A sheriff who attended the “gruesome” Jason Corbett crime scene says Molly and Tom Martens “went off with a slap” and “wearied out” the US courts ahead of the father and daughter’s release from prison in just two weeks.
David Grice, who served as North Carolina sheriff from 2009 to 2023, issued his first public statement since the father and daughter successfully challenged their second-degree murder convictions last November, having served just four years of their sentence. original 20 to 25 years.
In August 2015, Jason Corbett, who was 39 years old and originally from Ireland, was beaten to death with a baseball bat and a brick by his wife and father-in-law in the bedroom of their North Carolina home.
The father-of-two, who met Molly when he hired her as his children’s nanny, suffered so many injuries during the attack that a coroner could not count them all.
Molly, 40, and her former FBI agent father, 73, were arrested and later convicted of second-degree murder.
Pictured: Molly Martens and Jason Corbett on their wedding day in July 2011. Molly and Tom have always insisted they acted in self-defence the night Jason died.
Both father and daughter claimed they acted in self-defense, but the second-degree murder charge meant the jury concluded that Jason was killed out of malice. Both were sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in prison.
In 2020, an appeals court overturned a judge’s decision to block the reading of Jason’s children’s original statements.
In October 2023, the father and daughter reached plea deals for voluntary manslaughter, with Corbett pleading no contest and Martens pleading guilty to the charge.
Following their pleas, Davidson Superior Court Judge David Hall sentenced Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens to 51 to 74 months in prison.
Each will serve just seven months behind bars, thanks to reduced sentences for good behavior earned during the 44 months they already served, their attorneys said. Each of them had previously been sentenced to serve between 20 and 25 years.
Ahead of his release in two weeks, David Grice commented on the ruling on social media, the Irish independent reports.
He wrote: ‘They came out with a slap.
“I’ve had to bite my tongue for years for fear of saying something that could affect the appeals.
Former FBI agent Tom Martens was seen being led away in shackles shortly after the death of Jason Corbett in 2015.
Pictured: Former North Carolina Sheriff David Grice. Sheriff attended ‘gruesome’ scene the night of Jason’s murder
‘It was a horrific crime scene. I think they (Tom and Molly) spent enough money on appeals until the courts got tired and accepted their last appeal.’
In her 2018 book My Brother Jason, Tracey Corbett-Lynch praised Sheriff David Grice and his team for their work on the case.
She said: “Over the last two years, we had become very close to some people in both departments (…)
“David Grice and his team worked very diligently.”
Molly and Tom’s defense insisted they acted in self-defense the night Jason died.
However, Jason’s family has said in interviews that he was killed because Molly believed he would take her two children back to Ireland.
Pictured: The four-bedroom home in North Carolina where Jason was murdered by his wife and father-in-law in 2015.
Pictured: Former nanny Molly Martens during her first trial in Lexington, North Carolina, in 2017.
In the lead-up to his death, Jocelyn said her brother had started talking about returning to Ireland and was clearly unhappy. Meanwhile, Molly claimed in a CBS News interview that her husband became increasingly “controlling” and “paranoid” that he would cheat on him.
In 2006, Jason lost his first wife, Margaret Fitzpatrick Corbett, after an asthma attack. The couple had been living in Limerick, Ireland and shared children Jack and Sarah.
During the recent trial, Margaret’s family disputed any suggestion that Jason may have been involved in her death, describing him as a “warm and caring person who loved Mags more than anything else in his life.”
Two years later, Jason hired 24-year-old Molly Martens, a former Tennessee beauty queen, to be the children’s nanny, and the couple quickly fell in love.
Pictured: Jack and Sarah Corbett before their father’s death in August 2015. The children now live in Ireland with their family.
Pictured: Thomas seen dancing with his daughter Molly on her wedding day to Jason in 2011, shortly after the family moved to the US.
speaking to 48 Hours of CBS News In 2019, Jason’s sister Jocelyn said the family “started to see glimpses of the old Jason returning” when he became involved with Molly. And she added: “He wasn’t so sad all the time.”
According to the Irish timesMolly was welcomed into the family by the children she once babysat, and was even affectionately referred to as their “mom.”
On August 2, 2015, Jason was beaten to death in his bedroom by Molly and her father Thomas, who claimed in court that he only intervened because his son-in-law was strangling his daughter.
In her interview with CBS, Molly claimed that Jason’s daughter Sarah woke her up in the middle of the night and had a nightmare.
Jack and Sarah Corbett were seen being comforted by their aunt Tracey Lynch at their father’s funeral in 2015.
The children’s stepmother says that Jack and Sarah were whispering at the bedroom door to get Molly’s attention, since they knew not to wake Jason.
After putting Sarah back to sleep in her room, Molly claims she went back to bed and accidentally upset Jason, who was furious that she had “spoiled” the eight-year-old.
Downstairs, Molly’s father, who had made an impromptu overnight visit to his wife Sharon, claimed he heard “banging” and instantly sensed something was “not right.”
Molly claims that Jason wanted to shut her up, so he covered her mouth and started strangling her.
“At some point when he stopped, I screamed and he started again, and the next thing I remember is my dad standing in the doorway,” she told ABC.
Jason Corbett’s children, Jack and Sarah, have recanted original statements they gave to police after returning to Ireland.
Thomas claims he entered the couple’s bedroom and found Jason with a strangled Molly. He says her son-in-law told him he was going to kill Molly as he dragged her to the bathroom.
At this point, Thomas claims that he hit Jason in the back of the head with a metal baseball bat, but then claims that the Irish father was strong enough to take it away from him.
The couple claims a fight occurred because Molly was afraid Jason would hit Thomas with the bat.
She added: “I’m trying” to hit him with the bat, and hit him with this end of the bat, and hit him with my elbow, and hit him with my fist, or anything else… but I can’t. I’m going to hold on to that bat.
“And he goes down, and I have the bat… and I back away.”
In his 911 call, Thomas tells emergency responders, “My son-in-law got into a fight with my daughter, I intervened and he’s in bad shape.” We need help.’
When asked for details, Thomas stated, “He’s bleeding everywhere and I may have killed him.”
Molly claims her husband was strangling her and yelling “I’m going to kill you” when her father intervened.
During the 2017 ABC interview, Thomas said, “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to save his life.” And if I die trying, well… she’s my daughter. I’m not going to live without trying. I’ll tell you.
