Australian True Crime – "Revisiting A Deadly American Marriage with Jason Corbett's Family" (ATC International)

Date: January 28, 2026
Podcast: Australian True Crime
Host: Michelle (Bravecasting)
Guests: Tracey Corbett Lynch (Jason’s sister), Sarah Corbett Lynch (Jason’s daughter)

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the story of Irishman Jason Corbett, whose 2015 murder by his American wife Molly Martens and her father, former FBI agent Tom Martens, became the subject of a high-profile legal battle and the recent Netflix documentary, A Deadly American Marriage. Host Michelle interviews Jason’s sister, Tracey, and his daughter, Sarah, who has grown up to recount her childhood trauma, the family's fight for truth, and the complexities exposed by the documentary. The conversation delves into the manipulation, coercive control, and justice system failures that shaped their lives, as well as the healing process and the importance of sharing their story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Crime Summary

• Jason Corbett was living a happy life with his wife Mags and two children in Ireland. After Mags' sudden death (asthma attack in 2008), he hired American au pair Molly Martens, who became his second wife.
• The family relocated to North Carolina in 2011; Jason was beaten to death in 2015 by Molly and her father Tom Martens.
• Original murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on appeal; Molly and Tom served several months and are now free.
• The documentary provides both sides' perspectives and follows Jason’s children, raised by Tracey.

[00:32–02:00]

2. Motivations for Participating in the Documentary

• Tracey wanted to honor Jason and correct the narrative the Martens’ used to justify the crime:

  "Jason's voice was twisted and silenced and stolen... For me, I felt it was the only platform to honor him truthfully and to correct the narrative..." – Tracey, [03:18]

• Participation was a long, difficult decision for the family, especially allowing Jack and Sarah a voice.
• Sarah expresses her need to be heard after being silenced by the legal process.

  "I wanted to be a witness for my dad and I couldn't. So I agree that the Netflix documentary was a good choice..." – Sarah, [04:33]

3. Children's Voices Silenced and Manipulated

• Both discuss how Jack and Sarah’s statements were weaponized by the Martens to justify their actions.
• Sarah admits to having lied in initial interviews at Molly’s instruction—an act that haunts her:

  "The truth is, I lied for Molly, and she's free now because she used that lie in evidence to get away with killing my dad." – Sarah, [07:13]

• She was manipulated from a young age to view Jason as dangerous.

"Molly had been telling me that my dad was a bad man and that my dad killed my birth mom since I was five..." – Sarah, [07:41]

4. Deception, Control, and Red Flags

• Tracey recounts discovering Molly’s pattern of lying, including fabrications about her past and relationship with Jason’s first wife:

  "She had a former fiancé... she said she was on the Olympic swim team—none of that was true. The day before the wedding, we found out Molly had told people she was a friend of Mags..." – Tracey, [10:24]

• Molly’s obsession with controlling Jason and the children was apparent early in their relationship.

5. Surveillance and the Missing Evidence

• Molly planted recording devices throughout the house and car, capturing over 150 hours of audio—much of this was used to manipulate perception during the trial and documentary:

  "There's over 150 hours of recordings... she’s been recording Jason for a minimum of three years..." – Tracey, [17:22]

• The family is convinced Molly withheld key recordings, especially as none from the night of the murder were ever recovered:

  "It does beg the question, where is that recording?" – Sarah, [20:15]

6. Possible Drugging and the Night of the Murder

• Sarah believes she and her brother were drugged by Molly the night Jason was killed, causing them to sleep soundly through the attack:

  "Oh, I believe I was drugged. Molly gave me two pills, and I woke up twice that night..." – Sarah, [21:47]

• Forensic evidence later supported that Jason was likely also drugged before the attack ([50:18]).

7. Coercive Control and Emotional Abuse

• Sarah details years of manipulative and abusive behavior: Molly pitted the children against each other, taught Sarah to purge food (bulimia), and even to shoplift.

  "Molly showed me how to get sick so that I could stay skinny for swimming and she also showed me how to shoplift..." – Sarah, [33:11]

• The home life was described as cult-like and damaging:

  "It sounds like sort of deprogramming somebody." – Michelle, [35:50] "When I came back to Ireland, I thought that I was gluten free, dairy free, and that you're allergic... and Marty had told me that I was allergic to gluten, to dairy, that I was celiac." – Sarah, [35:18]

8. The Travesty of Justice and Gendered Stereotypes

• Tracey and Michelle agree that Jason’s status as a male victim of domestic violence contributed to the miscarriage of justice:

  "If the genders were reversed, it would be a pretty clear narrative. We have all this evidence of coercive control..." – Michelle, [48:03] "I believe she planned to kill him. Jason had looked for a divorce... The realization for Molly that he was leaving really sent her into a spiral." – Tracey, [48:50]

• The family expresses anger that the plea deal and sentence reduction ignored their voices.

