Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘A Deadly American Marriage’ examines the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Jason Corbett. The documentary focuses on his relationship with his second wife, Molly Martens, who ended up killing him with his father-in-law, Tom Martens. A close examination reveals that there had been a lot of conflict between them, which raises even more questions about the true events of that fateful August night of 2015. As the Martens claimed self-defence, they also turned the blame towards Jason as allegations of domestic violence were levied against him. On top of this, the Martens also came up with the theory that Jason had killed his first wife, Margaret “Mags” Corbett, who passed away in 2006.
While the official report reveals the cause of death to be a fatal asthma attack, Jason’s killers claimed that he had strangled her. Tom Martens claimed that his son-in-law was going to do the same thing to his daughter, which is why he used a baseball bat to hit him. However, the state of Jason’s dead body revealed that he had been attacked more times than self-defence required. In addition to the baseball bat, a brick was also used as the murder weapon. The first trial, held in 2017, resulted in a conviction where the Martens were charged with and found guilty of second-degree murder.
They appealed the decision and were granted a retrial. In 2023, Molly pleaded no contest, and her father pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. In return, the second-degree murder charges were dropped, and they received a sentence of four years, which included the time they had already served. Jason’s family was heavily disappointed by this verdict. They were joined in this dismay towards the miscarriage of justice by the family of Margaret Corbett, as they still hold a place in their heart for Jason and his children.
Margaret Corbett’s Mom Still Supports Jason Corbett
Margaret Corbett was born to Marian and Michael “Mickey” Fitzpatrick and was one of six children. Michael passed away in 2016 and is survived by his wife, their three sons, Michael Jr., Sean, and Thomas, and two daughters, Catherine and Sarah. Marian still lives in Limerick, Ireland, where she has spent almost the entirety of her life. Despite the spotlight turned towards her and her family in the wake of Jason’s murder, she prefers to live a private life, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
When the allegations against Jason were made by Molly and Tom Martens, especially regarding Margaret’s death, Marian and Michael came to Jason’s support. They categorically refuted the claims that their daughter had been killed by her husband. Tom Martens claimed that he had talked to Michael, where the latter revealed that he believed Jason had killed his daughter. However, Michael refused to allow the lies to spread in his name. He immediately went to a solicitor and wrote an affidavit where he confirmed that he had never talked to Tom Martens about his daughter or her death, and neither had he made any allegations against his late son-in-law. His wife described Jason as a gentle soul who was in love with Margaret, even though she had passed away years ago.
Marian revealed that despite her daughter’s death, her son-in-law would often visit her and Michael with the kids, and they maintained a good relationship. She called him a kind and thoughtful person who loved his family, was a good husband, and did not deserve to die like he did. On the discovery that Molly Martens wanted to keep Jason’s kids, Sarah and Jack, Marian was shocked and in disbelief. She revealed that in their last visit to America, Jason seemed homesick and had been planning to bring the children back to Ireland. Upon his death, she believed that the children should come back to their native country and be raised among the families of their parents. She also hoped that Molly and Tom would be held responsible for their actions and that justice would be served to Jason sooner or later.
Catherine Fitzpatrick is Focusing on Her Family Today
Catherine Fitzpatrick lives in Athlone, Ireland, with her husband, Colm Hyland, whom she met in 2010 and married in 2021. The couple has a son named Michael, who is the light of their life. Catherine works as an early years educator at Family Tree Creche, while splitting her time with Limerick Social Services Early Years Service. She is a fairly private person who loves spending time with her husband and son outside public scrutiny. She is a philanthropist at heart and regularly donates to and raises funds for the causes she strongly believes in. She also harbors a love for travel and has been all around the world, from Portugal to the US and Australia.
The only time that Catherine came into the public limelight was when her brother-in-law, Jason Corbett, was killed. She and her mother, Marian, appeared in the Netflix documentary to dispel any bad stories being spun about him. When it comes to the death of her sister, Margaret, with whom Catherine was particularly close, she revealed that she had been there that night. Opposed to the Martens’ claims of Margaret being killed by Jason, Catherine revealed that her sister’s lifelong problem of asthma got uncontrollably worse that night, and Jason did everything in his power to save her. However, he failed and was utterly heartbroken about it.
Catherine wishes that the lies against Jason would be put to bed, and instead, the focus would turn on his murder and the people who claimed his life. Following Molly and Tom’s second conviction, she and the Fitzpatrick family released a statement expressing their disappointment. They wished that justice would be served and Jason’s family would find some closure. The Fitzpatricks also approve of Jason’s sister, Tracey, being appointed as Jack and Sarah’s guardian. Since their return to Ireland, the kids have maintained a close relationship with the Fitzpatricks, keeping the connection with their mother and her memories alive.
Read More: Tracey and David Lynch: Where Are Jason Corbett’s Sister and Brother-in-Law Now?
