SHERIFF: CORBETT KILLING PROBE IS COMPLETE
Case with grand jury ‘by Christmas’
THE US police investigation into the death of Irish fatherof-two Jason Corbett is complete and the sheriff in charge expects developments before Christmas.
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice told the Irish Daily Mail last night that ‘the matter is now in the hands of the District Attorney’.
Mr Corbett, 39, had suffered a fatal head injury on August 2 at his house near WinstonSalem in North Carolina. His second wife Molly Martens, 31, and her father Thomas
Martens, 65, have been named as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation into his death.
Sheriff Grice told the Mail that the file on the three and a halfmonth investigation was handed over to the DA in North Carolina last Friday.
‘Numerous interviews have been conducted and we have amassed lots of information,’ he said.
‘We are satisfied that we have conducted a thorough investigation. The matter is in the hands of the District Attorney for his consideration. I expect there will be some developments within the next two to three weeks.’
Molly and Thomas Martens both gave voluntary statements to investigators in the hours after police were alerted to Mr Corbett’s death. However, Sheriff Grice would not say if Ms Martens or her father had been brought in by detectives for formal interviews as part of the investigation.
District Attorney Frank Garry told the Mail he is looking at the file and has three options – to charge immediately, to not charge at all, or to bring the case before a grand jury.
‘My office has a few things to do
‘I could apply to Superior Court’
in relation to the case before I decide what to do,’ he said. ‘The last scheduled meeting of a grand jury before the end of the year is November 30. However, I do have the power to apply to the Superior Court to convene another grand jury before the end of the year.’
The Corbett family, who have been in regular contact with the authorities in North Carolina, declined to comment on the latest developments.
However on Saturday, Jason’s sister Tracey Lynch, who is now looking after his children Jack, 11, and nine-year-old Sarah, with her husband David in Limerick, paid an emotional tribute to her brother and his first wife Mags Fitzpatrick, who died in 2006.
Saturday marked the anniversary of Mags’s death and on the Bring Justice for Jason Facebook page, Tracey posted: ‘Always missed. Never forgotten. I am sincerely grateful for all the people who are loving and kind to me and my family. I am grateful to the friends who bear with me and try to support me. ‘Today though I feel a little disillusioned with the world. I am remembering our times with you Mags and J (Jason)... Mother’s Day with our Mams, weekends away, lazy Sunday lunches, birthdays and so many more cherished thoughts of laughter, fun, deep conversations on life... and I have to ask how can life be so cruel?
‘But maybe it’s just people who can make life cruel. I miss you both terribly... The 21st of November or 2nd of August should have never have been significant sad days in our lives. You were too young to die. Missing you xx.’
She also thanked officers working on the police investigation into her brother’s death, as this coming Thursday i s the start of the Thanksgiving celebrations.
‘As the great American tradition of Thanksgiving approaches this week, we give thanks for the hardworking men and women of the Davidson County Sheriff ’s Office, North Carolina... Justice For Jason will come soon.’
Mr Corbett, originally from Janes- boro, Limerick, died from blunt force injuries. The sheriff ’s office received an emergency call to the Corbett family house in Panther Creek Court at 3am to find Jason inside with fatal head injuries. Although no arrests were made, investigators confirmed they were not looking for anybody from outside the home.
He shared the North Carolina home with Ms Martens Corbett and his two children from his marriage to Ms Fitzpatrick.
Ms Martens sought custody of the two children after Jason’s death. She claimed in court that, as the children’s stepmother, she had a greater right to bring them up than Jason’s family in Ireland.
She lost that case, but is appealing the decision, and she has mounted an ongoing social media campaign in support of her claim.
Jason’s body was flown home to Limerick where he was buried three weeks after his death.
In a recent interview with the Mail, Mrs Lynch said that while she had confidence in the sheriff, a lack of resources mean it could be Christmas before any decision is made on possible charges.