A relative of father-of-two Jason Corbett who was bludgeoned to death by his father-in-law and second wife has pleaded that he be allowed to “rest in peace.”
Michael Corbett has reacted to moves by Mike Earnest, an uncle of convicted murderers Tom and Molly Martens having set-up a Facebook page purporting to show the pair did not receive a fair trial in the death of the Limerick man in the US almost two years ago.
The page, Free Tom and Molly Martens Now, was created by Mike Earnest, a US Government special agent, has been slammed by hundreds of members of the public through posts since it was started late last month.
A Twitter account, with the same name, has also been started.
Mr Earnest has said the page will provide facts about the events leading to Mr Corbett's death and subsequent trial of Molly and Tom.
Mr Corbett, 39, was found with fatal head injuries at the home he shared in the US with his second wife, Molly Martens Corbett in Walburg, North Carolina on August 2, 2015.
Ms Martens Corbett, 34, and her father Tom, 68, a retired FBI agent, were convicted of the second-degree murder of the father-of-two at his home at Panther Creek.
His young children Jack and daughter Sarah were in the house at the time of their father’s death.
They now live with their legal guardian and sister of the slain man, Tracey Lynch and her husband Dave, in Limerick.
Mr Corbett said in a statement:
Michael Earnest and all the Martens family were on the witness list for the defence but they do all their talking to the press and on social media. But when it matters most at the trial not one single one of them took the stand even as a character witness for the two murderers.
“Michael Earnest and the Martens family are showing complete disrespect to the North Carolina justice system.
"The three-judge panel will make their decision on the absolute truth and evidence that was proven one hundred percent in the murder trial.
“I hope people will let Jason rest in peace soon.”
Mr Corbett’s remarks come as they mark what would have been the slain man’s birthday today.
He would have turned 42.
On the Facebook page, Jason’s Journey, family and friends posted messages remembering his birthday.
The post reads, “Everyday you are missed by everyone. But today on your birthday, you are missed even more......Remembering Jason, a man who had true integrity....Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do….”
Ms Martens Corbett first met Jason when she moved to Limerick from the US, as his children’s nanny following his first wife’s death Mags Fitzpatrick.
The American woman subsequently married Mr Corbett in 2011.
The trial in Lexington in Davidson County heard in the summer of 2017 that Mr Corbett, a company manager, was bludgeoned to death with a paving stone kept on his second wife’s night stand.
An aluminium youth baseball bat, that weighed less than half a kilo, was also used up to 12 times by Mr Martens, who claimed it was used to get Jason to release his strangle hold on his daughter Molly.
The father and daughter claim that they had acted in self-defence over the killing of Mr Corbett.
Documents were subsequently lodged by North Carolina state prosecutors, acting for the Davidson County District Attorney's Office, in response to the appeals by Molly and Tom Martens against their convictions for the second-degree murder of Mr Corbett three years ago.
The State case is that the father and daughter fabricated the self-defence story to explain their murder of Mr Corbett.
The Corbett family firmly believe that he was attacked and killed because he planned to move back to Ireland with his two children due to concerns over the increasingly bizarre behaviour of Ms Martens who had a history of mental health issues.
The outcome of the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruling is not expected for a number of months.
If the father and daughter fail to win a retrial with the Court of Appeal, their only option is the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Mr Earnest added: "We hope that the North Carolina appellate court will see that and order a new trial. Please show your support for Tom and Molly.
"Like this post and follow this page for more posts exposing why Tom and Molly’s unfair trial and convictions are miscarriages of American justice."
