Molly Corbett and her father, Thomas Martens, have entered pleas to voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of Molly’s husband, Jason Corbett, at their home in North Carolina. The incident occurred in 2015, where Molly Corbett and Martens, a former FBI agent, used a baseball bat and brick paver to fatally assault Jason Corbett, causing severe injuries to his body.
During the trial, defense attorneys argued that Molly Corbett and Martens acted in self-defense, claiming they feared for their lives during a struggle with Jason Corbett. However, in 2017, both defendants were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison.
In a recent development, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned their convictions and ordered a new trial in 2021. The court cited the omission of statements made by the Corbetts’ two children during a medical evaluation shortly after their father’s death. These statements indicated that Jason Corbett had been abusive in the household. Although the prosecution argued that the children had recanted their statements and deemed them unreliable, the trial judge excluded them from the trial.
Jason Corbett, originally from Ireland, had met Molly Corbett in 2008 when she served as an au pair for his two children from his previous marriage. His first wife had tragically passed away from an asthma attack in 2006.
