fox) Chase. She grew up in a loving home in Beech Grove, Indiana, and had four siblings: Tiffany Keeton, Nathanial Chase, Stephanie Smith, and Steven Chase Jr. The house was always bustling with the energy of these lively children. Christie was the quietest of the group and often spent her time working on craft projects. She enjoyed making things beautiful and when she got her hands on a computer, she would sit in front of it for hours. In high school, she met Marcus Garvin and believed she had found the love of her life. They began dating and remained together for years to come.

On July 30, 2021, at approximately 5 a.m., an employee of the Always Inn, just outside Indianapolis, Indiana, called police. Christie had been staying at the motel for almost a year. The employee reported seeing something suspicious and contacted authorities to have it checked out. When police arrived, they discovered Christie’s body near a creek in the woods outside the motel.

The autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed 51 times in the neck, head, chest and thighs, with fatal wounds to her left and right jugular veins. Defensive wounds to both arms and a deep gash in her lower leg suggested she had struggled violently and that someone had tried to dismember her. The brutality of the attack shocked everyone, especially Christie’s family, who could never have imagined that their beloved daughter would meet such a horrific fate.

CCTV footage captures killer Christie Holt moving body

When the innkeeper called the police early in the morning, he reported seeing a man wrapped in a sheet with something heavy. The man was Marcus Garvin. When he returned to the inn, he was sweating and the bottoms of his black sweatpants and shoes were wet. Marcus was still in room 210 when the police knocked on his door at 8:55 a.m. He answered the door and claimed to have been asleep. He was wearing a GPS monitoring device because he was out on bail for a murder case, but the straps around his ankles had been cut off.

The room had no bedding and Marcus claimed he had long since removed it. Police also found two knives by his bathtub, which he explained away as the reason he was doing the dishes. There was also a cart by the side of the door and the room smelled of human decay. Marcus was living in the motel room with Christie and since all evidence pointed to him, he was taken in for questioning. Police obtained CCTV footage from the motel and saw Marcus dragging something in the sheets, just as the employee had reported. Marcus initially denied all the allegations against him, but confessed to the crime when confronted with the footage.

Christie Holt’s killer held her body for six days

Marcus confessed that on July 23, 2021, he discovered through Christie’s phone that she was cheating on him with another man. The messages revealed that they were mocking him and his lack of plans. This enraged Marcus and on July 24, he confronted Christie, who denied the affair. His anger grew, causing him to grab a small knife and stab her twice in the neck. This stopped her from screaming, but she was still fighting for her life for over 30 minutes. As he struggled to get rid of the body, Marcus was at a loss as to what to do next.

First, Marcus moved Christie’s body into the bathtub, turning on the shower in the hope that it would mask the odor of decomposition. He then tried to use a shopping cart to transport the body, but it wouldn’t fit. He then brought a dolly into the room, but it didn’t work. He even used a sickle knife to cut her body into pieces, but couldn’t 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 the hands of Marcus. Despite efforts by those close to her to help her escape, breaking the cycle was a challenge because Marcus wouldn’t let her go.

Marcus Garvin is serving a 45-year prison sentence today

Marcus Garvin was charged on December 26, 2020, with assault with a deadly weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury for stabbing another person. His bail was initially set at $30,000, but was lowered to $1,500, which was paid by The Bail Project, leading to his release in January 2021. He returned to Christie’s motel room after his release. In July 2021, Marcus was charged with Christie’s murder.

Days before his trial, set to begin in June 2023, Marcus Garvin reached a plea deal with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to one count of murder in exchange for having his previous charges from 2020 dropped. He was given a 45-year prison sentence, which he is currently serving at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Indiana. He is now 35 years old and will be eligible for parole in 2055, subject to the parole board’s discretion.

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