Netflix’s gripping new true crime documentary, A Deadly American Marriage, delves into the tragic killing of Jason Corbett, an Irish man living in America with his second wife, Molly Martens, and two children, Jack and Sarah.
Jason, a widowed parent to his two young kids, met Molly when she began working for him as a nanny in Ireland. They got hitched in 2011, before moving to North Carolina in the USA, where, four years later, Jason was found dead after being brutalised in his own home.
In 2017, Molly and her father, Thomas Martens, were convicted of second-degree murder — though, in 2021, both of their convictions were overturned, and a retrial was ordered.
While the documentary particularly hones in on Molly and Jason’s relationship, plus the home dynamic with Jason’s children, the documentary also shines a light on the role Thomas played in the chilling murder. Scroll on for the details.
Who Is Thomas Martens?
Thomas Martens is a former FBI agent (and trained interrogator) and the father of Molly Martens, who he shares with his wife, Sharon.
Thomas is an important figure in the Jason Corbett case. Thomas is featured in A Deadly American Marriage, and alleges he walked in on Molly being strangled by Jason, and that Jason claimed he was going to kill her. Thomas claims that he acted in self-defence, and proceeded to hit Jason with a baseball bat and eventually killing him.
In the Netflix documentary, a police officer described the scene as “one of the bloodiest” they’d ever seen. The show also alleged that Jason was so brutally beaten that the pathologist was unable to definitively count the number of head traumas Jason sustained.
What Was Thomas Martens Convicted of?
Both Molly and Thomas Martens were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison in 2017. However, later in 2021, their convictions were overturned following an appeal and a retrial was ordered.
In October 2023, a plea deal was reached, with Thomas pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to time served and released in 2024.
Where Is Thomas Martens Now?
After Thomas was released from prison in 2024, he appeared in A Deadly American Marriage.
The documentary’s directors, Jessica Burgess and Jenny Popplewell, spoke out in an interview in Tudum, sharing that Thomas is now readjusting to life outside of prison.
“Molly and Tom’s time in prison was devastating for them and all who loved and supported them,” they told the outlet. “They don’t believe they should have ever been convicted, let alone received a custodial sentence.”
