Judge cites 'viciousness' of Columbus man who fatally stabbed girlfriend 26 times

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft chastised a convicted murderer at his sentencing hearing Tuesday for his lack of remorse.

Christopher W. Martin, 32, was being sentenced for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, 30-year-old Erika D. Daniels, during an argument exactly five years earlier on May 9, 2018. Martin, who testified in his defense at his trial, contended that Daniels had attacked him with knives first, and that he acted in self-defense.

Daniels was stabbed 26 times, including in the heart and throat, according to a coroner's report.

Martin smirked at one point as Cocroft sentenced him to life in prison with the opportunity for parole after 41 years. Martin has five years of jail time credit that will count toward time served.

"The viciousness of what you did is difficult for me to fathom," Cocroft said. "I don't know that your moral compass exists."

Cocroft said it was by the "slimmest margin" she decided not to impose a sentence of life without parole.

Past reporting: He testified he stabbed her. The jury took days to convict

A Franklin County jury found Martin guilty on April 12 of aggravated murder and kidnapping.

Martin is appealing his case.

Martin testified during his trial last month that Daniels came at him first with knives at his South Side apartment, and that he was defending himself when he stabbed her.

On Tuesday, Martin apologized in court for the "unfortunate" death of Daniels.

"I wish I could turn back time," Martin said.

Martin’s defense attorney, Robert Krapenc, said Tuesday that Martin has suffered from mental health issues.

Krapenc said during the trial that the jury should find Martin guilty of the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter instead of a murder charge since the incident was not planned and Martin was provoked.

Cocroft said that even if she did believe Daniels started the altercation — which the judge noted the evidence does not point to — this was overkill.

The judge said it was almost "poetic" that Martin was being sentenced exactly five years after the crime and the jury returned its verdict on Daniels' birthday.

The trial was at first delayed when Martin was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. He then asked for a different court-appointed attorney three times.

Krapenc was Martin’s third court-appointed defense attorney. When Martin complained at one point about Krapenc's representation, Cocroft refused to assign another attorney.

Martin's mother and uncle spoke at the sentencing hearing to ask for a lenient sentence.

"Christopher did confide in me how sorry he is that this tragic accident happened," said Christie Brooks, Martin's mother.

Jack C. Weiler III said his nephew defended himself and is "definitely not a murderer."

Cocroft later responded to that assertion by telling Martin: "you are, in fact, a convicted murderer and there is no two ways about that."

More court news: 60 strangulation charges in a month in Franklin County. New Ohio law targets abusers

The death of Erika Daniels

Just after 6 p.m. on May 9, 2018, a 911 caller said a man was beating a woman who was screaming for help from a second-floor window.

Minutes later, Martin called 911 and said he made a "big mistake."

Martin lived in an apartment above a storefront in the 1000 block of Parsons Avenue in the city's South Side. Franklin County prosecutors said Daniels was trying to escape out the apartment window and walk onto the roof, but Martin would not let her and dragged her back inside by the neck.

Martin testified on his own behalf that the couple had been drinking that day. Martin said she refused to leave his apartment when he asked her to and she initiated a confrontation, grabbing multiple kitchen knives.

The arguing couple tussled, Martin said, and he believed at the time Daniels had stabbed him in the neck — though there was no stab wound to his neck. Martin had minor cuts to his arm and hands.

Martin said he then had an “out-of-body experience” and began stabbing Daniels repeatedly.

Tennessee man pleads guilty to aggravated murder

In another Franklin County Common Pleas Court case, Joshua B. Binkley of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder and aggravated burglary.

Binkley, 22, admitted in court he fatally shot 58-year-old Kenneth Ramsey, who was found days after the murder on June 4, 2020 in his home on Columbus' Far West Side.

Before the killing, Binkley went to his teen girlfriend's apartment on Ashberry Village Drive, also on the Far West Side. When his girlfriend’s father, Richard Kimbler, wouldn’t let him in, Binkley fired his gun and broke into the apartment, according to Franklin County prosecutors.

Binkley was driving a car stolen from Tennessee. Binkley met with and killed Ramsey to steal his car, said Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Cable.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young will sentence Binkley on July 11. Binkley faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Young could sentence Binkley to life in prison without the opportunity for parole or give Binkley the opportunity for parole sometime after 18 years behind bars.

Past reporting: Tennessee man charged in June 4 homicide on Columbus’ Far West Side

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Judge cites 'viciousness' of man who fatally stabbed girlfriend 26 times