Molly Martens, Convicted of Husband's Murder, Welcomes New Baby
Martens and her father were released in June after serving over four years for voluntary manslaughter.
Molly Martens, who along with her father was convicted of the 2015 killing of her husband, Jason Corbett, has given birth to a son named Thomas Carter. The baby was born to Martens and her boyfriend, Josh Parrott.
Martens, 42, and Parrott, 36, welcomed their child sometime after Martens was seen with a pregnant belly in Knoxville, Tennessee, in late August. She had announced her pregnancy on social media, seeking advice from other expectant mothers regarding her 20-week scan. An online meal train has been organized by Martens' sister-in-law, Mary Reid-Martens, to support the new parents.
Jason Corbett, an Irish national and father of two, was beaten to death with a baseball bat and a concrete brick on August 2, 2015, at the couple's North Carolina home. Prosecutors alleged that the killing occurred because Corbett intended to move back to Ireland with his children, whom Martens reportedly wished to adopt.
Molly Martens and her father, Tom Martens, a former FBI agent, claimed self-defense, stating that Molly had been subjected to emotional and physical abuse during the marriage. Both pleaded not guilty prior to their 2017 trial.
Initially convicted of second-degree murder, their convictions were later overturned on appeal. The pair subsequently accepted a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter before a new trial. They were sentenced to four years and three months in prison and were released in June 2024.
Corbett's family has expressed ongoing distress over the outcome of the legal proceedings, viewing the plea deal as an injustice that prevented closure. Sarah Corbett, Corbett's 19-year-old daughter, stated that while Martens may be free to rebuild her life, her family must live with the permanent consequences of the event. She also expressed concern about Martens having a child, stating, 'I have zero interest in Molly Martens' life. But where there is a child involved - I can only hope they are born healthy and grows up safe, protected from ever experiencing the kind of harm Sarah and I lived through.' Jason's eldest child, Jack, echoed these concerns, expressing deep worry for the child given his own experiences of abuse.