Martens faces sanctions for jail rule breach
MOLLY MARTENS, the killer of Limerick father- of-two Jason Corbett, is facing sanctions in the US for breaking prison rules for the fifth time.
The 37- year- old i s currently serving up to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of the seconddegree murder of Mr Corbett following a trial that took place in North Carolina in 2017.
Martens, who was sentenced along with her father Thomas, a former FBI agent, now faces the threat of further penalties after reportedly disobeying an order from a prison officer in the North Carolina Correction Institute for Women (NCCIW), outside the state capital Raleigh.
Prison authorities said the rule breach occurred on November 11, just four months after she was caught with ‘no-threat contraband’. It is currently unclear what the convicted killer did to merit the charge or what sanction she will now face.
This is the fifth time that Martens has broken t he r ul e s while behind bars.
Her previous infractions involved disobeying an order from prison staff and possession of no-threat contraband on February 5, 2018, and unauthorised leave from a specified prison area on November 21, 2017.
Following her first three breaches,
Martens was transferred to NCCIW. She had previously been warned t hat her s entence c ould be lengthened due to repeated rule violations.
Limerick native Mr Corbett, 39, a father- of-two, was savagely killed with a metal baseball bat and a concrete brick in August 2015.
The father-daughter duo of Molly and Thomas Martens are appealing their convictions for second-degree murder and expect an oral hearing to take place at North Carolina Supreme Court in January.
The court will hear arguments from both prosecutors and the defence team as the pair appeal for a full retrial over their conviction.
The Irish Daily Mail previously reported that the children of Mr Corbett may be required to travel back to the US from their home in Ireland if a retrial is ordered.
In April, Mr Corbett’s f amily expressed relief after Thomas Martens was denied temporary prison release.
He had submitted a f ormal application that argued he should be released from prison because he is at an increased risk of contracting coronavirus.
However, Judge Mark Klass denied the motion at Davidson County Superior Court in North Carolina.
Around 18% of the inmates in North Carolina’s prison population have so f ar tested positi v e for Covid-19.