THE convicted killers of a Limerick man are set to be released from prison three weeks earlier than previously believed, it has been confirmed.
Molly and Tom Martens, the wife and father-in-law of murdered Limerick businessman Jason Corbett, will be released from prison in the US on June 6 this year.
Molly (40) and her father Tom Martens (73) were re-sentenced last November with an extra seven months being added to their prison terms for the voluntary manslaughter of Mr Corbett.
The pair beat the Janesboro man to death at the couple’s home, which they shared with Mr Corbett’s two children from his previous marriage, on August 2, 2015.
Both had a previous projected release date of June 27, 2024.
Now, officials from the North Carolina Department of Corrections (NCDC) have confirmed that Tom and Molly Martens will be released three weeks early, on June 6.
It is understood that this decision was made in relation to time already served by the pair which had previously been recorded incorrectly.
Both Tom and Molly Martens agreed a plea deal with North Carolina prosecutors last November after their previous successful appeal against their 2017 convictions for second degree murder.
They are both currently serving the final months of the four year and three month sentences which were resumed in the November court decision.
In a statement, the North Carolina Department of Corrections said: “Today (Tuesday) we received amended judgment and commitment documents from the court in Davidson County for both Thomas Martens and Molly Martens Corbett. Both were amended to include 21 additional days of time served, to correctly reflect the actual number of days served during their first incarcerations.”
“The additional 21 days of time served moves the release dates for both to June 6, 2024. The updated release dates should be reflected on the NCDAC website on Wednesday, after the nightly update.”
Reacting to the news on social media, Mr Corbett’s daughter, Sarah Corbett Lynch, made a posting about the importance of allowing victims of trauma appropriate opportunity to process to recover.
“It is important for individuals to have a chance to heal and recover from their trauma instead of experiencing more of it. #NoJustice #JasonCorbett,” she wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
Later, Ms Corbett Lynch shared a video of herself singing Emeli Sandé’s song ‘Read all About It‘, again with the hashtags #injustice and #JasonCorbett.
Jason’s sister Tracey Corbett Lynch told the Irish Mirror that Mr Corbett’s family were “disappointed” with the decision.
“Our family is disappointed with the news. The sentence was and never will be sufficient. They are and will remain killers,” she said.
The news of the Martens’ early release comes just months after NCDC officials were left red-faced after a blunder which said that the father and daughter would be released before Christmas 2023.
The Department of Corrections allegedly mistakenly calculated the release dates for Tom and Molly Martens as December 5 and December 6 last year, an error which almost saw the pair walk free.
Later, prison officials revised their release dates after “human error” led to their release dates being calculated incorrectly.
