Molly Martens ‘wanted to f ly birthday banner over Limerick’
MOLLY Martens wanted to have a birthday message for one of the Corbett children flown on a banner over Limerick but companies refused her request.
The American stepmother to Jack, 11, and nine-year-old Sarah, had hoped to hire a plane to bring a message to the little boy for his birthday, which was last Friday.
However, several aerial advertising companies backed out of taking on the request made by the Martens and extended family.
Molly, along with her father Tom, a retired FBI agent, are regarded by police as persons of interest in the violent death of the children’s father Jason Corbett at his home in North Carolina on August 2. Following a legal battle the children returned to Ireland a month ago.
Michael Earnest, an uncle of Ms Martens’s said of the birthday message: ‘The first company we con- tacted was in Ireland, and the second, a US-based firm that brokers this sort of thing around the world. The Irish firm initially said they could do it but they backed out.’
Mr Earnest added: ‘A US firm also thought they would be able to do it, but the pilot they found in Ireland, at the eleventh hour, backed out. We were hoping to fly a message, “Jack and Sarah, Happy Birthday, Love Mommy”.
‘Unfortunately both efforts were not successful. I suppose it might be understandable putting oneself in Jason’s family’s shoes.’
He added: ‘Only two people actually know what happened that terrible night. These two people have fully cooperated with the investigation from the outset. So something happened that night that set off the terrible tragedy.’