GUILTY NC - Jason Corbett, 39, murdered in his Wallburg home, 2 Aug 2015 #10

[otto]

Hello all,

The recording of home life at panther creek - included in link from 7:30 to 8 minutes- do people think it is real? Have the Corbetts commented on whether they believe the tape to be genuine?

if it is real it definitely shows things were not happy.

Also so is that SC crying out at the end?

I would be ashamed if i behaved like that in my home and I would be very worried if my daughter or sister was subjected to that.

https://youtu.be/sg-ZnGvBkgI

There is something desperately not right with this whole story and situation. You have one dead wife, a new feairytale relationship, mental illness, a dead husband and 2 people in prison. You almost could not make it up.

If this tape is real i cannot understand why the defence did not introduce it. It is highly suggestive of domestic abuse. Was this the M's strategy all along to hold back evidence for an appeal.

Im interested to know if the tape is real or not. Thank you.

Are you referring to the very short clip where it is clear that Jason wants to know why the children have finished eating dinner when he is ready to sit down to have dinner with them, and where Molly rudely interrupts him each and every time he tries to say something?

If so, I agree that no one should be subjected to that type of psychological abuse. Molly would not behave like that if she cared about the children and their father.

The defense very likely chose to not introduce that audio clip because she would have had to introduce it in its entirety, and she would be subject to cross examination. There's no defense for instigating conflict, or for interfering with the relationship between a father and his children.

 

[jackkay]

By only taking a single statement for MM and TM (and we can see from MM's statement the HUGE gaps it contained regarding the events of that night) it forced one of them to have to take the stand.

Thanks for this!
That makes perfect sense and was a really clever move. Those cops and or lawyers were really smart.
I read somewhere also that Tom Martens high opinion of himself as a former FBI agent possibly led to him underestimating and patronising
the local cops. Looks like they actually ran rings round him.

 

[emmalpage81]

Emma I know your knowledgeable in points of law . On what grounds do you think they would have any chance of appeal . I know we don't have court transcripts so will be hard to tell for sure but what wasn't allowed from them were Mr Fitzpatricks statement to Tom which the prosecution had a sworn affidavit to contradict it and the children's statements which were believed to be coached and also recanted. There are also the diaries that they were told to document their feelings in . I think the Judge reintroducing the lesser charge was a sensible move . The jurors did have the lesser sentence option but chose based on the evidence presented to them the 2nd degree charges. As for introducing new evidence would giving the recording effectively rule that out being introduced. Jason's family was advised not to engage with ABC before the trial as it wouldn't be appropriate and could have jeopardised the outcome of the trial could the same be said for the information given by Molly for the appeal if it was granted. She gave the show recordings of the children's interviews which in itself should be a crime IMO

Stephan, criminal law - and especially criminal law from a different jurisdiction - would not be my strongpoint. The appeals procedure is much different from what I am used to. The process can be found at http://www.ncdoj.gov/Help-for-Victims/Crime-Victims/Criminal-Appeals-Process.aspx

What is clear is that no new evidence will be admitted and no witnesses will be called. They will simply argue that, when the judge refused their various applications or denied their objections, this was incorrect. I personally found the judge very fair so do not think the appeal will be successful. As you state, things will make more sense when we have the transcript of the hearing.

The two big arguments will be the omission of SC and JC(jr)'s statements and the MF discussion.

I think the judge was quite clear when ruling on the children's statements. He stated that given there were multiple discrepancies in the various interviews they did, it was his ruling that they did not meet the threshold of truthfulness that would be required for admission. He also stated they had both recanted their statements. I do not think the appellate judges will come to a different decision.

In regards to the MF conversation. I cannot see the appellate court differing from the trial judge. How could a judge allow evidence where, firstly, TM is unable to state when the conversation took place and, secondly, where there is a sworn affidavit from MF stating the conversation had never taken place.

