The sister of Irish man Jason Corbett who was murdered by his wife and father-in-law in North Carolina in 2015, has expressed her faith in the North Carolina justice system as an appeal commenced.
Attorneys for the father and daughter Thomas Martens and Molly Martens Corbett, delivered oral arguments before a three-judge panel of the North Carolina court of appeals inside a packed courtroom on Thursday morning.
Mr Corbett’s sister Tracey Corbett Lynch has travelled to the USA for the appeal and intends to remain for the duration “to give Jason a voice.”
She said that the family wants to represent Jason and to show their “full faith” in the North Carolina justice system.
“We also want to show our thanks to the people of North Carolina who supported us, who fortified us in the long months following Jason’s death.”
She said that the Martens tried to destroy her brother’s character.
Our job is to defend Jason. We want them to be held accountable.
Ms Corbett Lynch said she was certain the Martens would exhaust every avenue open to them, so she had not been surprised at the appeal.
The process is expected to take between two to six months before an opinion will be handed down by the judges.
“We have full faith in the system and expect their conviction to be upheld.
“Molly and Thomas Martens beat Jason to death with a baseball bat. All evidence pointed to that.”
Molly and Thomas Martens
Ms Corbett Lynch said the past few years had been tough, but that they were fortunate to have a wonderful support network.
“Thank God for the support of friends and family. We are very grateful for it. It will be a relief when the process is finished.”
She expressed thanks to the people of Limerick for their ongoing support for the family.
She said that her brother’s children Jack and Sarah were still grieving the loss of their father, but they were surrounded by love and support.
