Corbett, Martens found guilty of second-degree murder after death of Jason Corbett in 2015
A jury of nine women and three men decided the fate of Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett after the death of Ireland native Jason Corbett
A jury of nine women and three men decided the fate of Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett after the death of Ireland native Jason Corbett
A jury of nine women and three men decided the fate of Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett after the death of Ireland native Jason Corbett
UPDATED COVERAGE, 1:18 p.m.: Molly Corbett sentenced to 240 months to max of 300 months; recommend she receive psychiatric and psychological counseling and treatment.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE, 1:00 p.m.: A sentence has been set for Thomas Martens who was convicted of second-degree murder Wednesday morning.
Thomas Martens will be sentenced 240-300 months in prison.
A sentence for Molly Corbett has not been set.
Before leaving the courtroom, Molly Corbett turned to her family and said: "I'm really sorry, mom. I wish they'd just kill me."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE, 11:39 a.m.: A two-year long Davidson County murder case, that garnered international attention has come to a close. Molly Corbett has been found guilty of second-degree murder. Thomas Martens has been found guilty of second-degree murder.
Molly and Martens faced these charges in the death of Ireland native, Jason Corbett. Jason died on August 2, 2015 after suffering numerous injuries to his head. Police said Molly and Martens beat Jason to death with a baseball bat and paving stone, after Jason was choking his wife, Molly, in their Meadowland home on Panther Creek Court in Winston-Salem.
Jason and Molly were married in 2011 after a romantic relationship formed between them while Molly worked as an au pair for Jason’s two young children from a previous marriage. Jason's first wife died suddenly after suffering an asthma attack when their children were ages two and seven weeks old.
At the start of the case, both defendants pleaded not guilty and claimed self defense or defense of another. The jury had three options from which to choose when rendering their verdict: guilty of second degree murder, guilty of voluntary manslaughter or not guilty.
A sentencing date has not been set.
In opening statements, prosecutors painted a gruesome picture of the scene the morning Jason was killed. They said responding deputies walked into the master bedroom of the home and found the “naked, dead and bloody body” of Jason. Attorneys said a bloody ball bat and brick paver were found near the dresser in the room. They said the brick paver was saturated with blood.
A reporter from Ireland covering the trial in Lexington says certain aspects of the trial have been surprising. In Ireland court, he said images of a deceased person and the injuries they sustained are only shown to the legal teams, the judge and the jury. People in the public courtroom do not get to see them. He said seeing those images during this trial has been different.
Closing arguments in the case began Monday where it was noted that the crowd was the most sizable since the trial started in July. It took the jury less than two days to decide on a verdict.
A 911 tape from Davidson County 911 reveals the moments when Thomas Martens made the phone call for help. You're able to hear dispatchers instruct Martens to perform life-saving measures. Martens also said that he hit his son-in-law with a baseball bat adding “I think I killed him."