Where is Molly Martens now? Inside her life after Netflix’s ‘A Deadly American Marriage’
The 2015 killing of Irish businessman Jason Corbett is now the subject of a new, feature-length documentary on Netflix.
Having got out of prison last year, Molly Martens is reportedly serving her parole in her native Tennessee - far away from the North Carolina home where she and her father, Thomas, killed her husband.
In a high-profile case that is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary, Molly and Thomas Martens were in 2017 convicted of the second-degree murder of Jason Corbett, an Irish businessman whom Molly had married in 2011.
However, after these verdicts were quashed in 2021, Molly and Thomas both agreed plea deals on lesser charges, before being released on parole in June 2024.
What happened in the Jason Corbett case?
Jason, who lived with Molly and his children in Wallburg, North Carolina, was beaten to death by his wife and father-in-law on the night of August 2, 2015.
Molly and Thomas do not deny causing Jason’s death - but, as is outlined in court documents, they allege that they acted in self-defense against the 39-year-old, claiming he was an abusive figure.
In the days after Jason’s killing, his son and daughter from his first marriage - Jack, then ten, and Sarah, then eight - told investigators that they had regularly seen their father get angry with Molly. Jack, for example, said he had witnessed Jason “physically and verbally hurt” Molly, per court documents.
However, Jack and Sarah both went on to recant their statements.
Four years into their 20-to-25-year sentences for murder, Molly and Thomas’s convictions were overturned by the North Carolina Supreme Court. In November 2023, they each then negotiated plea agreements on reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter; Molly pleaded no contest, while her father pleaded not guilty.
Seven months later, the pair were both released on parole on the same day.
Where are Molly and Thomas Martens now?
According to her profile on the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s website, Molly, now 41, is to remain on parole until June 6, 2025. Thomas’s offender profile lists the 75-year-old’s parole as ending on the same date.
In June 2024, The Times revealed that Molly was to see out her probationary period in Tennessee. Thomas, who is a former FBI agent, is also reported to have returned home to the Volunteer State, but they are not allowed to live together.
An official at the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction told The Times: “I can state that both will serve their 12 months of post-release supervision in Tennessee under an interstate compact, which is a fairly common circumstance.
“They will be subject to North Carolina conditions, but Tennessee department of corrections will supervise.”
Speaking to the NBC affiliate WBIR this month, Molly’s brother, Connor, said his father is “grateful for all the small things in life” that come with regained freedom, but added that things are “harder” for his sister.
“She’s in kind of the thick of her life and she’s not retired, and there’s been a lot more media scrutiny and harassment and she struggles a little bit more with the trauma,” Connor said. “But overall I think she’s really grateful and she’s doing really well, all things considered.”
Netflix notes that Jack and Sarah, who are now 20 and 18, respectively, live in Ireland, under the guardianship of their aunt, Tracey Corbett-Lynch, and her husband, David.
A Deadly American Marriage - release date and trailer:
Released on Netflix on May 9, a new, feature-length documentary delves into the case, pledging to “reflect on the elusive truths” behind a “seemingly fairytale life”.
Directed by Jessica Burgess and Jenny Popplewell, A Deadly American Marriage includes interviews with Molly, Thomas, Jack and Sarah.
“This case demonstrates how complex the American justice system is,” Burgess and Popplewell told an interview with Netflix’s Tudum website. “Where is the truth? Where are the lies? Where is justice? This documentary demonstrates that it’s not clear-cut.”
How much does a Netflix subscription cost in the U.S.?
If you’re in the U.S., you can subscribe to Netflix’s ad-free standard plan for $17.99 a month, and to the streaming giant’s ad-free premium plan for $24.99 a month. A standard plan with ads is also available, for $7.99 a month.
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