Nanny’s brothers set to appear as witnesses in murder trial
TWO of the brothers of American nanny Molly Martens-Corbett (33) are set to give evidence at the murder trial of her and their father, Thomas Martens (67), in North Carolina.
The trial of the father and daughter accused of murdering Irish businessman Jason Corbett will open on Monday as the painstaking jury selection process continues in the United States.
Ms Martens-Corbett and her father, a lawyer and former FBI agent, deny the second-degree murder of Limerick-born father-of-two Mr Corbett (39) two years ago.
He was found with fatal head injuries in his luxury Panther Creek home in a gated community in the Meadowlands in North Carolina at 3am on August 2, 2015.
He had been hit over the head with a baseball bat and another implement.
The two defence teams will argue self-defence and defence of another before Judge David Lee at Davidson County Superior Court.
The trial heard yesterday, in prosecution submissions to the jury panel, that two of Ms Martens-Corbett’s three brothers – Bobby, Connor and Stewart – were likely to offer testimony. This is expected to relate to the nature of the relationship between their sister, father and Mr Corbett.
The trial was also told that key evidence would also be offered by Lieutenant Detective Wanda Thompson, who headed the Davidson County investigation into the circumstances of Mr Corbett’s death.
Members of the Corbett family who have travelled from Limerick to North Carolina for
the trial include Mr Corbett’s sister Tracey, his brother Wayne and his brother-in-law David, as well as a number of friends and supporters.
Members of the Martens family from Knoxville, Tennessee, are also attending the trial – including Mr Martens’s wife, sons and brother-in-law.
Over the first three days of the trial, just seven jurors – five women and two men – were agreed and confirmed by both the prosecution and the two defence teams.
More than 20 were discharged after interview for a variety of reasons.
All seven jurors who have been confirmed were questioned at length by Alan Martin, for the Davidson County District Attorney’s office, David Freedman for Mr Martens, and Walter Holton for Ms Martens-Corbett.
Another seven jurors must now be selected from the 143-strong jury panel that was called.
Five will be selected for the jury and another two will be alternatives, or replacements, given the potential length of the trial.
Judge Lee said the trial was expected to last for three weeks and, it was hoped, would hear opening arguments from the prosecution on Monday. However, it will not sit in session on July 28.
It remains unclear whether Mr Martens and Ms Martens-Corbett will take the stand in support of their argument that their actions in the early hours of August 2, 2015, were in self-defence.