50 – Murdered Abroad: The story of Jason Corbett

In August of 2015, a Limerick man, Jason Corbett, was found dead on his bedroom floor of the master bedroom of his lavish family home in North Carolina. His young wife and her father were covered in blood hen police arrived, and a bloody baseball bat and paving brick were found in the bedroom. They told the police that Jason had been killed in self defence. 

But Molly and Tom Martens would both face trial for the murder of Jason Corbett. The Limerick man’s family fought for justice, and for custody of his two young children, which was watched by people, both at home and abroad.

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Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music:   Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources:

Tracey Corbett-Lynch, My Brother Jason (Dublin: Gill, 2018) Purchase here

Meadhbh McGrath, “Molly Martens defence team: Children saw slain Jason Corbett ‘punch and hit her’ in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/molly-martens-defence-team-children-saw-slain-jason-corbett-punch-and-hit-her-34879674.html (13 July 2016)   

20/20 ABC “The Last Ones Standing” (season 39 episode 48 – August 11, 2017), Available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HkOEfimjg

48 Hours: In Jasons Name NBC (18 August 2019) Available here: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/in-jasons-name-2/

Jordan Howse, “Another hearing to decide if Molly Martens Corbett breached court order” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/another-hearing-to-decide-if-molly-martens-corbett-breached-court-order-34419824.html (3 February 2016)   

Ralph Riegal, “Corbett Family asks DFA to clarify delay in appeal rulings for Tom and Molly Martens” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/corbett-family-asks-dfa-to-clarify-delay-in-appeal-rulings-for-tom-and-molly-martens-38313305.html (15 July 2019)   

Ralph Riegal, “Molly Martens’ father settles €160,000US action over killing of Jason Corbett” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/molly-martens-father-settles-160000-us-action-over-killing-of-jason-corbett-37951418.html (26 March 2019)   

Ralph Riegal, “Killer Molly ‘will appeal to State supreme Court’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/killer-molly-will-appeal-to-state-supreme-court-37775483.html (2 February 2019)   

Ralph Riegal, “’All we are asking for is a fair trial’ – Molly and Tom Martens’ murder appeal begins” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/all-we-are-asking-for-is-a-fair-trial-molly-and-tom-martens-murder-appeal-begins-37771155.html (31 January 2019) 

Ralph Riegal, “’We’re trying to protect the kids’ – Jason Corbett’s sister says tackling social media giants over pictures of children like ‘fighting ghost’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/were-trying-to-protect-the-kids-jason-corbetts-sister-says-tackling-social-media-giants-over-pictures-of-children-like-fighting-a-ghost-37122816.html (16 July 2018)   

Ralph Riegal, “Molly Martens spent $5,500 on industrial clean of blood stains, preventing forensic tests” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/molly-martens-spent-5500-on-industrial-clean-of-blood-stains-preventing-forensic-tests-36923471.html (19 May 2018)   

Ralph Riegal, “Jason Corbett had packed a bag to leave on night Molly Martens killed him” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/jason-corbett-had-packed-a-bag-to-leave-on-night-molly-martens-killed-him-36919810.html (18 May 2019) 

Ralph Riegal, “Killer Molly and father in legal blows as judge refuses to quash murder convictions” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/killer-molly-and-father-in-legal-blow-as-judge-refuses-to-quash-murder-convictions-36372171.html (2 December 2017)   

Amy Molloy, “Molly Martens’ ex-fiance on his relationship with the convicted killer and her ‘shocking’ attempts to make Jason Corbett ‘look like a bad guy’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/molly-martens-exfianc-on-his-relationship-with-the-convicted-killer-and-her-shocking-attempts-to-make-jason-corbett-look-like-a-bad-guy-36290760.html (5 November 2017)   

Amy Molloy, “Trial by Facebook: How the martens family used social media to make Molly look like the victim” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/trial-by-facebook-how-the-martens-family-used-social-media-to-make-molly-look-like-the-victim-36091296.html (4 September 2017) 

“Prosecutors ask judge to dismiss Martens’ motion to overturn trial after jurors’ ‘social media posts’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/prosecutors-ask-judge-to-dismiss-martens-motion-to-overturn-trial-after-jurors-social-media-posts-36063168.html (23 August 2017)   

“Anatomy of a brutal killing … the brick, the baseball bat and the blood” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/anatomy-of-a-brutal-killing-the-brick-the-baseball-bat-and-the-blood-36026652.html (13 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “’Oh, well, his first wife died at 3am” – Molly Martens questions death of Jason’s first partner in US TV interview” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/oh-well-his-first-wife-died-at-3am-molly-martens-questions-death-of-jasons-first-partner-in-us-tv-interview-36025222.html (12 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Anatomy of a murder: the brutal killing of Jason Corbett” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/anatomy-of-a-murder-the-brutal-killing-of-jason-corbett-36024815.html (12 August 2017) 

