A new Netflix documentary has reignited public interest in a 2015 murder case that’s as haunting as it is complicated. The film dives deep into the death of Jason Corbett, an Irish-born father of two who was beaten to death in his North Carolina home, and the people who admitted to doing it are still walking free.
Jason’s American wife, Molly Martens, and her father, former FBI agent Thomas Martens, confessed to killing him with a baseball bat on August 2, 2015. But they’ve always claimed it was self-defense, saying Jason was choking Molly when Thomas intervened.
“There were times when I thought, ‘I’m gonna die,’” Molly says in the Netflix documentary A Deadly American Marriage, which premiered May 9 and has already sparked fierce debate online, reported by Fox News.
The two were convicted of second-degree murder in 2017, but years later, their convictions were overturned on appeal. In a dramatic legal twist, Thomas Martens pleaded guilty in 2023 while Molly pleaded no contest. They were both released from prison in 2024, leaving many—including Jason’s family in Ireland—stunned and heartbroken.
The documentary doesn’t hold back, featuring voices from both sides of the family. Jason’s sister, who now has custody of his children Jack and Sarah, gave an emotional interview from Ireland. She had already been legally named guardian by her brother before his death, and she doesn’t mince words about how she feels justice has played out.
“I definitely don’t think justice has been served. I don’t think it could ever be served, but definitely not what the Martens were given,” she says.
Jason’s daughter Sarah, who was just a child when he died, also appears in the film. Now a young adult, she recently released a memoir titled A Time for Truth, which she says adds important context the documentary didn’t fully explore.
“Everyone knows that I believe that Molly and Tom murdered my dad. That’s my belief,” she says. “But that’s not what they were convicted of. There’s a lot of evidence [in A Time for Truth] that points to that that doesn’t get shown anywhere else.”
Sarah says her book isn’t all sorrow and legal drama, though—it includes happier memories about her father too.
Molly has always claimed that Jason was choking her before her father stepped in and things spiraled. A medical examiner later reported that Jason had severe injuries to his arms, legs, and torso, along with a fractured skull. He died from blunt force trauma and was hit in the head at least 10 times.
Jason and Molly’s relationship had started in 2008 after his first wife tragically died from an asthma attack. He hired Molly as an au pair to help raise his two young kids, and by 2011, they were married.
Thomas Martens, a respected former FBI agent, also plays a major role in the story. Those who knew him professionally describe him as sharp and experienced, particularly when it came to interrogation tactics. One former colleague even said, “It’s a chess game, if you’re trying to protect yourself and your daughter.”
And that’s exactly what leaves people unsettled. With only two people truly knowing what happened that night, the rest of us are left piecing together a tragic mystery that may never have a clear ending.