New Netflix show discovers the truth behind Jason Corbett’s brutal death
The gripping documentary lays bare in astonishing detail how Jason met a shockingly violent death
A Deadly American Marriage NETFLIX (available from today) 4 Stars
In a new documentary about the death of Irishman Jason Corbett, his family take centre stage in reclaiming their memories of the man they knew and loved.
A Deadly American Marriage lays bare in astonishing and painstaking detail how Jason met a shockingly violent death at the hands of Molly Martens and her father Tom - and gives those who loved him most the chance to take ownership of his memory.
Jason’s children Jack and Sarah speak with utter grace and courage about the father they adored, their recollection of the events of that night, and how they were coached as young children by Molly to make up stories about their father as they grieved his death.
“I want people to know the truth and I want people to know my dad as a person. My dad was a really amazing person and what happened to him shouldn’t have happened to him,” says his daughter, Sarah, in one of the film’s most powerful and poignant moments.
While Molly and Tom are also contributors to the new Netflix documentary, the film is damning in its detail of the violent death of the Irishman and the bizarre and chilling events that followed.
A Deadly American Marriage is available on Netflix from today
The feature-length documentary film opens with Sarah and Jack, now young adults, recalling the death of their dad.
The film then flashes back to eight years earlier and the first phone call made by Martens’ father to the emergency services.
Wanda Thompson of Davidson County Sheriff’s Department was the first investigator to the family home that night, as she recalls initially being called to the scene of the crime. She still remembers the sight that met her in the master bedroom: “It’s pretty horrific. It’s one of the bloodiest crime scenes I’ve seen in a long time.”
The opening scenes depicting the crime scene really bring home the violent nature of the crime. The documentary also features testimony of initial interviews recorded with Jason’s second wife Molly and her father, Thomas, a retired FBI agent, with police following Jason’s death. Molly becomes distressed at the prospect of losing the children under police questioning.
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From the outset, Wanda Thompson says, the Martens’ claims didn’t add up. “These two people were telling us they just were in a fight for their life. Her husband has horrific injuries, and they don’t appear to have any. In North Carolina they have a right to defend themselves. But are they the victims, or is he the victim?”
Jason’s sister Tracey recalls in the film the horrific day when their brother received a call from Molly telling them that Jason was dead. She outlines how close they were and describes him as like her best friend. She immediately made plans to travel to North Carolina to find out what happened to Jason and to make sure Jack and Sarah were safe.
From the outset, investigators say, they began to feel that Tom was trying to drive the narrative during the interviews. They also felt that Molly’s mother Sharon’s account - that she was staying in the basement that night and that she fell back asleep - did not stack up.
“Within 48 hours, the Martens had filed for guardianship, adoption and custody of Jack and Sarah,” Tracey says in the film, adding that Molly would not allow her to see the children. “I just wanted to put my arms around them - they had lost their father.”
The documentary, which is observational in style, also features an interview with assistant district attorney Alan Martin. The autopsy results are outlined by Martin, who describes them as “horrific”. His voice shakes as he says: “Thirty years of prosecuting, I’ve never seen photographs like these.”
Molly and Jason on their wedding day
Tracey says how it took four days and legal action before she could get access to her brother’s body. “It’s horrendous to see what one human being could inflict on another. I hold his hand and I promise him his children will be ok, and I promise that I would get justice for what happened to him.”
Because the children were in the house when their dad died, the film recalls how they were taken to a child advocacy centre to be interviewed by people that are trained to work with small children.
It picks apart in painstaking detail how investigators broke down the details of their investigation and the numerous elements that didn’t add up.
Jason’s family and friends - including his close friend Brendan - take the opportunity to take ownership of the man they knew and loved. They recall his wedding to his first wife and his childrens’ mother Mags and their joy as they began to start a family. But there was tragedy to follow, as they recall the pain he experienced when his wife died.
Molly talks to camera about how she joined an au pair agency and she was contacted by Jason, who told her his wife had died. The couple began a relationship, but viewers see from emails between them that he wanted to slow the pace down initially as he was concerned about the kids. Eventually, Jack and Sarah moved with them to America and quickly fitted in, they say, to their new home.
But at the wedding between the couple, Tracey reveals how she became concerned when she realised while speaking with American guests that Molly had been fabricating details of how the couple met.
It’s clear from the film that both Molly and Tom wanted to start the adoption process as quickly as possible after Jason’s death.
Both Sarah and Jack recall how Molly would tell them their Irish family were trying to take them away. They recall how confused they were as young children by what was happening to them in the aftermath of his death.
Molly, the film recalls, tried to reach out to the kids via social media and radio interviews. But Jason’s family were resolute.
Produced and directed by Jessica Burgess (American Monster) and Jenny Popplewell (American Murder: The Family Next Door) is a meticulously detailed account of Jason’s killing. Now available to audiences worldwide on Netflix, it gives those who loved Jason most the agency to remember their father, brother and friend.