Evidence in Corbett murder trial released

WEBVTT OF RELIEF.RALPH: THEY WERE VERY PLEASEDWITH THE VERDICT.THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THATPARTICULAR VERDICT AS JUSTICEFOR THEIR SON, SO THEY WERE VERYPLEASED THAT IT CAME THROUGH.MALLORY: RALPH RIEGEL WILLRETURN TO IRELAND THIS WEEKENDAFTER LIVING IN LEXINGTON FORTHREE WEEKS.HE WORKS FOR THE IRISH"INDEPENDENT" NEWSPAPER AND SAYSALTHOUGH THE VERDICT MAY SEEMLIKE A WIN, IT DOESN'TNECESSARILY FEEL LIKE ONRALPH: BECAUSE NO MATTER WHATVERDICT, THE FAMILY WHO LOST ALOVED ONE GET, NO MATTER HOWLONG A PRISON SENTENCE THAT'SHANDED DOWN, THEY'VE STILL LOSTTHEIR LOVED ONE.THEY GO HOME, ALL THEY HAVE IS AGRAVE.SO WHAT THEY WANT IS JUSTICE ANDSOME FORM OF CONSOLATION, BUTULTIMATELY, THEY'RE STILLDEALING WITH LOSS.I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE AHEART OF STONE NOT TO FEEL SORRYFOR BOTH FAMILIES YESTERDAY.MALLORY: RIEGEL SAYS THIS STORYWILL STILL MAKE HEADLINES INIRELAND FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITHMULTIPLE-PAGE SPREADS.RALPH: IF I'M HONEST, I DON'TTHINK PEOPLE EXPECTED THEVERDICTS THAT CAME THROUGH.THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK THAT ITCOULD BE A HUNG JURY, THERE WASA LOT OF TALK THAT THERE MIGHTBE ONE SECOND-DEGREE MURDERCONVICTION AND MAYBE A VOLUNTARYMANSLAUGHTER CONVICTION.BUT THE VERY FACT THAT THEREWERE TWO SECOND-DEGREE MURDERCONVICTIONS I THINK CAUSED EVENMORE SURPRISE.MALLORY: HE KNOWS MEDIA WILLCONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE CASE THATIS LIKELY FAR FROM OVER.RALPH: IT HAS BEEN, EFFECTIVELY,ALL-ENCOMPASSING FOR THEM FORTWO YEARS, AND IT'S CERTAINLYLOOKING AS IF IT'S NOT OVER YETBECAUSE OF THE APPEALS PROCESSAND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE FACTTHAT THERE'S A WRONGFUL DEATHLAWSUIT THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUEAS WELL.MALLORY: A TIME EXTENSIONREQUEST HAS BEEN FILED.

Physical evidence presented in the Jason Corbett murder trial is now being released.Photos of Mr. Corbett’s injuries, pictures police took of Molly Corbett on scene the morning of August 2, 2015, photos of Thomas Martens at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and of the crime scene inside the master suite of the Corbett home, were among the nearly 200 pieces of evidence shown to the jury.The written statement Molly Corbett gave police nearly five hours after Mr. Corbett died was also released.In the one-page statement she wrote, “My husband, Jason Corbett, was upset that he awoke and an argument ensued…he applied pressure to my throat/neck and started choking me.” She continued, “My father, Tom Martens, came into the room and I cannot remember if he said something or just hit Jason to get him off me. Jason grabbed the bat from him and I tried to hit him with a brick I had on my nightstand. I do not remember clearly after that.”Molly and her father claim self defense. They said Mr. Corbett was the aggressor. After the verdict was read Wednesday, Molly sobbed and told the court, “I did not murder my husband. My father did not murder my husband. The incidents of August 2nd happened as they happened on a somewhat regular basis. The only difference is my father was there.”The jury foreman said the group felt Molly’s clothing told a different story. He said it was that evidence, along with Dr. Stuart James’ bloodstain analysis, that made the difference. “The most shocking for me personally, spatter and tissue on Molly,” Tom Aamland, the jury foreman, said. “That, to me, was a deciding factor on the malice for Molly. That’s overkill. Tom didn’t have anything on him, as far as flesh, just spatter. Molly had flesh. You have to be really close to the blow for that to happen.”During the sentencing phase of the trial, Assistant District Attorney Alan Martin read aloud a handwritten letter from Jack Corbett, the now-teenage son of Jason Corbett. In his letter, Jack said his dad’s death has been life changing for him and his family, that it has changed his way of thinking in life. He wrote, “Molly Martens will not be forgotten. She will always be remembered as the woman who killed her husband for no reason. She will always be remembered as a murderer.”After court Wednesday, Jason Corbett’s sister, Tracey Lynch, made a statement on behalf of the entire Corbett family. She is also the legal guardian of Jason's two children.“The jury have fulfilled their duty and I can promise them that we will fulfill our duty to help create a good future for Jason’s children, who he loved,” she said. “I can promise to you that our family is going to stick up for Jason’s memory, telling this world that this was a good man, Jason was a loving man and he was a good father.”Both defendants are in jail in Raleigh. Mr. Martens is at Central Prison and Molly Corbett is in the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women.Their defense attorneys are appealing the convictions.Michael Earnest, Thomas Martens’ brother-in-law and Molly’s uncle, spoke to media after court Wednesday. He said, “My family is extremely devastated. I just want to say in my opinion, in my personal life, this is the most atrocious miscarriage of justice I’ve ever been a part of.”Ralph Riegel, a reporter for the Irish Independent newspaper, said this story will continue to make headlines in Ireland for several days and he knows media outlets will continue to follow the case that is likely far from over.“It has been, effectively, all-encompassing for them for two years and it’s certainly looking as if it’s not over yet because of the appeals process and also because of the fact that there’s a wrongful death lawsuit that’s going to continue as well,” Riegel said.A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in civil court by David Lynch, Jason Corbett’s brother-in-law. He’s suing Thomas Martens and his wife, Sharon, as well as Molly Corbett, on behalf of the Estate of Jason Corbett. An attorney for Thomas and Sharon Martens filed an application for extension of time to file an answer. They were given a September 18th deadline to answer or plead to the complaint.