9. Survival, Healing, and Family Support

• Both Tracey and Sarah reflect on the years of therapy, family resilience, and the support that helped them regain their lives:

  "I've had a normal life in Ireland and I have a really good family who have supported me for many years..." – Sarah, [53:21] "We have, like, where we are living with it, but we're not stuck in it either." – Tracey, [54:12]

• Tracey and David never spoke negatively about Molly to Jack or Sarah, letting them come to their own realizations.

  "We didn't, we stayed silent." – Tracey, [62:38] "I think it just shows how much they loved us unconditionally, that they cared more about our well being..." – Sarah, [63:03]

10. Honoring Jason’s Legacy & Community Response

• Tracey and Sarah express gratitude for the global support received; their books My Brother Jason and A Time for Truth aim to set the record straight and help others.
• Sarah cherishes loving memories of Jason and is inspired to live a good life because of him:

  "That's just the type of person that my dad was. He wanted us to go out and live our lives and live it to the fullest." – Sarah, [55:54]

• Tracey describes Jason as a loving, socially conscious man whose greatest act of love was ensuring custody of his children would pass to her if anything happened.

  "It’s a miracle... it’s just the best part of this terrible story." – Michelle, [65:22]

11. Reflections on Molly Martens Now

• Tracey does not keep tabs on Molly, rejecting the idea of letting that toxicity continue to affect her life:

  "I've left that go a long time ago because I wouldn’t want to hold that types of toxicity inside..." – Tracey, [60:52]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Manipulation and Abuse:

  "Someone that I loved and trusted was telling me to lie about somebody else that I loved and trusted, and they were calling it the truth." – Sarah, [09:21]

• On the Moment of Escape and Survival:

  "We come into the world on our own, love, and we leave it on our own. I think it’s resilience..." – Tracey, [63:36]

• On Family Solidarity:

  "It does take a village... I didn’t realize how many people, honest, kind people, just cared for two young kids." – Sarah, [45:26]

• On Changing Legal Narratives:

  "Children's voicelessness in the legal system—we suffer that problem often in Australia as well." – Michelle, [06:47]

• On Jason’s Gift:

  "The nicest thing about that gift [horse riding boots] was that the boots were too big for me, that I actually didn’t get to wear them until I was 12 years of age. So it was like I had gotten a Christmas gift from my dad, even though he had passed away years before." – Sarah, [56:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:18] – Tracey on reclaiming Jason’s story through the documentary
• [07:13] – Sarah admits to lying for Molly, manipulated as a child
• [10:24] – Tracey details Molly’s fabrications and early red flags
• [17:22] – Discussion of hidden recordings and their use as coercive control
• [20:15] – Suspicion regarding missing recordings from the murder night
• [21:47] – Sarah describes being drugged by Molly the night of Jason’s death
• [33:11] – Sarah recounts being taught bulimia and shoplifting
• [35:50] – Comparison to cult-like deprogramming after escaping Molly
• [48:03] – Gendered double standards and the justice system
• [53:21] – Sarah on finding healing and having a “normal” life
• [54:12] – Tracey: “We are living with it, but not stuck in it...”
• [62:38] – The decision never to speak negatively about Molly to Jack and Sarah
• [65:22] – Gratefulness for Jason’s legal foresight for child placement

Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is frank, emotional yet dignified, balancing heartbreaking recollections of trauma and abuse with stories of resilience and hope. Both Tracey and Sarah speak with clarity and purpose, determined to honor Jason’s memory and warn others about similar patterns of coercion and violence. The conversation is empathetic, sometimes raw, but ultimately uplifting, highlighting the healing power of truth, therapy, and unwavering family support.

Additional Resources

• Tracey’s Book: My Brother Jason
• Sarah’s Book: A Time for Truth: My Father Jason and My Search for Justice and Healing
• Netflix Documentary: A Deadly American Marriage

If you or someone you know is impacted by abuse:

• Australia: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14)

End of summary.