MOLLY Martens murder trial, where both she and her father, retired FBI agent Thomas Martens are accused, will go ahead next month after a two day preliminary hearing was told the two would not get a fair hearing.
Limerick man Jason Corbett (39) died as a result of blunt force traumas suffered to his head. He had been hit with a paving slab and baseball bat in his home in Davidson County.
His second wife, Molly Martens (33) and her father Thomas, (67) were both charged with voluntary manslaughter and second degree murder and were bailed on $200,000 bonds.
They have denied the charges, claiming self defence.
Last week, pre trial hearings argued motions filed by the Martens’ defence teams claiming that the father and daughter would be prejudiced and not get a fair trial after “false information spread like wildfire”.
However, after the two days of hearing, Judge David Lee of the Davidson Superior Court ruled that the trial would go ahead within the jurisdiction of the allegations.
The court also heard legal arguments surrounding the testimony and interviews given by Jason’s two children Jack and Sarah.
The children, whose mother and Jason’s first wife died in 2006, are in the custody of the Limerick man’s sister, Tracey Lynch.
A decision as to the inclusion or not of their testimony is yet to be made by the court.
The trial will go ahead on July 17 next and a jury will be selected from a pool of 300