LEXINGTON, N.C. —

Physical evidence presented in the Jason Corbett murder trial is now being released.

Photos of Mr. Corbett’s injuries, pictures police took of Molly Corbett on scene the morning of August 2, 2015, photos of Thomas Martens at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and of the crime scene inside the master suite of the Corbett home, were among the nearly 200 pieces of evidence shown to the jury.

The written statement Molly Corbett gave police nearly five hours after Mr. Corbett died was also released.

In the one-page statement she wrote, “My husband, Jason Corbett, was upset that he awoke and an argument ensued…he applied pressure to my throat/neck and started choking me.” She continued, “My father, Tom Martens, came into the room and I cannot remember if he said something or just hit Jason to get him off me. Jason grabbed the bat from him and I tried to hit him with a brick I had on my nightstand. I do not remember clearly after that.”

Molly and her father claim self defense. They said Mr. Corbett was the aggressor. After the verdict was read Wednesday, Molly sobbed and told the court, “I did not murder my husband. My father did not murder my husband. The incidents of August 2nd happened as they happened on a somewhat regular basis. The only difference is my father was there.”

The jury foreman said the group felt Molly’s clothing told a different story. He said it was that evidence, along with Dr. Stuart James’ bloodstain analysis, that made the difference.

“The most shocking for me personally, spatter and tissue on Molly,” Tom Aamland, the jury foreman, said. “That, to me, was a deciding factor on the malice for Molly. That’s overkill. Tom didn’t have anything on him, as far as flesh, just spatter. Molly had flesh. You have to be really close to the blow for that to happen.”

During the sentencing phase of the trial, Assistant District Attorney Alan Martin read aloud a handwritten letter from Jack Corbett, the now-teenage son of Jason Corbett. In his letter, Jack said his dad’s death has been life changing for him and his family, that it has changed his way of thinking in life. He wrote, “Molly Martens will not be forgotten. She will always be remembered as the woman who killed her husband for no reason. She will always be remembered as a murderer.”

After court Wednesday, Jason Corbett’s sister, Tracey Lynch, made a statement on behalf of the entire Corbett family. She is also the legal guardian of Jason's two children.

“The jury have fulfilled their duty and I can promise them that we will fulfill our duty to help create a good future for Jason’s children, who he loved,” she said. “I can promise to you that our family is going to stick up for Jason’s memory, telling this world that this was a good man, Jason was a loving man and he was a good father.”

Both defendants are in jail in Raleigh. Mr. Martens is at Central Prison and Molly Corbett is in the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women.

Their defense attorneys are appealing the convictions.

Michael Earnest, Thomas Martens’ brother-in-law and Molly’s uncle, spoke to media after court Wednesday. He said, “My family is extremely devastated. I just want to say in my opinion, in my personal life, this is the most atrocious miscarriage of justice I’ve ever been a part of.”

Ralph Riegel, a reporter for the Irish Independent newspaper, said this story will continue to make headlines in Ireland for several days and he knows media outlets will continue to follow the case that is likely far from over.

“It has been, effectively, all-encompassing for them for two years and it’s certainly looking as if it’s not over yet because of the appeals process and also because of the fact that there’s a wrongful death lawsuit that’s going to continue as well,” Riegel said.

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in civil court by David Lynch, Jason Corbett’s brother-in-law. He’s suing Thomas Martens and his wife, Sharon, as well as Molly Corbett, on behalf of the Estate of Jason Corbett. An attorney for Thomas and Sharon Martens filed an application for extension of time to file an answer. They were given a September 18th deadline to answer or plead to the complaint.

Evidence in Corbett murder trial released

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