Lexington Dispatch August 1st 2017
Coworker: Martens said ‘I hate’ Jason Corbett
A coworker of Thomas Martens testified Tuesday that Martens indicated disdain for Jason Corbett on two specific occasions before the night he was killed, including one in which he said he hated his son-in-law.
Joann Lowry, a colleague of Martens, testified that she worked with Martens in the counter-intelligence department of the Department of Energy in Tennessee. Two months before the incident, Lowry said she asked about Martens’ weekend, and he indicated that Molly Corbett, Jason Corbett and his grandchildren came to visit. ″(Martens) said, ‘We’re always glad to see them come home, but we’re always glad to see them leave. That son-in-law, I hate him,’” Lowry testified. On the stand Tuesday in Davidson County Superior Court, Lowry recalled an instance near the time Jason Corbett and Molly Corbett were married in 2011. Lowry testified that she was told by Martens that he hosted a pre-wedding party at his house, but he did not appreciate the behavior of Jason Corbett. ″(Martens) was not very fond of Jason and his rowdy friends,” Lowry said.
The Journal.ie August 2nd 2017
Blood spatter expert believes Jason Corbett's head hit wall, court hears
A BLOOD SPATTER analyst has said an object may have been used to hit Jason Corbett multiple times.
Stuart James, testifying at the murder trial into the Irishman’s death in North Carolina, spoke about the blood patterns present on the walls of the master bedroom and bathroom in Corbett’s house.At the trial, James noted several instances of impact spatter and transfer stains along the walls. The analyst said impact spatter is when a force is applied to a liquid blood source, and transfer stains are when a bloody surface makes contact with another surface. James noted two large transfer stains on one wall, which he believes came from Jason Corbett’s head hitting the wall in a descending motion. One transfer stain was 24 to 28 inches above the floor and the other was five to 16 inches above the floor.
In the proximity of the transfer stains was an indentation located three to four inches above the floor. James believed the indentation came from an object’s impact. According to the analyst, some of the blood on the bedroom wall appeared to be expirated spatter, meaning the blood came from Jason Corbett breathing or coughing. In the bathroom, James described transfer stains near a cracked light switch. Above the light switch was an indentation in the wall. James also described several impact spatters on Martens’ boxers, red polo shirt and Molly Martens Corbett’s pajamas. In addition to impact spatters, he showed transfer stains and tissue fragments on the shirt and pajamas. Martens’ wristwatch had transfer stains, as well. In James’ opinion, due to the distribution of blood, he believed the object was used multiple times.
The Lexington Dispatch August 3rd 2017
Judge rejects motion to dismiss Corbett case
Superior Court Judge David Lee rejected a motion by defense lawyers Thursday to dismiss the second-degree murder charges against Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett for the killing of Jason Corbett.
David Freedman, the lawyer for Martens, said all the evidence provided by the prosecution suggested that Martens and Molly Corbett acted in self defense. “Nothing has contradicted that,” Freedman said. ”...No evidence (the jury) has to infer malice.” Walter Holton, the lawyer for Molly Corbett, said the evidence is “so overwhelmingly self-defense” that the case should be dismissed. Davidson County Assistant District Attorney Greg Brown argued that the prosecution has provided substantial evidence that leans toward the state’s right to have the case decided by a jury.
