Son Jack might be called on to testify
Evidence over baseball bat used in the killing of Jason Corbett could be central to prosecution
THE YOUNG son of slain Limerick man Jason Corbett may be called to give evidence at his murder trial in North Carolina, where Mr Corbett’s wife and father-in-law have been charged in connection to his death, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Mr Corbett, 39, died from head injuries at his luxury suburban home in North Carolina in the early hours of August 2, 2015.
In a 911 call released this week, his father-in-law – former FBI agent Thomas Martens – can be heard telling the operator that he hit Mr Corbett in the head with a baseball bat.
Mr Martens told investigators that he had brought the bat to the home his daughter Molly shared with Mr Corbett and her stepchildren as a present for nine-year- old Jack. He claims he had not yet given it to the boy and, when he intervened during an argument between Molly and Jason, he used the baseball bat in the assault on his son-in-law.
Investigators, however, believe the bat may instead have been given to Jack the previous summer and was kept in a sports-equipment bag in the family’s garage.
According to a search warrant document, detectives had become aware that Jack had been given a baseball bat the previous summer by Mr Martens, which he used to play baseball on his North Carolina team and which he kept in the garage.
An investigator states in the document: ‘I have probable cause to believe that the baseball bat used to assault Jason Paul Corbett may have come from the sports equipment bag used by Jack Corbett and stored in the garage of the 160 Panther Creek Court residence.’
Confusion also surrounds the size of the bat. It has been suggested that it was an adult-size bat, but Mr Martens claims it was a child’s size.
If the baseball bat was an adult size’, the weight of a blow from it would be much more severe.
District attorney Garry Frank told the MoS yesterday that a decision had not yet been made on whether Jack or his sister Sarah would be called on to testify in the trial of Molly and Thomas Martens, who were both charged on Tuesday with second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.
‘That’s not decided yet,’ Mr Frank told the MoS. ‘It’s always a possibility but it’s not really decided yet. There are a number of options to address the issue of whether or not they testify and how they testify.
‘I really wouldn’t care to discuss much further other than to say that there are a number of options.’
Following the death of Mr Corbett, there was a custody battle between the Corbett family in Limerick and Molly Martens.
Jason’s sister was granted custody of the children, who have since moved back to Ireland.
In a report carried out by South Carolina chief medical examiner Larry James, the probable cause of death for Mr Corbett is marked as ‘pending’ but the ‘manner of death’ is marked as ‘homicide’ due to ‘bluntforce head trauma’. The description of the ‘means of death’ is ‘ball bat and landscaping stone’.
Mr Martens made a 911 call from the Corbett family home at 3.05am and explained to the operator that there had been an argument between Jason and Molly.
‘He was choking my daughter, he said he was going to kill her,’ said Mr Martens in the recorded call.
In addition to questions about the baseball bat, detectives are expected to focus on the time of death and blood spatter patterns, which may cast doubt on the Martens story.
Speaking on behalf of Molly and Thomas Martens, relative Mike Earnest said: ‘Baseball is played here from three years old up to the major leagues, the professionals. So when someone says a baseball bat you must be imagining your major league bat. Well, this was not one of those, this was a child’s bat. That’s the only reason the bat was there.’
Speaking of Molly, he said: ‘As much as she fears for herself and her father, much of her thoughts are still on the children.’
‘Ball bat and landscaping stone caused the death’ ‘Their claims are weak, desperate and untrue’
Ms Martens – who had been posting on social media about her step-children and begging them to contact her – has been barred from contacting them as a condition of her bail.
Mr Earnest added: ‘In the trial they will be able to tell the impartial jury we will have to put our faith in, what actually occurred because right now no one has actually heard what actually occurred. It’s given us excerpts of 911 calls or pieces of information but not the full story. So to that extent we look forward to that.
‘Their actions were necessary, justified and complete self-defence.’
The Corbett family have disagreed with the story that Jason was choking his wife when he was killed.
John Corbett, the victim’s brother, said: ‘The claims by the Martens family that they acted in self-defence against my gentle, innocent brother are so desperate, so weak, so untrue.’
Regarding whether Jack might be called to testify, last night Jason’s sister, Tracey Lynch, said: ‘I don’t want to comment on anything related to the kids but obviously we will cooperate with the district attorney’.