MM and TM's video interviews were not entered into evidence at the trial, the voice recording of JC's raising his voice was not entered into evidence at the trial so these things cannot be relied upon in the appeal. They can argue that the judge was wrong in not allowing the children's interviews to be admitted, however, i think their argument is weak.

All IMO

 

[otto]

So how dod Molly come to have the Lithium that Jason's sister testify about at the custody hearing?

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

Jason had a drug in his system that Molly was prescribed a couple of days before the murder. Clearly she had access to dangerous drugs.

What kind of trouble was she in before she fled to Ireland? Did she feign some sort of mental illness to avoid consequences? Did her father routinely protect her from suffering consequences for her actions throughout her life? I agree with Annela that Molly didn't, out of the blue, decide that murder was the best course of action, and that by involving her father she would get away with it. There's a long history of a problematic relationship between father and daughter where daughter assumed that she could do whatever she wanted and her father would ensure that she got away with it.

As for the drugs, I suspect that she had to go along with a mental diagnosis at some point in time to avoid consequences. She then found a way to benefit from that false diagnosis by drugging unsuspecting victims.

 

[Harmony 2]

otto good to see you here... :seeya: I always enjoy reading your analysis of evidence.

This is off the topic being discussed now but I have been mulling over the evidence in my mind...

Many of us believe JC was hit and attacked while he was asleep. We know it was 3:00am. MM claims SC came to the door due to a nightmare and JC was furious about it. She claims he then started to choke her and a fight ensued with TM intervening.

I have a question about the lit overturned lamp on the floor. How do we reconcile the fact the light was on with our theories about what happened that night? Surely turning on a light would awaken someone who was asleep. Did TM turn it on when he entered the room?

He asked Molly Corbett how long her husband had been unconscious and she said, “Since we called you,” Alphin testified. He and other EMS, fire and rescue officials determined that Jason Corbett had been out at least 10 minutes.

There hadn’t been as much light in the master bedroom.

Alphin said he saw a lamp turned over and a concrete paving brick next to it. A baseball bat was near the dresser.

http://www.journalnow.com/news/crim...cle_1b00cce3-cfec-5822-a55c-2a5932d5eec1.html

http://cdn.extra.ie/wp-content/uplo...-Jason-Corbett-Murder-Crime-Scene-House-3.jpg
http://extra.ie/news/irish-news/pictured-inside-jason-corbett-murder-house

What is the item under the lamp? Is that another paving brick?

 

[Harmony 2]

That's funny. Can't believe Twinings do an Irish tea, no way would Jasom drink that, it's either Barry's or Lyons tea for him, and being a Limerick man it would be Barrys I'd warrant. I never travel anywhere without them. Those teacups are gorgeous. Very elegant.

I was trying to be hospitable lol. Obviously I am not Irish...

 

[emmalpage81]

Jason had a drug in his system that Molly was prescribed a couple of days before the murder. Clearly she had access to dangerous drugs.

What kind of trouble was she in before she fled to Ireland? Did she feign some sort of mental illness to avoid consequences? Did her father routinely protect her from suffering consequences for her actions throughout her life? I agree with Annela that Molly didn't, out of the blue, decide that murder was the best course of action, and that by involving her father she would get away with it. There's a long history of a problematic relationship between father and daughter where daughter assumed that she could do whatever she wanted and her father would ensure that she got away with it.

As for the drugs, I suspect that she had to go along with a mental diagnosis at some point in time to avoid consequences. She then found a way to benefit from that false diagnosis by drugging unsuspecting victims.

I strongly believe that MM is suffering from mental illness. I do not think it is something she has made up. My recollection of KM's life with her was that although she told him about her illness; she was embarrassed about it and asked that he not tell anyone else. He kept this secret even though he was pushed to the brink of a mental breakdown himself. This to me suggests that her mental health problems were a source of embarrassment and shame for her and her parents.

