Following the completion of their sentences for pleas to voluntary manslaughter, the wife of an Irish businessman who was beaten to death in 2015 and the woman's father were released from separate North Carolina prisons on Thursday. Molly Martens Corbett and her father, Thomas Martens, were released from the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh and the Caldwell Correctional Center in Lenoir, respectively.
After serving about seven more months behind bars, Molly Corbett and Martens were released following additional sentencing in November. They had been facing a new trial after their 2017 second-degree murder convictions were reversed by the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2021.
Both individuals are now under one year of post-release supervision, which will be served in Tennessee. The case involved the death of Molly Corbett's husband, Jason Corbett, who was killed at their home in Davidson County. Investigators stated that Molly Corbett and Martens used an aluminum baseball bat and brick paver to fatally injure Jason Corbett.
Despite their initial murder convictions, Molly Corbett and Martens pleaded to voluntary manslaughter in October. They were sentenced to spend between 51 and 74 months in prison, but served less time due to credits for previous incarceration.
The case garnered significant media attention in Ireland and was featured on a U.S. true-crime show. The Supreme Court's decision to order a new trial was based on omitted statements from Jason Corbett's children, which alleged abuse by their father. The trial judge had excluded these statements from the trial.
Jason and Molly Corbett's relationship began in 2008 when Molly worked as an au pair for Jason's children from his first marriage. The case has been marked by complex legal proceedings and emotional testimonies, including statements from Jason Corbett's children.
