An Indiana man pleaded guilty to the murder of his girlfriend after stabbing her 51 times and attempting to dismember her body.

The horrifying act took place on July 24, 2021, within the premises of Always Inn, located near Indianapolis. This was the residence the couple shared at the time of the crime.

Marcus Garvin, 33, was enraged after he found text messages on 30-year-old Christie Holt’s phone, where she was making fun of his unemployment and lack of ambition with another man. Even though Holt denied any such accusations, it only led to further anger Garvin. 

The first attack was a double stab in the neck with a compact knife. Despite Holt’s desperate appeals, Garvin didn’t stop and proceeded to stab her in the neck and torso repeatedly.

Holt had to endure 51 knife wounds, which included two fatal injuries on each of her jugular veins. Signs of defensive injuries were evident on her hands, and a cut on her leg indicated an attempted dismemberment. It took approximately half an hour for Holt to finally succumb to her injuries.

After the murder, Garvin found difficulty in disposing of the body. An unsuccessful attempt was made to sever the bone with a small sickle knife in a bathtub. Garvin later tried to move Holt’s body with the aid of a grocery cart and a dolly but to no avail. After six days, he bundled up the body in a motel sheet and comforter, and dragged it across the motel parking area to a nearby creek.

A motel desk clerk noticed Garvin’s suspicious actions and promptly informed the police. The police found Garvin in his room, which was filled with a potent smell of decomposition. The authorities also discovered two knives close to the bathtub.

During his interrogation, Garvin denied any involvement in Holt’s death at first, but confessed when he was shown surveillance footage of him dragging her body. 

Garvin expressed some regret, stating that he still loved Holt and missed her, but felt he was left with no other choice but to end her life. His chilling comment was, “She deserved it.”

At the time of the murder, Garvin was out on bail, wearing a GPS ankle monitor, due to a previous arrest for stabbing a customer at a Circle K store where he was employed. 

Garvin has been sentenced to 45 years of imprisonment for his horrific crime.