Where is Molly Martens now? Jason Corbett’s wife’s life after prison explored amid Netflix documentary release

Molly Martens and her father, Thomas (aka Tom), were found guilty of second-degree murder after a trial in 2017, two years after the killing of the former’s husband. After a successful appeal in March 2021, the North Carolina Supreme Court granted a retrial.

Before the retrial could begin, Tom and Molly Martens accepted a plea deal in October 2023. The new agreement saw their charges being reduced to voluntary manslaughter and, thus, quashing their conviction of murder without the case going to retrial.

According to the Associated Press, the new ruling also led to an early release of the father-daughter pair. With initial sentences being 20 to 25 years, Tom and Molly Martens received prison time from 51 to 74 months. They were released in June last year and currently reside in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The correction department spokesperson, Keith Acree, told the Associated Press that the pair is subject to one year of post-release supervision (ending in June 2025) after the end of their respective sentences. Barring her appearance in the Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage, Molly has maintained a low profile after being freed.

A few days back, Thomas Martens’ son Connor spoke about his father and sister during an interview with WBIR Channel 10. He said,

“My dad is doing, you know, really well. He's just so grateful for all the small things in life. To be with his wife, who he's been married to for 50 years. I'm now back in Knoxville being able to see his, his grandkids, just, you know, really enjoying life and his freedom.”

Connor mentioned his sister, Molly Martens,

“It’s harder for her, you know, she's 40, she's in, you know, kind of the thick of her life. 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, but overall I think she's really grateful and she's doing really well all things considered.”

In addition to reflecting upon the media scrutiny and harassment his sister has been facing, Connor added that she would be graduating from college that week.

Tom and Molly Martens confessed to the killing of the latter’s husband, Jason Corbett, in self-defense

In the opening minutes of the Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage, a harrowing 911 recording plays in the background. The voice behind the call is Thomas Martens, who confesses to hitting his son-in-law, Jason Corbett, after he allegedly choked his daughter. After Tom and Molly were taken into custody, they admitted to the killing and maintained that they acted in self-defense.

The daughter claimed that she used a brick to hit her husband over the head while the father allegedly swung a baseball bat to protect her. After the 2015 incident, the pair was charged with second-degree murder the following year. Eventually, a trial began in 2017, and Tom and Molly Martens were convicted. As mentioned, their charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter after a plea deal.

According to Jessica Burgess and Jenny Popplewell, directors of A Deadly American Marriage, the father and daughter have remained “resolute,” amidst their “adjustment to life after incarceration.” They also told Tudum (Netflix),

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“Molly and Tom’s time in prison was devastating for them and all who loved and supported them. They don’t believe they should have ever been convicted, let alone received a custodial sentence.”

Through interviews and case-related footage, Thomas and Molly Martens also appeared in A Deadly American Marriage. For the unversed, Molly was the second wife of Jason Corbett, who initially served as an au pair for his family. Later, they began a romantic relationship and eventually married, with Martens becoming the stepmother of Jack and Sarah Corbett Lynch.

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