Irish Examiner August 4th 2017
Corbett ‘planned to leave wife and return to Ireland’ Victim’s sister tells court he wanted to return home Judge rules statements cannot be made before jury
Mr Corbett had planned to fly from the US to the family home in Ireland to attend his father’s birthday party the following month. The jury also heard that he had been planning on leaving Ms Martens — his second wife and former nanny to his children — and return to Ireland for good. Earlier, the trial heard that a senior detective involved had lied to an insurance agent when he told her that Ms Martens refused to co-operate and answer questions about the death of her husband. Testimony for the prosecution by two of Mr Corbett’s co-workers that he was homesick and planning to leave his wife and return to Ireland was not allowed by the judge. viewed about the family’s insurance policy. “Two days into the trial, we receive this report”, Walter Holton, one of Ms Martens’s attorneys, said outside the presence of the jury. “It is my information that this report was not available to the district attorney or our office until two days into the trial.” Ms Huffman, Mr Holton said, gave detailed accounts of her conversations with Ms Thompson. In one of those conversations, Ms Huffman says Ms Thompson told her Ms Martens refused to answer questions from investigators and that she requested to see an attorney. Mr Holton said that’s simply not true. “Molly Corbett never requested an attorney and never refused to co-operate,” he said. Tracey Lynch took the stand yesterday afternoon in the second-degree murder trial in the death of her brother, Jason Corbett, who was found bludgeoned to death two years ago. The second anniversary of his death was Wednesday. Ms Lynch’s testimony about her conversations with her brother about leaving for Ireland permanently with his two children, Jack and Sarah, was hotly contested, and Judge David Lee ultimately decided that she could not testify to those conversations in front of the jury.
The Irish Daily Mail August 4th 2017
MOLLY SHAKES AND SOBS AT MENTION OF JASON’S KIDS
MOLLY Martens shook and sobbed uncontrollably in court yesterday when her sister-in-law told jurors the name of Jack and Sarah Corbett’s mother Mags. During the second week of evidence in the trial of Jason Corbett’s wife and father-in-law, his sister Tracey Lynch took the stand to testify for the prosecution. When she mentioned Mags Corbett, the late mother of Jason’s children, Ms Martens began crying audibly. Earlier at Davidson County Superior Court in North Carolina it emerged that the named beneficiary on an insurance policy held by the Limerick father-of-two was changed shortly before his death. And a former colleague of Mr Corbett also told jurors that she had seen Molly Martens two days after the killing and observed ‘no injuries, no bruises, swelling or scratches’ anywhere on her body. On an emotional day in court, Mr Corbett’s sister Tracey Lynch took the stand after lunch to tell jurors her brother was ‘very homesick and lonely’. She began saying that she was living in Ireland with her own two children and her brother’s two children, Jack and Sarah. ‘Who was Jack and Sarah’s mother?’ asked prosecutor Ina Stanton. ‘Mags Corbett,’ Mrs Lynch replied. At this point, Ms Martens was overcome by emotion in her seat, rocking, crying and sniffling audibly. What is your legal status with regard to Jack and Sarah Corbett?’ continued Ms Stanton. ‘My husband and I are the legal guardians of Jack and Sarah Corbett,’ said Mrs Lynch. Again, on the left handside of the room, Ms Martens began to shake and cry.
Mrs Lynch told the court that as far back as August 2014, Jason had told her he wanted to move home to Ireland. ‘He said he was very homesick and lonely,’ she said. ‘Molly had been messaging me in March 2015 and she had enquired about when my father’s birthday was. I said to my husband, “Why isn’t she asking Jason? Jason never told me that Molly was coming. It was just Jason and the two kids.”’
In earlier evidence, Melanie Crook, a human resources director at Multi-packing Solutions, told the court that Ms Martens had come to the Lexington plant on August 4 to collect Jason’s personal belongings, and did not display any injuries.
She was wearing a ‘boat neck top with cap sleeves and her hair was tied up.’ The area around her neck was completely exposed. Ms Crook said she spent 20 minutes with Ms Martens and didn’t see any injuries at all. At the time Ms Crook did not know the circumstances surrounding Mr Corbett’s death. She gave Ms Martens a hug and watched her leave with Jason’s belongings.
Another MPS employee, who had planned to testify about his knowledge of Mr Corbett’s strained relationship and plans to move home, was not allowed to give evidence after objections from the defence.During cross-examination, Stuart James also told the court that he ‘didn’t see any real value’ in visiting the crime scene. In relation to the pieces of clothing worn by the defendants on the night of the killing Mr James said that he had asked for several stains to be tested by the state crime lab for the presence of blood. ‘You don’t have to test every single stain,’ he said. ‘It can’t be done.’
He said that stains on the lower parts of the boxers worn by Tom Martens and the pyjama bottoms worn by Molly Martens came from impact with Mr Corbett’s head, which would have been low down when struck. The defence argued that he could not testify to this with any scientific certainty.
