The Molly Martens sentencing hearing has heard that she told people she was the biological mother of Jason Corbett’s daughter – and made up details of her experience going through labour.

That’s according to Irish Independent Southern Correspondent Ralph Riegel who is attending the sentence hearing of Ms Martens and her father Tom Martens in North Carolina.

The pair were originally convicted of murdering Mr Corbett; however, the North Carolina Supreme Court later ordered a retrial.

They then accepted charges of voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal and a court hearing in Lexington is now hearing submissions ahead of sentencing.

'Martens went to a divorce lawyer'

Mr Riegel told The Pat Kenny Show several details of Ms Martens and Mr Corbett’s lives have emerged “as part of a general analysis to the background of the case”. 

“[Ms Martens] met Mr Corbett, she travelled to Ireland in 2008 to work as their nanny, and within a very short period of time, [Mr Corbett’s children] Jack and Sarah were calling their nanny ‘mom’,” he said. 

“When their mother died in November 2006, the children were aged two years and under, so they were very young. 

“What’s interesting is Molly and Jason married in June 2011, and a couple weeks’ later, Molly Martens went to a divorce lawyer. 

“Her primary purpose of doing that was to determine what her rights were to the two children – we heard evidence last week she went to a person she was friendly with... and asked her advice on high conflict custody cases.” 

Adoption

Ms Martens had no legal right to the two Corbett children without Mr Corbett agreeing to sign adoption papers, which he was “very reluctant to do”, according to Mr Riegel. 

“The defence's argument is that was done so [Mr Corbett] could wield leverage over Ms Martens within the marriage,” he said. 

“But the Corbett family have maintained that the reason he didn't do that was that he was exceptionally concerned about Miss Martens’ background of mental health problems.” 

Jason Corbett

Despite not having custody, Ms Martens reportedly claimed to have a right to the Corbett children several times. 

“She claimed to be the biological mother of Sarah and went into quite an elaborate description of her labour at a local Bible study group,” Mr Riegel explained. 

“But of course, the two children weren't hers – they were delivered by Mags Fitzpatrick Corbett, Jason’s first wife. 

“Further lies that were told was that Ms Martens claimed that she knew Mags Fitzpatrick Corbett, but of course she never did. 

“Probably one of the most alarming claims was that Ms Martens claimed that Mags Fitzpatrick Corbett had pleaded with her to look after her two children should anything happen to her. 

“That was a claim that the Corbett family only became aware of on the eve of the wedding in June 2011.” 

Sentence hearing

Mr Riegel explained not all of this information is available to Judge David Hall, who will consider reports submitted to him and testimonies heard to decide on Ms Martens and Mr Martens’ sentence.

“There's a lot of material from the 2017 hearing, a lot of it quite damning from the point of view of Ms Martens, and that material has not been entered in this hearing,” he said. 

He previously explained that, depending on the sentence they are given at the end of the hearing, the pair may not face any further time in prison. 

Main image: Molly Martens at sentence hearing after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter of Jason Corbett, 30/10/2023. Image: Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo