Killing of Jason Corbett

Killing of Jason Corbett

Jason Corbett
Date	2 August 2015 (2015-08-02)
Location	Wallburg, North Carolina
Cause	Assault
Deaths	Jason Corbett (aged 39 years)
Convicted	Molly Martens Corbett (wife) and Thomas Martens (father-in-law)
Charges	voluntary manslaughter, reduced from second-degree murder
Sentence	~4 years imprisonment (reduced from 20 to 25 years)

Jason Corbett was an Irish man who was killed at his home in North Carolina in 2015. Investigations later revealed that his death was the result of a physical assault by his wife and his father-in-law. The circumstances of Corbett's death were the subject of widespread media coverage in Ireland. His wife and father-in-law were found guilty of second-degree murder in 2017; however, their convictions were later reversed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals. After accepting a plea bargain to reduced charges, they were both released from prison in 2024.

Background

Jason Corbett originally lived in Limerick, Ireland, with his first wife Margaret "Mags" Fitzpatrick and their two children, Jack and Sarah. In November 2006, a few months after their daughter was born, Mags died unexpectedly after suffering an asthma attack. Mag's sister Catherine, who was present at the Corbett's house on the night she fell ill, witnessed Mags urgently using her prescribed Salbutamol inhaler, and thereafter helped Jason to carry her to his car before he rushed off to seek medical attention at University Hospital Limerick. In April 2008, Corbett hired 24-year-old Knoxville, Tennessee, native Molly Martens to work as an au pair for the family.

After the family moved to Lexington, North Carolina, in April 2011, Corbett and Martens married. They moved into a house at Panther's Creek Court in Wallburg, North Carolina. Jason paid US$390,000 for the house, and gave Molly US$80,000 to buy furnishings for it, as well as buying her a BMW SUV. He had also previously given his father-in-law US$49,000 as a contribution toward his wedding ceremony. Although Martens had allegedly wanted to formally adopt Corbett's children so they could acquire American citizenship, Corbett instead applied for green cards while retaining his family's Irish passports. Corbett had also apparently planned to one day return to Ireland and open a pizza restaurant at Spanish Point, County Clare.

Corbett's older brother, John, later said the issue around Martens adopting the children had caused friction in their relationship in the run-up to his death. John Corbett also stated that Jason had specifically processed the children's legal resident status via his job, rather than through the Martens' family, due to concerns they would not be repatriated to Ireland in the event of his unexpected death. Court records later revealed Martens had, in the summer of 2013, sought legal advice on her custody rights regarding the children in the event of a divorce, and had also spoken with a lawyer in late 2014 about her rights to the children.

Although Corbett's family had initially approved of Martens becoming romantically involved with Jason, they became increasingly concerned about Martens' deceitful and erratic behavior during their relationship. Corbett's sister Tracey Lynch later said that Martens had a long history of lying, describing her as a fantasist who claimed to have been an Olympic swimmer, a qualified Montessori teacher and to have previously fostered a young boy. Lynch also said Martens had informed her she was bipolar and had allegedly experienced several miscarriages before she met Jason, and accused Martens of self-harming and drinking margaritas throughout the day before driving the children to appointments. Lynch also alleged that she discovered just before their wedding that Martens had told her friends that she had been pen pals with Jason's first wife Mags before she died from cancer. In fact, the two had not interacted before Mags died.

Lynch later discovered that Martens had been released from a psychiatric clinic in Georgia a few weeks before she traveled to meet Jason in 2008, and that she did not disclose her mental health history until a few weeks before they were married. Martens also allegedly lied to her new neighbors in Panther's Creek Court, stating that Sarah was her biological daughter, even going so far as to give a lengthy description of how difficult her labor had been whilst at a local Bible study group. Lynch also claimed that Martens had secretly told the two children that Jason had killed their mother, an accusation that was later corroborated by Sarah Corbett.

Other examples cited in an affidavit submitted by Lynch regarding Martens' alleged erratic behavior were her holding the face of then 7-year-old Jack under a running kitchen faucet as punishment for splashing her with water, and an incident where Jack was punished for not calling her "Mom". Corbett family friend Lynn Shanahan alleged that Molly had become angry for several days when Jack reminded her she was not his mother. Martens had also avoided telling her neighbors that Jack and Sarah were not her children, and became "enraged" when Jack informed them of the truth. Martens allegedly became highly agitated and screamed at several guests during their wedding banquet after one of her bridesmaids bought food from McDonald's for a young boy who was allergic to egg whites and thus could not eat the main meal. Another family friend asserted that a couple of days before he was killed, Corbett left a social function early after his wife started fat-shaming him in front of several friends, adding that he was self-conscious about his weight. Corbett's sister later identified this incident as the last straw that made up Jason's mind to return to Ireland without Martens.

Death of Jason Corbett

On 2 August 2015, Thomas Martens called 911 at 3 am to inform them that his son-in-law Jason was badly injured. Martens told the dispatcher he had intervened in a fight between Corbett and his daughter, and may have killed him. Police responders who arrived at the house at Panther's Creek Court found Corbett unresponsive with serious head injuries that later proved fatal. Both Thomas and Molly gave statements to the officers at the scene linking Jason's death to a "domestic disturbance".

A few hours after being released from police custody, Molly Martens allegedly spent US$5,500 on having her house industrially cleaned of all traces of blood. Authorities frustrated Martens' attempt to have Corbett cremated before his family arrived from Ireland, but she only permitted them access to his remains after they had first signed a legal agreement to pay the full costs of his funeral and the subsequent repatriation of his body to Ireland. Sarah Corbett later described the memorial service for her father as “absolutely bizarre”, remarking that Martens family “acted like nothing had happened” while having a barbecues and enjoying sunny weather in the swimming pool. Tracey Corbett Lynch claimed that the Martens had hired off-duty police officers to prevent member's of the Corbett family from attending the memorial service.

Custody of Corbett's children

In 2007, Jason Corbett created a will naming his sister Tracey Lynch and her husband as legal guardians of his children should he die, and he did not alter the will after he married Molly Martens. A few days after Corbett's death, Martens formally filed for custody of ten-year-old Jack and eight-year-old Sarah, whom she had raised as their sole mother figure for the previous eight years. When Corbett's family arrived in the United States, they filed a legal challenge, and on 20 August 2015 the authorities dismissed Martens' claim and handed Jack and Sarah into the custody of Tracey Lynch, who promptly flew the two children back to Ireland via commercial airline. On 26 August 2015, after a funeral service at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Limerick, Jason Corbett was laid to rest beside his first wife Margaret "Mags" Fitzpatrick at Castlemungret Cemetary.

For several months after the children's repatriation, Martens posted photos of the children on Facebook, sometimes including a US phone number and email address, in the apparent hope they would get in touch with her. The Corbett family eventually sent a cease and desist letter to Martens asking her to refrain from posting images of the children on social media. In response to Martens' uncle claiming in a radio interview that Jason Corbett had been seeking dual Irish-American citizenship for the children, the Corbett family released a statement describing the claims as "deluded propaganda", adding their brother had never discussed such plans with them in the run up to his death.

Police investigation

In police interviews a few hours after Corbett's death, Tom Martens claimed he had been staying at the Corbett house when he was awakened by the sound of a disturbance in the master bedroom. He grabbed a baseball bat and rushed to the bedroom, where he alleged he saw Corbett strangling Molly in their dark bedroom. After a struggle on the floor between the two men, Molly hit Corbett over the head with a paving stone, after which Tom hit Corbett with the baseball bat several times. Investigating officer's noted how Tom Martens, who was a law graduate from Emory University in Georgia, repeatedly emphasized his "state of mind" during his interview, possibly due to his legal knowledge that a successful self-defence plea at any future trial would hinge on convincing the jury that he and Molly feared for lives during the incident. During a separate interview, Molly admitted to police that she had attempted to hit Corbett over the head with a brick during the same incident at their home. In addition, Molly stated that there was a history of domestic violence in their marriage that resulted in her seeking medical assistance several times, although she did not inform the police or tell the hospital staff how her injuries occurred. Molly also accused her husband of being a heavy drinker and said that he was drunk when the fatal incident occurred a few hours earlier.

The day of Corbett's death, his two children were interviewed by the North Carolina Union County Department of Social Services about their parents' relationship. Transcripts of their sessions recorded Sarah saying he had anger management issues and that “her dad is angry on a regular basis”, and she described a time when Jason pulled Molly’s hair and “smacked her in the face”. Jack claimed to have witnessed his father physically assaulting Molly on previous occasions and said that “his dad gets mad at his mom [Molly] for no good reason". However, nine months later, Jack renounced his previous statements in a follow-up video call with the sheriff's office, asserting that Molly had coached him on what to say prior to being interviewed and that she made up false stories about abusive behavior.

On 5 January 2016, Molly and Thomas were charged with second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in relation to Corbett's death, after unsealed indictments revealed that a grand jury had determined probable cause had been established. After having their mugshots taken, both accused were ordered by Davidson Superior Court to hand over their passports and not to attempt to contact Corbett's children in Ireland. They were released on a bail bond of US$200,000 each to await trial.

In July 2016, the Martens' legal team filed a defense motion to exclude from evidence Jack Corbett's earlier rebuttal interview, where he withdrew allegations that his father had physically abused Molly Martens Corbett, claiming the interview was "hearsay and unreliable". During pre-trial hearings in early June 2017, Tracey Lynch testified that once she brought Jack Corbett back to Ireland he informed her that some of the information he gave in previous interviews with US social workers was untrue. Judge Lee eventually ruled the children's statements taken shortly after their father's death were inadmissible and therefore would not be allowed to be submitted as evidence. The following month, lawyers acting on behalf of the Martenses filed a late pre-trial motion attempting to prevent the prosecution from asserting that Jason Corbett had a reputation for being a non-violent, easygoing person while presenting evidence to the jury.

First trial

The trial of Molly and Thomas Martens began with jury selection on 17 July 2017 at the Davidson County Superior Court in Lexington, North Carolina, before Judge David Lee. Both accused entered formal pleas of not guilty to the second-degree murder of Jason Corbett, claiming they acted in self-defense.

Opening statements

On 25 July 2017, District Attorney Alan Martin described to the jury how Corbett had such serious head injuries that his autopsy could not determine exactly how many times he was struck, adding that the post mortem exam detected traces of Trazodone in his bloodstream. Although Corbett had never been prescribed the powerful sedative, medical records proved that Molly had been issued a prescription for Trazodone three days before he died. Martin attested that while Corbett's dead body was found naked and covered in blood, both of the Martens' did not appear to have any physical injuries. Molly's voice was hoarse and she was rubbing her neck. Defense lawyer David Freedman, acting for Thomas Martens, countered that his client swung a baseball bat at Corbett in an effort to protect his daughter and himself, after he had discovered Corbett with his arm around her throat while saying: "I am going to kill her, I am going to kill her".

Prosecution evidence

David Fritzche, the Corbett's next door neighbor, described to the court how he and Jason had mowed their lawns the day before he died, then they sat down together to drink beer around 3:30pm. Their wives joined them an hour later, and they continued drinking until about 8pm when Molly's parents arrived for a surprise weekend visit. According to Fritzche, Corbett had consumed seven beers, was in good humor and did not appear to be drunk when they parted company. Toxicological testing on Corbett’s body recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood (0.02%), a quarter of the legal driving limit in North Carolina.

Davidson County Emergency Call Centre agent Karen Capps, who had worked as an emergency call dispatcher for 16 years, testified that she took the 911 call on the night Jason Corbett was killed. After a recording of the entire call was played to the court, Capps remarked that Thomas Martens seemed "surprisingly calm" throughout the near 14 minute conversation, and that although he had allegedly performed over 400 exhausting CPR chest compressions while Molly shouted the count, he was not panting or gasping out of breath when he returned to the phone. Doctor Craig Nelson, an associate pathologist for the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner's Office, described to the court how he had performed a post mortem examination on Corbett. Nelson testified that Corbett's skull was so badly shattered he could not precisely say how many times he was struck, but estimated Corbett had suffered around 12 blows to the head. Evidence suggested that any 8 of the blows would have been sufficient to have rendered Jason unconscious, while 4 of these individually were enough to have killed him. Autopsy reports also indicated Corbett had suffered blunt force trauma blows to his torso and arms. When photographs of Corbett's head injuries were displayed to the court, proceedings had to be paused briefly when a jury member became physically ill and had to leave the room.