‘You don’t have to test every stain’
Irish Times August 5th 2017
‘I hit him until I felt he could not kill me’
Irishman’s father-in-law tells murder trial of fatal struggle
The father-in-law of Irishman Jason Corbett took the stand yesterday in a North Carolina courtroom describing how he beat the 39-yearold Irishman on the head with a baseball bat in the early hours of August 2, 2015. “I hit him until he goes down and then I step away,” “Thomas Martens, 67, testified. I don’t know how many times I hit him. I hit him until I thought he could not kill me... I felt both of our lives were in danger. I did the best I could.”
Irish Daily Mail August 5th 2017
We tussle, I get the bat, I win
Co-accused Tom Martens stepped into the dock and gave an account of an extraordinary struggle that ensued between him and Mr Corbett involving a baseball bat he had brought to Jason and Molly’s house that day for Mr Corbett’s son Jack.
He said he had been woken by a disturbance and heard screams coming from Molly and Jason’s bedroom. Grabbing the bat he had brought, he went to investigate the commotion. The man with over 31 years of service in the FBI sobbed as he recalled begging Mr Corbett to free his daughter from a ‘chokehold’ he said the Limerick man had her in on the night of August 1, 2015. The father of four from Knoxville, Tennessee, told the court in North Carolina that he had never witnessed Mr Corbett being physically violent toward his daughter before that night. During cross-examination by the prosecution, Mr Martens said he had received training in the ‘use of force’ during his time as a field agent in the FBI. This included self-defence training and ‘excessive force’ training.
In relation to ‘baton training’ he had received, he was asked to identify which parts of the body should be struck to ‘bring a man down’. He said the ankle, the knees or the kidneys. The prosecution contended that a baseball bat is similar to a baton and should have been used in that way.
Mr Martens said that he chose to hit Mr Corbett in the head because that was the only area he could strike without hitting Molly.
Greg Brown, for the prosecution, told the court that during an interview conducted by two detectives investigating Mr Corbett’s death, Mr Martens ‘interrupted questioning and took charge’.
He had already told the two men that he had a long career in the FBI and that he ‘really enjoyed outwitting’ other spy agencies. In an earlier role, he liked ‘kicking in doors and arresting people’, the trial heard. Mr Brown said that at one point during interview, the defendant said: ‘Perhaps it would be helpful if I just launched into a story that would account for my state of mind.’ He said he did not know what was going on and that he ‘reacted instinctively’. ‘When I got upstairs I could determine they were coming (the noises) from Jason and Molly’s bedroom. The door was closed. I opened it,’ he said.
There was a long pause before Mr Martens continued. ‘In front of me, I would say 7 or 8 feet, Jason had his hands around Molly’s neck... they were facing each other.’
Mr Martens said he closed the door but did not know why he did so. ‘I said, “let her go,” he told the court. ‘He (Jason) said, “I’m going to kill her.” I said, “let her go”.
‘He (Jason) said, “I’m going to kill her.” ‘I said, “let her go”.
‘He (Jason) said, “I’m going to kill her”. I don’t know how many times I said it.’
Mr Martens broke down at this point, sobbing momentarily.
Mr Martens said that Mr Corbett caught the bat as he swung it towards him. ‘In the process Molly goes free,’ he said. ‘She escapes to his right. Now he has the bat but I’m still holding on to it. He cocks his head and he is punching out and shoves me across the entire room. I’m on the floor with my back to him and my face down in the carpet. If I could get any more afraid... that was it.
‘I’m thinking, “the next thing he is going to [hit me with] a bat in the back of the head”.’
Mr Martens said he heard his daughter screaming, ‘Don’t hit my dad!’ and scrambled away, eventually getting himself back up. ‘Now I see Jason essentially where we started, inside the doorway to the bedroom,’ he said.
‘He’s got the bat. Molly is by the nightstand between the wall and the bed. Things look pretty bleak. He’s got the bat... he’s in a pretty good athletic position... He’s looking between me and Molly. I decide to rush in and get the bat.
‘If I stay there, I figure he is going to kill one of us or both of us.’
