James David Martin was born on December 11, 1971, in The Bronx, New York. Little is known about his early life. When Martin was around six years old, a tragic event occurred. His mother beat his younger sister to death. This left a significant impact on young James. Following this incident, he was sent to live with his grandmother in Fort Meade, Maryland. He lived there with his brother and sister.

In Fort Meade, James attended Meade Senior High School. He was a member of the basketball team while he was a student there. During this time, he became friends with a boy named Michael Eugene Thomas. Michael was 15 years old and became James' best friend.

On May 2, 1989, James David Martin committed his first murder when he killed his friend Michael Eugene Thomas in the woods near their school. After the murder, he stole Thomas's expensive Air Jordans. Martin was arrested shortly after and convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.

After his release in 1996, Martin killed again. On February 23, 1998, he encountered 14-year-old Marleny Cruz in the Bronx. He lured her to his mother’s apartment, where they argued. Martin assaulted and then strangled Cruz, leaving her body on a curb in University Heights. It took months for her body to be identified, and the case remained unsolved for some time.

In 1999, Martin was arrested for groping a woman and possession of crack cocaine. He was jailed for a year. After his release, he attempted to strangle a 17-year-old male relative, stabbing him in the neck and stealing his money. The relative survived and reported the incident. Martin was arrested and served five years for attempted robbery.

In 2005, after moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania, Martin killed his wife Cicela Santiago. He strangled her after a domestic dispute and disposed of her body in a trash bin. The police quickly arrested him after discovering her remains. Martin pled guilty and was sentenced to 22 to 44 years in prison.

While serving his sentence in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence matched him to the murder of Marleny Cruz. Martin confessed to her murder during questioning. On October 28, 2016, he pled guilty to her murder and was given an additional 20 years in prison.