At one point, very shortly before she travelled to Ireland, she was taking 16 prescription medicines a day. She had also been prescribed another 10 medications which she was to take 'when necessary'. I cannot see anyone taking that many medicines just to avoid consequences. Whilst I acknowledge this is information provided by her ex. When he wrote the book, MM was a nobody, he protected her identity and, at the end, suggested he hoped she was well and cared for her. He had no axe to grind (IMO). The only reason he spoke out was due to MM stating during the custody hearing that she did not suffer from bi-polar or any other mental illness.

I feel that TM and SM hold themselves up as paragons of American middle-class. They had Four children, three boys and one girl. The three boys are all extremely accomplished. All are employed in federal or government jobs. Then there was MM. MM struggled in high school and missed a lot of time. She did not complete a college degree. She worked low paying jobs, a waitress, nanny, etc. This is not what TM and SM expected from their only daughter.

If anything, I believe that TM and SM have enabled MM her whole life. She has not had any consequences. They have held her up and being something perfect. When, IMO, she is very much broken.

IMO MM was about to lose the only thing that she had ever accomplished and that was being a mother. JC had refused to allow her to adopt the children. Her attempts at proving DV were coming to nothing. I think she knew she was on a countdown and snapped.

All IMO

 

[otto]

otto good to see you here... :seeya: I always enjoy reading your analysis of evidence.

This is off the topic being discussed now but I have been mulling over the evidence in my mind...

Many of us believe JC was hit and attacked while he was asleep. We know it was 3:00am. MM claims SC came to the door due to a nightmare and JC was furious about it. She claims he then started to choke her and a fight ensued with TM intervening.

I have a question about the lit overturned lamp on the floor. How do we reconcile the fact the light was on with our theories about what happened that night? Surely turning on a light would awaken someone who was asleep. Did TM turn it on when he entered the room?

http://www.journalnow.com/news/crim...cle_1b00cce3-cfec-5822-a55c-2a5932d5eec1.html

http://cdn.extra.ie/wp-content/uplo...-Jason-Corbett-Murder-Crime-Scene-House-3.jpg
http://extra.ie/news/irish-news/pictured-inside-jason-corbett-murder-house

What is the item under the lamp? Is that another paving brick?

The blood on the pillow and bedding leads me to believe that Jason was attacked first while he was drugged and in bed - sleeping. The lamp looks like part of staging since the bloody brick is underneath paper and the lamp. The body was cool when paramedics arrived, so the time of death at three AM is nothing more than a statement from Molly.

I don't believe the story about one of the children coming to the bedroom in the middle of the night - I think that it's a concocted story to offer a reason for Molly's violent attack on Jason. Also, if one of the children was awake just before the murder, that child would have still been mostly awake during a violent attack on Jason by Molly and her father. In fact, if the child was awake she would have gone to the bedroom to see what was going on.

I have read that paramedics believed that Jason had been deceased for an hour before they arrived even though they arrived within eleven minutes of the emergency phone call.

Bottom line - Molly and her father used the extra time to get their story straight and to stage the scene.

 

[stephanddoody]

The blood on the pillow and bedding leads me to believe that Jason was attacked first while he was drugged and in bed - sleeping. The lamp looks like part of staging since the bloody brick is underneath paper and the lamp. The body was cool when paramedics arrived, so the time of death at three AM is nothing more than a statement from Molly.

I don't believe the story about one of the children coming to the bedroom in the middle of the night - I think that it's a concocted story to offer a reason for Molly's violent attack on Jason. Also, if one of the children was awake just before the murder, that child would have still been mostly awake during a violent attack on Jason by Molly and her father. In fact, if the child was awake she would have gone to the bedroom to see what was going on.

I have read that paramedics believed that Jason had been deceased for an hour before they arrived even though they arrived within eleven minutes of the emergency phone call.

Bottom line - Molly and her father used the extra time to get their story straight and to stage the scene.