A struggle ensued, during which Mr Martens gained control of the bat. ‘I win,’ he said. ‘I get control of the bat. He loses his grip and I hit him. I didn’t want him to take the bat away and kill me. This was far from over. I’m in shock. I’m not doing good so I hit him and I hit him until he goes down.’
He added: ‘I hit him until I thought that he could not kill me.
‘He said he was going to kill Molly and I certainly felt he would kill me. I felt both of our lives were in danger. I did the best I could.’
Mr Martens said he asked his daughter to get a phone to call 911. He said they administered CPR. Earlier, Mr Martens told jurors he did not like Jason. Mr Martens told the court that, in his view, Jason Corbett ‘never measured up’ to his expectations for his daughter and that he had advised her to seek legal advice about the marriage.
Mr Martens said Jason had told him he intended to make Molly the ‘adoptive mother’ of his children, Jack and Sarah. But this never happened, he said, and it was a source of strain. He said he was aware of the fact his daughter was the beneficiary of Mr Corbett’s insurance policy, worth $600,000.
‘The money is being held in trust pending litigation,’ he said.
Children’s statements can’t be used: judge
STATEMENTS made by Jason Corbett’s orphaned children Sarah and Jack in the days after their father’s death were not admissible as evidence, Judge David Lee ruled at the Molly Martens trial.
Both children had given interviews to various agencies, including social workers, in August 2015. There were allegations that the children had been ‘coached’ prior to the interviews taking place.
In one interview, which took place at a facility called Dragonfly House, Jack was asked why he was there. He replied saying that his dad had died.
He added: ‘My aunt and uncle from my dad’s side came to try and take me away. That’s why I’m here. My mom wants to get custody.’
He was asked if his mother was afraid of his father and he said he knew this because his ‘mom told him’. Both children had been told their father had died by their mother. In Sarah’s case, her step-grandmother Sharon Martens had also told her.
Judge Lee concluded that the statements did not meet the ‘trustworthiness’ requirement. He noted that both children had since recanted their statements.
He ruled that the statements were ‘inadmissible for any purpose’ in the trial.
Irish Daily Mail August 8th 2017
Molly offers no defence as jury goes out
Prosecution closes its case after Molly doesn’t testify. Story was ‘empty, barren and cold’
WE will never know if Jason Corbett ‘cried out’, if he ‘begged for his life or if he was thinking of his two children during this heinous crime’ which resulted in his death, the Molly Martens murder trial heard yesterday. Greg Brown made the remarks during the prosecution’s closing statements in the trial of Molly and Tom Martens who are charged with second-degree murder of the Limerick father of two.
Both deny the charges and allege they were acting in self-defence. Earlier, Ms Martens confirmed to Judge David Lee yesterday that she would not take the stand at Davidson County Court in North Carolina and was exercising her right not to testify. Ms Martens’s attorney, Walter Holton, said that his client joined in the evidence presented on behalf of her father. Mr Martens’s legal team rested its case on Friday.
During closing statements the prosecution said the defendants didn’t call 911
until Mr Corbett was dead after using ‘excessive force’ to beat an ‘unarmed man to death’.
Jurors were told that Molly and her father had ‘bludgeoned’ Jason to death with a baseball bat and a paving brick. ‘You will have read Ms Martens’s statement to police,’ said Greg Brown. ‘In it she said, “I tried to hit him with a brick I had on my nightstand. I do not remember clearly after that.”’
Mr Brown said evidence showed that she hit Mr Corbett more than once with the brick, using excessive force.
In his closing argument, defence lawyer Walter Holton asked jurors to consider the strand of hair found in Jason’s hand. ‘They [the prosecution] didn’t test it, they didn’t see it, they didn’t preserve it,’ he said.
He said ‘the minute you find a reasonable doubt your work is done. It’s not guilty.’ He said that jurors had instead been shown a short statement Ms Martens had written after talking to detectives for an hour.