Sheriff's Department Corporal Clayton Dagenhardt, the first officer to arrive at Corbett's house, described to the jury how blood was splattered on the walls, floor, bed, hallway and bedroom. Dagenhardt took photos of the crime scene on his cell phone, and after Corbett's body had been removed he helped take his children outside into the care of Thomas Martens' wife. Nurse Katie Wingate-Scott attested that she had prescribed Trazodone to Molly Martens in 50mg doses on 30 July 2015, after she had complained of having trouble falling asleep, while pharmacist James Hiatt confirmed that the prescription had been filled and collected. Paramedics David Bent and Amanda Hackworth testified that they arrived at the Corbett residence less than 10 minutes after Thomas Martens had first called 911, and moved Corbett to their ambulance to administer life saving treatment. While attaching ECG leads, Hackworth noticed that Corbett's skin felt remarkably cool, and when Bent checked he also determined that the body temperature was much lower than expected. No electrical signals from the heart were detected, and at 3:24am they ceased efforts to revive Corbett. Describing Corbett's lack of body temperature as "alarming", Hackworth testified that she queried with officers at the scene how long the Martens' waited before calling 911, and was informed by Sergeant Barry Alphin that they claimed to have phoned for assistance as soon as he was injured.

Crime scene examiner Lieutenant Frank Young explained to the court that when he arrived at Corbett's house and was informed Molly had accused him of strangling her, he asked for permission to photograph her so as to record any injuries. After taking pictures from all angles, Young could not find evidence of any injuries. However, he had to instruct Molly to stop rubbing and tugging at her neck while he took the images. David Dillard, a former police officer, added that while Molly was sitting in his patrol car after the incident she was also rubbing her neck in a scrubbing motion, and that although she was making crying noises he did not observe any actual tears. Doctor Stuart James, an expert forensic scientist who performed bloodstain pattern analysis of the crime scene, testified that the first blows inflicted on Corbett could have occurred while he was laying in bed, as blood spatters were found inside the quilt and blood saturation marks were discovered inside the mattress. Doctor James added that blood spatters on the walls indicated Corbett suffered multiple blows as he was falling to the floor, while the direction of blood spatters discovered on the inside hem of Thomas Martens' boxer shorts indicated Corbett's head was on the floor when those blows were struck. Doctor James also pointed out how blood drips on vacuum cleaner defied the laws physics by splattering sideways, which strongly suggested the crime scene had been altered before police arrived to photograph it.

Joanne Lowry, who worked with Thomas Martens at the United States Department of Energy for several years, testified that before Jason and Molly's wedding in 2011, Martens expressed dislike for Jason and the friends he had invited to the ceremony, describing them as rude and displaying very rowdy behavior. In another conversation two months before Corbett's death, Lowry claimed Martens had said to her: "That son-in-law, I hate him." Corbett's sister Tracey Lynch told the court that Jason was homesick around the time of his death and had planned to move back to Ireland so that his son could start high school there, and that Jason had mentioned returning over 12 months before he was killed.

On 3 August 2017, at the conclusion of the prosecution's case, defense lawyers submitted a motion for the murder charges against the Martens' to be dismissed. However, the judge ruled that prima facie evidence had been established against both accused and directed the jury to consider a verdict after submissions by the defense concluded.

Defense submissions

Taking the stand in his own defense, Thomas Martens asserted that on the night in question he was awakened by screaming and loud noises coming from Molly's bedroom, and when he entered Jason Corbett had his hands around his daughter's neck. Martens then struck him with a baseball bat, and after a brief struggle, Corbett ended up on the bedroom floor where Martens kept hitting him on the head in fear of his life. Martens added that he did not retreat from the bedroom as he was convinced Molly would have been killed by her husband without him to defend her. Martens also admitted that he disliked his son-in-law, highlighting an incident in the run up to the Corbett's wedding where some of Jason's friends had allegedly been drinking, smoking, and using bad language in his house. Under cross examination from assistant District Attorney Greg Brown, Martens admitted that he had advised Molly to seek a divorce from Corbett, commenting that Jason did not measure up to what he termed his daughter's standard. Martens also acknowledged that he had never witnessed or been told of any incidents of domestic violence involving Jason and his daughter before the night Corbett was killed.

