New prison mugshots of killers Tom and Molly Martens have been released, as the father-daughter duo remain in jail in the US without bond pending a decision on their plea bargain offer.
The former FBI agent and his daughter are now discussing a deal which would see them avoid a full retrial for the brutal murder of Irish widower Jason Corbett in August 2015. A decision on their plea bargain offer is due within 72 hours.
Both have been offered a controversial plea bargain in which they were given seven days to admit the voluntary manslaughter of the Limerick father-of-two (39) who was beaten to death while asleep in bed.
Molly and Tom Martens, the killers of Limerick man Jason Corbett, may apply for bail on Wednesday, while they consider a plea bargain offer of manslaughter, or face a full retrial on second-degree murder charges.
According to Mr Corbettâs sister, Tracey Corbett Lynch, a bail hearing for the pair has been set for 2pm on Wednesday (7pm Irish time) at Davidson County Courthouse in the US state of North Carolina.
Ms Martens (37) and her father Tom (71) were convicted in 2017 of Mr Corbettâs 2015 murder; however, their convictions were quashed last month and a retrial ordered after they successfully argued they did not get a fair trial. The pair have already served four years of each of their sentences.
Updated: 6 Apr 2021, 16:45
THE killers of Jason Corbett, Molly and Tom Martens, are expected to walk free tomorrow when they are released on bail.
According to the Limerick man s sister, Tracey Corbett Lynch, a bond hearing for the pair has been set aside for 2pm (7pm Irish time) at Davidson County Courthouse.
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Jason Corbett died in 2015
Molly Martens, 37, and her father Tom, 71 were convicted in 2017 of Mr Corbett’s 2015 murder, however their convictions were quashed last month and a retrial ordered after they successfully argued they did not get a fair trial.
The pair have already served four years of each of their 20-25 year sentences.
Washington Correspondent
A father and daughter convicted of murdering Irish man Jason Corbett in the United States could be released from jail tomorrow.
Last month, the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld a decision by a lower court to grant a retrial in the case of Molly Martens and her father Thomas.
Tomorrow a court hearing will be held in North Carolina which could result in the pair being released on bond ahead of a possible retrial.
Limerick man Jason Corbett, 39, was beaten to death at his home in North Carolina in August 2015.
Jason s wife Molly and her father Thomas, a former FBI agent, were convicted of second-degree murder following a trial in 2017.
A US District Attorney who offered a plea bargain to Tom (71) and Molly (37) Martens over the murder of Irish father of two Jason Corbett has been flooded with objections from North Carolina citizens appalled at the deal.
Widower Mr Corbett (39) was beaten to death in August 2015 with a metal baseball bat and a concrete paving slab in the bedroom of his Winston-Salem home by the former FBI agent and his daughter, the Limerick businessman’s second wife.
The father and daughter last month won a North Carolina Supreme Court appeal on evidential technicalities, and a full retrial was ordered.
However, Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank – having considered the Supreme Court judgement and the massive backlog of murder trial cases caused by the pandemic – has offered the duo a plea-bargain deal to voluntary manslaughter. They must accept the offer within seven days or face a full retrial.