He focused on Mr Corbett’s size and strength. ‘This guy can hit a golf ball 300 yards, what can he do with a baseball bat? he said. Mr Holton said the state ignored blood on Molly’s face and a mark on her neck. He argued that the redness on Molly’s neck would have been gone by the time a picture. Mr Holton argued that the state had not presented any evidence that proved Mr Corbett did not try to strangle Molly Martens. His client, he said, had nothing to gain from her husbands’s death. ‘She is not in his will,’ he said.’ She doesn’t have his children... What did she gain?’ In concluding, he said. ‘This is a tragedy. I’m sorry Mr Corbett didn’t take his medicine that day... I’m sorry he had 7 or 8 beers... Tom and Molly didn’t make those choices he did.’ Jurors will hear closing arguments from David Freedman, representing Mr Martens, today. Judge Lee will then charge the jury.
Journal.ie august 8th 2017
'Why didn't they stop? That's malice': Jury hears closing arguments in Corbett murder trial
LAWYERS IN THE Jason Corbett trial have begun giving their closing arguments, with the prosecution emphasising ‘malice, overkill and excessive force’ in the killing of the Limerick man, while the defence questioned whether the State provided enough evidence to rule against self-defence. Brown told the jury that the 911 operator instructed Martens to tilt Jason Corbett’s head during CPR and that Corbett’s head was full of blood. “His [Thomas Martens] hands are spotless,” Brown said. “He did not (tilt the head).” Brown later questioned the timing of Martens’ 911 call. He discussed the dry blood on Jason Corbett’s face and chest.He recalled the testimony of Corporal CS Dagenhardt — an officer who has seen over 200 crime scenes — who testified that he saw congealed blood that looked like jelly on the floor.
The prosecutor said the paramedics testified that no electrical activity was found and that Jason Corbett’s body felt cool while in the ambulance. “Why didn’t they stop?” Brown asked. “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s malice.” Brown described Martens as the aggressor since he brought the bat with him and because he rushed at Jason Corbett during the incident. He said Martens decided “he was going to beat his son-in-law” before he left the basement. Brown said Molly Corbett’s appearance the night of the incident wasn’t consistent with being attacked. He said she had no torn clothes and that her jewellery hadn’t been bent or torn. “Even the plastic clip in the back of her hair is still in place,” Brown said.
Walter Holton, the defence lawyer for Molly Corbett, stressed that the burden of proof was firmly placed on the prosecution’s shoulders. He explained to the jury that “as soon as you find a reasonable doubt, your job is done”. “It’s (the prosecution’s) job to prove this didn’t happen,” Holton told the jury. “It’s not my job. It’s not your job.” The defence lawyer then discussed the photo of a strand of blonde hair intertwined in Jason Corbett’s hand, which he also emphasised in his opening statements two weeks ago.
He once again questioned why the blonde hair wasn’t collected or tested.
“The hair in Jason’s hand? Oops! Oops!” Holton said. “We didn’t talk about that.”
Holton highlighted that no fingernail clippings from Molly Corbett or Jason Corbett were examined and that the photo of blood on Molly Corbett’s face was ignored and not tested.
The defence lawyer said he didn’t believe blood spatter analyst Stuart James did enough for a thorough investigation. He cited that James never visited the house to see the spatter even though he had the opportunity. Instead, Holton noted that James was given a not-to-scale version of the house’s layout.
Holton also believed James did not do enough to investigate what happened to Molly Corbett.
“(James) said, ‘Well that’s not significant to my investigation,’” Holton said. “Well that’s significant to us.”
The Sun.ie
CLOSING STATEMENTS BEGIN
THE jury in the Molly Martens Corbett murder trial were yesterday told: “Jason Corbett can’t speak to you today, but his blood speaks the truth and screams for justice.” Mr Brown described the attack which killed the Irishman as “heinous, atrocious and cruel”. He added: “We will never know if Jason Corbett tried to cry out, did he plead for his life or did he think of his two children? “Jason cannot speak out to you today but his blood speaks the truth and screams for justice. “It is not self-defence — this is second-degree murder. Why didn’t he stop when Jason was on the ground? Why did he continue to bludgeon him? Why didn’t they stop. Malice? Yes. Hatred? Yes. Excessive force? Yes.
“The evidence is that Jason was retreating. He was naked in his marital bedroom and unarmed. His children were asleep in the house.”