Slain Jason Corbett's sister slams 'disgusting' claims he killed his first wife

Jason Corbett was killed by his father-in-law and his second wife in 2015 in what they say was an act of self-defence. File picture: Brendan Gleeson

A sister and support group of the slain Limerick man Jason Corbett have slammed as disgusting and vile, allegations made in a US court hearing that he killed his first wife in 2006 and then tried to murder his second wife in 2015.

Mr Corbett was killed by his father-in-law and his second wife in 2015 in what they say was an act of self-defence. Tom and Molly Martens were convicted of the second-degree murder of the business executive on August 2, 2015.

His children Jack, then aged 10 and Sarah, 8, were in the house on the night he was killed. A jury in 2017 convicted the Martens of second-degree murder and they were each sentenced to 20 to 25 years in jail.

However, three years later, the North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned the convictions. Last September, North Carolina superior court judge David Hall set a date for a retrial for June 26 next year following a ruling.

However, at a pre-trial court hearing on Thursday, Molly Martens' defence attorney, Douglas Kingsbery alleged Mr Corbett murdered his first wife Mags Fitzpatrick and nearly killed his second wife in almost the same manner if not for Martens' actions in beating the father-of-two to death with a baseball bat.

Mags Fitzpatrick is reported to have died from an asthma attack in 2006, but Mr Kingsbery said that these allegations are false.

Mr Kingsbery said it would be his contention that Mr Corbett killed his first wife in nearly the same way that defence attorneys allege he attacked Molly Martens.

At the first trial, Thomas Martens testified that he found his late son-in-law choking his daughter and that he took a baseball bat and beat Jason with it in an effort to defend himself and his daughter. Ms Martens is accused of hitting her late husband with a paving brick.

Marilyn Corbett, a sister of the late Limerick man said on her Facebook page: “Absolutely disgusting and totally untrue. Lowest of the low tactics is all it is from these people. Desperately trying to falsely justify the horrific death both Molly and Tom Martens inflicted on Jason.” 

Well said @theevidence2021 these lies are vile, abhorrent, completely unfounded and an absolute insult to the memory of Mags & Jason Corbett. And a continued torture of his children 💔#JasonCorbett https://t.co/S43iCapGmZ

— @Jasoncorbettsjourney (@mybrotherjason) December 1, 2022

In a tweet on the JasonCorbettsJourney Twitter page, the group said: “These lies are vile, abhorrent, completely unfounded and an absolute insult to the memory of Mags and Jason Corbett. And a continued torture of his children.” 

Jason Corbett’s children have given written statements to prosecutors on the events surrounding their father’s death. Evidence in the original trial from the children was not allowed to be heard by the court.

Molly Martens first met Mr Corbett when she moved to Limerick from the US, as his children’s nanny and she subsequently married Mr Corbett in 2011.