Details of a murder trial in which many believe an innocent man was convicted of a triple homicide.
Title: I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial
Author: Emilio Corsetti III
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Pages: 196
Genre: True Crime/Nonfiction
Moments before boarding a passenger flight on 11 May 2019 as the first officer, pilot Christian “Kit” Martin, a former army ranger, was arrested by a swarm of heavily armed officers for the murders of three of his neighbors. The arrest captured global attention as Martin’s mugshot, clad in a pilot’s uniform, spread across the internet, sparking a media firestorm with headlines such as “Monster in the Cockpit.”
A combat helicopter pilot, Kit Martin had seen his life unravel after seeking a divorce. His wife’s threatening words, “If you leave me, I will ruin your life …,” overheard by his daughter, seemed to have become a grim reality, escalating to a court-martial and culminating in a high-stakes murder trial at which he was convicted.
I WILL RUIN YOU: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial delves into the complex circumstances behind Martin’s story. It looks beyond the sensational headlines and legal turmoil into the heart of this controversial case.
You can purchase I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial at Amazon.
Book Excerpt:
Deputy Frye was barely out of his car when Joan approached and said, “He beat the shit out of me again.” Deputy Frye asked Joan where she had been hit. Joan pointed to her temples and the back of her head. Deputy Frye used his flashlight to examine Joan. When Deputy Frye indicated that he didn’t see any marks, Joan replied that her son was upstairs and that he should talk to him.
Deputy Frye then headed to the back porch, where Sergeant Trafford spoke with Kit. Frye told Sergeant Trafford that he would go inside and question the kids. When the deputy entered the residence, the first thing that caught his attention was how dark it was inside. He had to use his flashlight to see.
McKenzie was the first of the kids to talk to Deputy Frye. She indicated there had been a verbal argument, but she hadn’t seen anything. When Deputy Frye asked where the “boy” was, McKenzie said he was upstairs.
Still using his flashlight to guide him, Deputy Frye climbed the steep stairs to the second floor. Both Alma and Elijah met him at the top of the stairs. Frye indicated that he wanted to talk to Elijah. After introducing himself, he asked Elijah to tell him exactly what he had heard and seen. He added that he needed to know one hundred percent what had happened, no matter who was at fault. Elijah said that his dad was upstairs on the couch and that his mom came upstairs and yelled at him. Elijah then emphasized that “he never touched her.”
Deputy Frye asked again, “You never saw him hit her?”
“No,” Elijah answered. “He did not hit her.”
Intriguing. Addictive. True.
From podcasts to streaming video original documentaries that delve into puzzling homicides, it seems true crime has exploded and never been so popular. And if you’re a fan of the genre, I WILL RUIN YOU by Emilio Corsetti might be a great fit in that wheelhouse.
This book re-examines the Christian "Kit" Martin Murder Trial. Arrested for the murders of three neighbors, the former army ranger insisted he was innocent As to who or what he attributed all his woes, he pinned them on his ex-wife who had promised: “If you leave me, I will ruin your life.”
Mr. Corsetti does a great job of compiling a massive amount of evidence that is presented for re-examination. We become the fly on the wall, listening to the harsh words spoken, and divining the signs that what used to be a solid marriage is over. But perhaps the hardest thing to determine in these cases is what comment is meant, and what comment was only meant to cause wounding of feelings. And threats? Threats are even dicier since they’re more often than not flung in anger and usually not to be taken seriously. But which category do the words attributed to Martin’s ex-wife upon learning her husband is filing for divorce fall into? The answer to this question becomes central as to whether Kit Martin’s wife meant what she said this particular time.
I WILL RUIN YOU makes for a fascinating and completely absorbing ride. So put your thinking cap on and help determine if justice was done—or merely put in abeyance behind expediency. FOUR STARS and good luck to all armchair detectives who are up for the challenge.
Emilio Corsetti III is a retired airline pilot and the author of the bestselling nonfiction books 35 Miles From Shore and Scapegoat. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University Parks College of Aviation. He and his wife, Lynn, reside in Dallas, Texas.
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