Ralph Riegal, “Molly sent bill for removal of Jason’s body to his parents” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/molly-sent-bill-for-removal-of-jasons-body-to-his-parents-36021162.html (11 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “’Indicators’ show that Molly Martens planned brutal killing of Jason Corbett as graphic new images show the tragic events” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/indicators-show-that-molly-martens-planned-brutal-killing-of-jason-corbett-as-graphic-new-images-show-the-tragic-events-36021396.html (11 August 2017) 

Ralph Riegal, “Forensic evidence gathered the night Jason died formed the heart of the case” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/forensic-evidence-gathered-the-night-jason-died-formed-the-heart-of-the-case-36015434.html (10 August 2017)  

Ralph Riegal, “Lawyers insisted Molly had nothing to gain” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/lawyers-insisted-molly-had-nothing-to-gain-36017573.html (10 August 2017)   

“Profile: Thomas Martens” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/profile-thomas-martens-36017563.html (10 August 2017)   

“Profile: Molly Martens” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/profile-molly-martens-36017562.html (10 August 2017)   

“Key points from the prosecution and defence cases” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/key-points-from-the-prosecution-and-defence-cases-36013934.html (9 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Molly Martens murder trial: ‘I tried to hit him with a brick I had n my nightstand’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/molly-martens-murder-trial-i-tried-to-hit-him-with-a-brick-i-had-on-my-nightstand-36009822.html (8 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Molly Martens murder trial: Molly and her father ‘delayed 911 call and faked CPR on Jason Corbett’, trial hears” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/molly-martens-murder-trial-molly-and-her-father-delayed-911-call-and-faked-cpr-on-jason-corbett-trial-hears-36009491.html (7 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Thomas Michael Martens weeps as he recounts repeatedly striking Jason Corbett with metal bat”  in  The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/thomas-michael-martens-weeps-as-he-recounts-repeatedly-striking-jason-corbett-with-metal-bat-36001205.html (4 August 2017)

“Blood spatters put Martens standing above Corbett’s body” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/blood-spatters-put-martens-standing-above-corbetts-body-35999308.html (4 August 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Judge dismisses application to strike out murder charges against Martens” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/judge-dismisses-application-to-strike-out-murder-charges-against-martens-35998786.html (3 August 2017)

“Molly Martens’ lawyers allege jury misconduct, call for murder verdict to be thrown out” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/molly-martens-lawyers-allege-jury-misconduct-call-for-murder-verdict-to-be-thrown-out-36041055.html (17 August 2017)   

Wayne O’Conner, “Brick beside bed was ‘art project’ for the children” in The Irish Independenthttps://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/brick-beside-bed-was-art-project-for-the-children-36026651.html (13 August 2017) 

Ralph Riegal, “Jurors shown baseball bat and blood-stained paving brick used to inflict fatal head injuries on Jason Corbett” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/jurors-shown-baseball-bat-and-bloodstained-paving-brick-used-to-inflict-fatal-head-injuries-on-jason-corbett-35985282.html (31 July 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Blood spray patterns will prove crucial to jurors deciding on final moments of Corbett’s life” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/blood-spray-patterns-will-prove-crucial-to-jurors-deciding-on-final-moments-of-corbetts-life-35983072.html (31 July 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “A dark and bloody night” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/a-dark-and-bloody-night-35981083.html (30 July 2017)   

Ralph Riegal, “Full Transcript: ‘He’s bleeding all over and I may have killed him’ – Murder trial hears Martens’ 911 call” in  The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/full-transcript-hes-bleeding-all-over-and-i-may-have-killed-him-murder-trial-hears-martens-911-call-35967705.html (25 July 2017)  

Linzie Janis, Cat Rakowski and Alexa Valiente, “What former FBI agent, daughter found guilty of murder say happened the night her husband was killed” from ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/fbi-agent-daughter-found-guilty-murder-happened-night/story?id=49133544 (10 August 2017)   

Ian Mangan, “Making a murderer star helped jail killer Molly Martens” from Buzz.ie https://www.buzz.ie/news/making-a-murderer-jailed-molly-martens-304108 (23 October 2018)

Sarah Slater, “Jason Corbett documentary reveals potential new trial into his murder after ‘ mistakes and errors made’” from BreakingNews.ie https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/jason-corbett-documentary-reveals-potential-new-trial-into-his-murder-after-mistakes-and-errors-made-919090.html (21 April 2019)