Its great to have veteran sleuthers join us .Thank you for your input we have been trying to reach out for ye since the beginning

 

[emmalpage81]

The blood on the pillow and bedding leads me to believe that Jason was attacked first while he was drugged and in bed - sleeping. The lamp looks like part of staging since the bloody brick is underneath paper and the lamp. The body was cool when paramedics arrived, so the time of death at three AM is nothing more than a statement from Molly.

I don't believe the story about one of the children coming to the bedroom in the middle of the night - I think that it's a concocted story to offer a reason for Molly's violent attack on Jason. Also, if one of the children was awake just before the murder, that child would have still been mostly awake during a violent attack on Jason by Molly and her father. In fact, if the child was awake she would have gone to the bedroom to see what was going on.

I have read that paramedics believed that Jason had been deceased for an hour before they arrived even though they arrived within eleven minutes of the emergency phone call.

Bottom line - Molly and her father used the extra time to get their story straight and to stage the scene.

Complete agree. The area where the lamp is located is the area adjacent to where JC ultimately died, behind the door to his bedroom. There is ample blood in the area and a few splatters on the lampshade. I cannot from the pictures provided see if there is any blood splatter on the framed wedding picture under the lamp.

If the lamp was on the floor during the struggle I would expect to see more damage to the shade than simply being tilted. I would expect it to be bent. With three people in that area in a 'life or death fight' and nobody kicked or stood on the lamp? Nobody stood on that photo frame?

I too believe that the lamp, and probably the photo frame, were placed there afterwards to mimic the scene of a struggle.

All IMO

 

[Tipplass]

Complete agree. The area where the lamp is located is the area adjacent to where JC ultimately died, behind the door to his bedroom. There is ample blood in the area and a few splatters on the lampshade. I cannot from the pictures provided see if there is any blood splatter on the framed wedding picture under the lamp.

If the lamp was on the floor during the struggle I would expect to see more damage to the shade than simply being tilted. I would expect it to be bent. With three people in that area in a 'life or death fight' and nobody kicked or stood on the lamp? Nobody stood on that photo frame?

I too believe that the lamp, and probably the photo frame, were placed there afterwards to mimic the scene of a struggle.

All IMO

It looks to me and I could be wrong that there is one blood droplet on the photo,and one droplet inside the lamp near the bulb..

 

[emmalpage81]

It looks to me and I could be wrong that there is one blood droplet on the photo,and one droplet inside the lamp near the bulb..

So very little blood so close to where the greatest damage (IMO) to JC occurred.

All IMO

 

[jackkay]

Thanks to stephandoody for the Irish mail page images.
This is part I transcribed from the day Tom Martens testified and from its tone it's clear that the journalist Catherine Fegan, at least, wasn't
impressed with him:

Prosecutor Greg Brown was not amused. "Do you think this is funny?" he asked Tom Martens, who was on the stand, recovering from an unapologetic chuckle.He had just been asked if the stains on the boxers he had been wearing when he killed Jason Corbett had occurred prior to the attack. "I hope not", he said, looking mischievously at his lawyer David Freedman.
It was the latest verbal volley that had started three hours before.
After a controlled and tear-filled testimony abut the night he had desperately tried to save his daughter, Tom Martens was turned over to the prosecution for the skilled dissection he probably knew was coming. He was after all a trained attorney, he proudly told the court. Moreover he had been called to the bar in Georgia. His performance in Courtroom C, had started with ease. As the first witness for the defence he'd told the courtroom that he was 67 years old. He'd joined the FBI after graduating from law school. His career involved protecting the national interests. In particular thwarting the efforts of non-friendly states. “It’s basically spy versus spy" he said nonchalantly. Back at home, he had three sons and one daughter Molly. "I love my daughter,” he said more than once.
In clinical detail he talked the jury through the night he killed Jason Corbett.
I reacted instinctively,” he said. "He was going to kill us both."
It was only when Mr. Brown set to work that the real Tom Martens began to emerge.
He responded with ease. More than once, his tone was condescending. His stock of answers soon became repetitive.- "I don't know", "I don't recall", "I don't remember", "If that's what the record says".
Mr Brown didn't seem to like his tone.
"Thanks for correcting me", he said at one point. The prosecutor asked Mr Martens if he liked to take control, if after telling detectives that he "enjoyed outwitting" spies, he had tried to outwit them "No" he replied "I was trying to tell the truth".
Later Mr Brown pressed him in what he saw when he opened the door to the bedroom. "Jason had your daughter by the throat that’s your story, correct?" he asked. Martens' reply was swift. "Are you asking me?" he snapped.
Turning to the clothes Mr Martens wore on the night of the killing, he was asked if Jason tore his clothing in the struggle.
"I haven't had a chance to inspect my clothing" Mr Martens replied, seemingly pleased with himself. Mr Brown wasn't letting it go. Quickly he produced the clothing, "Have a look" he asked the witness.
Tom Martens was unruffled. "They look essentially intact to me,” he said in a cheery tone. The shirt he was wearing was next.
"It hasn't been torn, has it?" asked Mr Brown Tom Martens hesitated, "Well..." he said "It has...but I don't know the cause".
As the boxers and polo top were taken away, Mr Brown asked him if the small tear was next to a marker placed there by a forensic expert who tested the stain.
"Did you not hear testimony about those markers?" Again, silence.
"I guess I will have to look at it again" he said to Mr Brown. As Mr Brown set off to pull out the items again, Mr Martens eyeballed him. "Did you not hear the witness testify about the markers?" asked Mr Brown. "I heard" said Mr Martens "But I'm not an expert. I'll leave that to them".

 

[Frizby]

I just looked at the ABC page, seemingly KM (the ex) is going to be giving an interview on 48 hours. No idea when tho. That will be interesting.

 

[emmalpage81]

I just looked at the ABC page, seemingly KM (the ex) is going to be giving an interview on 48 hours. No idea when tho. That will be interesting.

Now that is something I would watch.

 

[stmarysmead]

KM needs to write another book. He would be ideal to write a book about this murder.

I've been thinking about TM, sitting in his cell. At a time critical to her health, he is not with his wife. I believe he cannot have visitors for several months. i believe he never thought this could happen to him....such was his arrogance.

I also find it interesting that SM in her call to WC...put the blame for JC's death entirely on MM. "She pushed him; he fell."

Why did she tell that story? Why not "TM pushed him;he fell." After all, that was the story they were giving police...at least, the part that it was all TM.

Another odd detail.

 

[searchinGirl]

I just looked at the ABC page, seemingly KM (the ex) is going to be giving an interview on 48 hours. No idea when tho. That will be interesting.

48 Hours is a show produced by CBS; you might want to check there.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/molly-martens-corbett-dad-thomas-martens-convicted-jason-corbett-death/

 

[jackkay]

KM needs to write another book. He would be ideal to write a book about this murder.

I've been thinking about TM, sitting in his cell. At a time critical to her health, he is not with his wife. I believe he cannot have visitors for several months. i believe he never thought this could happen to him....such was his arrogance.

I also find it interesting that SM in her call to WC...put the blame for JC's death entirely on MM. "She pushed him; he fell."

Why did she tell that story? Why not "TM pushed him;he fell." After all, that was the story they were giving police...at least, the part that it was all TM.

Another odd detail.

Also why wipe the bat clean of prints since Tom admitted to using it in the 911 call?

 

[Logic-lady]

So again from the 20/20 comments it appears that the basis of the appeal will be on the motion to have the trial heard in a different county. If that was successful, I still can't see the judges overturning the guilty verdict as IMO the prosecution proved the charge of second degree murder.

 

[Frizby]

Also why wipe the bat clean of prints since Tom admitted to using it in the 911 call?

Law Enforcement still firmly believe that the bat belonged to little JC and was given to him by TM the previous year. They have photos of little JC playing with it. TM would ahve had to wipe it to rid of any of the child's prints to fit in with his story that he brought the bat with him. This is probably one of the reasons that they were so determined to get the children.