When offered the opportunity to take the stand in her own defense, Molly Martens exercised her right to silence and declined to give evidence or be cross examined by the prosecution.

Closing arguments

Addressing the jury, assistant D.A. Greg Brown asserted that Molly Martens had ample motives to have her husband killed, highlighting how she would inherit the marital home and its contents, a US$600,000 life insurance policy payout, and most importantly to her the custody of Corbett's children. Brown reminded the jury that Corbett had consistently refused to sign adoption papers granting Molly equal rights to Jack and Sarah prior to his death, and how he had in fact planned to return home to Ireland without her. The fact that Thomas Martens' hands had no blood on them when paramedics arrived, despite claiming he performed CPR on Jason's blood-soaked chest, coupled with the fact that Corbett's body had an unusually low temperature when examined in the ambulance, indicated that the 911 call was not made immediately as claimed by the defendants and that the CPR had been faked over the phone also, with the insinuation that they had waited until he was dead before calling 911.

Defense lawyer Walter Holton countered that authorities had not taken samples from under their fingernails and the redness on Mollys neck was not explained. Holton also insisted Molly had nothing to gain from Corbett's death, as she was not mentioned in his will and would not benefit from the life insurance policy or custody under these conditions. Holton implored the jury to consider the circumstances of Corbett's death, highlighting how Jason had drunk several beers and was a larger man than Thomas Martens. The defense team also asserted that the prosecution had failed to illustrate an element of malice, a fundamental component in proving a second degree murder charge under the state laws of North Carolina. The fact that Doctor Stuart James had not physically visited the crime scene was cited as a reason to discount his testimony regarding blood spatter, while there was no evidence of flight bookings to support the allegation that Corbett was planning to return to Ireland, they added.

Verdict and sentencing

On 9 August 2017, after less than 4 hours of jury deliberations, 67-year-old Thomas Martens and his 33-year-old daughter Molly Corbett Martens were unanimously found guilty of the second-degree murder of Jason Corbett. Both were sentenced to a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison, as per the prosecution's recommendation.

A victim impact statement written by then 13-year-old Jack Corbett was read out to the court by D.A. Martin on his behalf. Jack wrote that losing his father just nine years after the death of his mother was incredibly difficult, adding that his Dad was always there for him as a child but would now never see him grow up. Addressing Molly Martens directly, Jack stated that she was not a part of and never would be a part of the Corbett family, and that instead she would forever be remembered as a murderer who killed her husband for no reason. Molly Martens was observed to have wailed uncontrollably in anguish as Jack's statement was read out, and many of the jury were reportedly reduced to tears.

Media interviews with jurors later revealed that they did not believe Corbett had attacked Molly at all on the night in question, and that the sheer number of blows inflicted on him ruled out any motive of self-defense. One juror remarked that Molly Martens would cry when evidence relating to the Corbett children was discussed, however she was not upset when viewing photographs of her husband's dead body, and further described Molly Martens as being "very manipulative".Corbett's sister Tracey Lynch later asserted that she believed the motive for Jason's death was the fact he had been planning to return home to Ireland without Molly, and she killed him in a staged domestic incident to gain custody of the children. Prosecutors also proposed adoption issues as a possible motive, along with Molly wanting to collect Jason's US$600,000 life insurance policy.

Appeal

On 12 March 2021, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled by a 4–3 majority that Molly Martens Corbett and her father Thomas Martens must be granted a new trial for the death of Jason Corbett, asserting that the North Carolina Court of Appeals was correct to quash their convictions on the grounds that certain statements made by Corbett's children to investigating officers in the aftermath of his death were wrongly excluded from being used by defense lawyers during their original trial in 2017. In response, Jack and Sarah Corbett expressed willingness to testify against the Martenses in the event their previous statements would be relied on by the defense legal teams.

