The story of Molly Martens Corbett and her late husband, Jason Corbett, recently resurfaced due to the new Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage. The film recounts Jason’s tragic death in the summer of 2015 and its fallout. The Irish man had been living in North Carolina with Molly, his second wife, and two children, Jack and Sarah.
What exactly led to Jason’s killing and Molly’s hand in it is part of a controversial chain of events in the case that landed Molly and her dad in prison for several years. Although she said she acted in self-defense, she was originally convicted of second-degree murder in the case. A legal twist resulted in a downgraded sentence for manslaughter. Today, the 41-year-old is back to living as a free woman and even gave an interview for A Deadly American Marriage.
If you’ve seen the documentary, you’re probably wondering more about Molly’s life now. Here’s what to know about what her life is like and where her criminal case stands.
What has Molly said about Jason Corbett’s death?
Molly and Jason, a widower, fell in love shortly after she came over to Limerick, Ireland, to work as an au pair for his young children following the death of his first wife. The couple’s whirlwind romance led to marriage in 2011, but behind the picture-perfect life, cracks began to show.
On August 2, 2015, Molly’s father, Thomas Martens, called emergency services confessing to having hit Jason with a baseball bat after seeing him attack Molly. Jason was in dire condition following a brutal beating, and he soon died from his injuries.
Upon arriving at the family’s North Carolina home, police were met with a room covered in blood, with one officer later describing it in the Netflix documentary as “one of the bloodiest crime scenes I’ve seen.” A prosecutor involved, Alan Martin, also recalls how Jason’s body had “so many blows to his head the pathologist couldn’t count them” and noted that “takes incredible force.” In Martin’s opinion, this circumstance indicates Molly and Thomas’ claims of self-defense seem unlikely.
In A Deadly American Marriage and during prior court appearances, Molly has claimed Jason was abusive and strangled her. She says in the documentary that Jason refused to allow her to adopt Jack and Sarah because he wanted to weaponize taking the children from her if she dared to leave due to his apparent abuse. Both Jack and Sarah strongly dispute that their dad was violent in this way.
What was Molly’s crime, and when was she released from prison?
In January 2016, a grand jury indicted both Molly and Thomas on charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. Their claims of self-defense fell on deaf ears during trial. A jury found the father and daughter guilty of second-degree murder in 2017, and they were sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison.
However, their convictions were overturned in 2021 following an appeal. A retrial was ordered but didn’t take place after Molly and Thomas reached a plea deal in October 2023. Molly pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, and Thomas pleaded guilty to the same charge. Both were sentenced to a minimum of 51 months in prison with credit for time served.
Molly and her father were released from prison on June 6, 2024, after serving 6 years and nearly 10 months. She had been incarcerated at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, while Thomas was held at Caldwell Correctional Center in Lenoir.
Responding to the release, Jason’s family issued a statement expressing how they felt let down by the justice system: “After a nine-year battle for justice, we are deeply disappointed by the impending release of Tom and Molly Martens, the individuals responsible for the senseless and brutal murder of Jason, leaving his two children orphaned.”
Where is Molly Martens Corbett now?
As shown in her recent Netflix appearance, Molly is no longer in prison and is keen for people to hear her version of events.
While little is said about her current whereabouts in the documentary, The Times reported in June 2024, shortly after her release from jail, that the then-40-year-old was expected to move in with one of her brothers in North Carolina while completing her 12-month parole period. The newspaper reported Molly wanted to be far away from the home in which Jason was killed.
When discussing Molly’s probation, Brad Deen, communications officer at the North Carolina department of adult correction, said: “Both [Tom and Molly] 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.”
The 12 months of her probation is due to end next month on June 6. The same is true for Thomas.
Molly isn’t allowed to make contact with Jack or Sarah due to a court order and describes them as having “been used as tools of evil” and "weaponized against me.” When reflecting on whether she still views herself as Jack and Sarah’s mother, Molly said: “I think that they hate the person that they think that I am, and they think of me as an evil abuser and they think their father was wonderful. I certainly am not their mother now... [But] I was the mother of the Jack and Sarah that existed in another lifetime.”
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.
