Two Things: Official release date for Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett is nigh; Former Greensboro manager resurfaces (2024)

Happy Wednesday. Looks as if summer has arrived.

At some point Thursday, Thomas Martens and his daughter Molly Martens Corbett will walk out of the Davidson County Detention Center unshackled and free after having served 4 years, 2 months in prison for literally beating a man’s brains out.

This we know.

Few murder cases in recent memory attracted more attention— here or overseas.

Most of us knew something about the case. It had all the elements of a made-for-TV movie, and it was difficult to look away.

The night of Aug. 2, 2015, a retired counter intelligence agent — an accountant but a G-man nonetheless— and his young, blonde daughter bludgeoned her husband, Irish businessman Jason Corbett, to death.

Molly and Jason Corbett appeared to be living a charmed life. Two beautiful kids, Jason’s from a previous marriage. A nice home. Country club memberships.

Under the surface, something far more sinister lurked.

Jason Corbett met Molly when she worked as a nanny for his son and daughter. Loud whispers during the trial implied that he may have had a hand in the first wife’s death. Allegations of abuse, physical and emotional, were raised as father and daughter claimed self defense.

So yeah, we watched intently as the legal process played itself out. Reporters from Ireland and national television magazine type shows - 20/20 and Dateline - added to the trial-of the-century atmosphere.

A Davidson County jury rejected the self-defense claim and convicted them of second-degree murder; they were sentenced to between 20-25 years in prison.

A second trial was ordered by state appellate courts after it was determined that the first judge had made serious errors.

To the surprise of some, a deal to avoid a second trial was struck in early autumn. Martens pleaded guilty in November to voluntary manslaughter and Corbett no contest, a legal maneuver treated the same as a guilty plea.

The new sentence, imposed by Superior Court Judge David Hall, added roughly six months to the 44 months they’d already served.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys, if they’d tried, could have found fault with the decision. Perhaps that’s the reason they agreed to leave the sentencing to a judge rather than another roll of the dice with a jury trial.

“Every criminal case should be a search for the truth,” Hall said. “I do not know the truth (in this case.)”

The truth was known only to Thomas Martens, Molly Martens Corbett and Jason Corbett.

Two of them will walk into the daylight Thursday. The third is but a memory.

So what’s next?

For us, curious and passive observers, nothing. A very public chapter of private lives permanently altered by tragedy concludes.

In a year, maybe two, most of us will have forgotten many of the details. The names Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett will be trivia questions.

Remember the father and daughter who beat the Irish guy to death with a brick?

Father and daughter will return to their lives and attempt some semblance of normal. Jason Corbett’s children, a son and daughter approaching college-age, had their lives uprooted when they moved to Ireland to live with family.

Every one of them, in different ways, will continue to be imprisoned by what happened the night of Aug. 2, 2015.

Long after the sentences imposed upon Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett Martens have expired.

New gig for former manager

GREENSBORO - Former city manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba has a new job.

That didn’t take long.

It’s only a temporary gig, but the town of Zebulon hired Jaiyeoba Tuesday to serve as interim town manager for at least the next 30 days.

Details of the short-term deal including addressing some concerns from elected officials in Zebulon - a Wake County town of some 8,600 souls - were ironed out in an emergency meeting.

“The … 30 days allows for a smooth transition considering that this has rather come up quickly,” Jaiyeoba told town officials. “I do not want to give a sense that I’m going to be here permanently … .”

Jaiyeoba, recall, resigned earlier this year in the wake of Greensboro being summoned to his house Dec. 28 for a 911 call about a domestic disturbance. Police said that Jaiyeoba’s adult daughters were involved and reported minor injuries.

No charges were filed, however, and that allowed the perception that the manager received preferential (and deferential) treatment to fester.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Police Chief John Thompson pinky swore that wasn’t the case, but within a matter of weeks, Jaiyeoba offered his resignation.

That wasn’t terribly surprising. But what happened afterward was.

One set of elected officials in the Gate City hinted that he’d been forced out due to an unspecified violation of city policy.

Councilwoman Tammi Thurm told a colleague at The News & Record that Jaiyeoba resigned because of violations of city policy that have cost other employees their jobs. Vaughan said much the same thing.

Smart speculators floated the idea that the manager had hired a lawyer and the resignation saga was about to get a whole lot worse.

So far, though, crickets as a familiar but legal fig leaf - It’s a personnel matter - has been offered.

Now Jaiyeoba has resurfaced to serve as an interim manager for a tiny town two hours east with a fraction of Greensboro’s population and budget.

Stay tuned.