Plea deal and sentencing hearing

On 30 October 2023, Molly Martens Corbett and Thomas Martens both accepted plea bargains at the Davison County Superior Court to charges of class D manslaughter, in return for the district attorney agreeing to drop murder charges against them. In early November 2023, Molly pled no contest to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter, while Thomas pled guilty to the same charge, and on 9 November 2023 both were sentenced to between 51 and 74 months in prison. Due to time already served, it was expected both defendants would only serve an additional seven months in prison before being eligible for release.

In the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented of Jason's alleged verbal and physical abuse of Molly, including photographic and audio evidence of their altercations. One news source summarized how a purported domestic abuse expert testifying on behalf of the defence countered the narrative that Molly planned the attack: "The expert said Molly’s biggest driver was keeping the children, Jack and Sarah. If she divorced Jason, she knew the children would be taken away. If something happened to Jason, she also knew his family in Ireland would take the children from her. The expert drew the conclusion this meant she and Martens would have little reason to want Jason dead and would have every reason to use a reasonable amount of force in the situation." In his sentencing, the judge remarked that he believed Molly had been a good mother to the Corbett children. Multiple character witnesses affirmed Tom Martens and his good character, saying he was a family man and a rule follower. In response to insinuations from the defence team that Jason could have killed his first wife Mags Fitzpatrick, her family released a statement vehemently denying the accusation, stating that Mags had suffered from asthma all of her life and insisting that Jason did everything in his power to save Mags during her fatal asthma attack.

"All we have ever wanted is real Justice for Jason as well as peace and closure for Jack and Sarah. No matter the sentencing, we want to set the record straight and let the world know what the truth is. We know how much Jason loved and adored our Mags. We hope the facts and truth will speak for themselves, and no amount of lies will tarnish the love Jason and Mags had for one another."

Excerpt of statement released by Fitzpatrick family in response to insinuations that Jason had killed his first wife Mags Fitzpatrick (November 2023)

19-year-old Jack and 17-year-old Sarah Corbett were present in court to deliver their victim impact statements in person. Sarah described how she had endured years of therapy due to the fact her statements as a young child had been twisted and then used to help the Martens escape punishment, adding that Molly had devastated her entire family. Sarah also asserted that Martens had shown no remorse for killing her father, removing her wedding ring almost immediately and telling her to stop crying and "get over it" in the days after his death. Jack urged the judge not to be fooled by Martens, stating that she was a "monster" who had abused him and weaponized his earlier statements in an effort to get away with killing his father. As the children read out their statements, Molly sobbed loudly and eventually laid her face down on the table in front of her.

On 6 June 2024, Molly Martens Corbett and Thomas Martens were released from prison after completing their sentences for the voluntary manslaughter of Jason Corbett. Both were subjected to one year of post-release supervision, which was reported to be served in Tennessee. In response to the Martens’ release from prison, former Davidson County Sheriff David Grice, who supervised the investigation into Jason Corbett's death, commented that they got off "with a slap on the wrist", adding that he believed the Martens simply "spent enough money on appeals until the courts got worn down and accepted their last appeal”. Jason Corbett’s daughter Sarah also released a statement expressing disappointment regarding the Martens’ release, asserting that if they had instead had faced a retrial she was "confident they would have been found guilty, evident by their acceptance of the plea deal".

"Molly Martens relentlessly put Jack and Sarah into the centre of her bid to evade justice with a web of lies while refusing to take the stand to give evidence herself. Her cruelty disregard and treatment of two children under 10 years of age whose birth mother had died, father she had just battered to death and whom she professed to love was inhumane. Despite the gravity of their crime and the immense loss they inflicted, they will be freed today after serving just four years and three months."

Excerpt of statement released by Corbett family in response to the Martens’ release from prison (June 2024)

In popular culture

A Netflix documentary regarding Corbett's death, titled A Deadly American Marriage, was released on 9 May 2025. As well as featuring Corbett's children, both Tom Martens and Molly Martens Corbett were interviewed for the documentary. A scene in the documentary shows Alan Martin, who was the assistant District Attorney of Davidson County, theorizing that on the night in question Molly Martens attempted to stage a domestic incident with her parents as witnesses, with the intent to allow her to apply for a domestic violence protective order and thus file a legal application for emergency custody of Jack and Sarah Corbett.

External links

• A Deadly American Marriage at Netflix
• A Deadly American Marriage at IMDb